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The Obvious Child - Paul Simon
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Tabbed by: maguri
Tuning: Standard
Paul Simon
The Obvious Child (1989)
(Paul Simon)
From: "The Rhythm of the Saints"
Three chords for 99% of this beauty but HOW he plays them ... The chords
change incredibly quick in some places. As a consequence this tab might
look confusing but it makes sense when one sees him play. This video
of a recent live performance was very helpful when I tabbed and learned
this, so check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmyPkIBLLak
Enjoy!
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CHORDS
E-A-D-G-B-E
C* x-3-2-0-1-3
D* x-x-0-2-3-x
[ch]D7sus4/G[/ch] 3-x-0-2-1-3
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capo 1st fret
[percussion / drum intro]
INTRO
G G
Bo, boh ... bo, boh
G G
Bo, boh ... bo, boh
VERSE
G
I'm accustomed to a smooth ride
D C G D G
Or maybe I'm a dog who's lost its bite
D C G C F C
I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more
G D G
I don't expect to sleep through the night
D C G D G
Some people say a lie's a lie's a lie
D C G C
But I say why
F C
Why deny the obvious child?
F C G
Why deny the obvious child?
VERSE
D C G D C G
And in remembering a road sign
D C G D C G C F C
I am remembering a girl when I was you-ou-oung
G D G
And we said these songs are true
D G
These days are ours
D G
These tears are free and hey
C F C
The cross is in the ballpark
C F C G
The cross is in the ballpark
MIDDLE PART 1
G
We had a lot of fun
G G G D* C
We had a lot of money
G G G D* C
We had a little son and we thought we'd call him Sonny
C D G
Sonny gets married and moves away
C D G
Sonny has a baby and bills to pay
C D G C D G
Sonny gets sunnier day by day by day by day
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/p/paul_simon/the_obvious_child_crd.html ]
INTERLUDE
G G
Bo, boh ... bo, boh
G G
Bo, boh ... bo, boh
VERSE
D C G
I've been waking up at sunrise
D C G D G
I've been following the light across my room
D C G C F C G D G
I watch the night receive the room of my day
D C G D G
Some people say the sky is just the sky
D C G C
But I say why
F C
Why deny the obvious child?
F C G
Why deny the obvious child?
INTERLUDE
| G | G [ch]D7sus4/G[/ch] | G | G [ch]D7sus4/G[/ch] |
| G | G [ch]D7sus4/G[/ch] | G | G [ch]D7sus4/G[/ch] |
| G | G [ch]D7sus4/G[/ch] |
MIDDLE PART 2
[C/G] G C/G G D C
Sonny sits by the window and thinks to himself
G C/G G D C
How it's strange that some rooms are like cages
G C/G G D C
Sonny's yearbook from high school is down from the shelf
C D G C/G G D C
And he id-l - y thumbs through the pages
Am
Some have died
G C G
Some have fled from themselves
C D C G C D
Or struggled from here to get there
C G C/G G D C
Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls
G C/G G D C
Runs his hands through his thinning brown hair
VERSE
G
I'm accustomed to a smooth ride
D C G D G
Or maybe I'm a dog who's lost its bite
D C G C F C
I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more
G D G
I don't expect to sleep through the night
D C G D G
Some people say a lie's a lie's a lie
D C G
But I say
C F C
The cross is in the ballpark
C F C G G G [break]
Why deny the obvious child?
[percussion break]
OUTRO
G D C G D C G C C C* D C*
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (ooh, ooh, ooh)
G D C G D C G C C C* D
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (ooh, ooh, ooh)
