James Taylor - You Can Close Your Eyes Chords & Tabs

Written by James Taylor
(Album Version)

Capo on 1st fret


If you're just getting into James Taylor, I believe this is the best song to learn his 
Be sure to learn the licks he plays in between his singing. Anyone can just play the chords.

Intro:
  E |------0-2--3--0--------|------0-2--3-------0------|
  B |----3------3--3-----2--|----3------3---3-------3--|
  G |--2-----------------0--|--2--------0-----0---0----|
  D |----0------------------|----0---------------------|
  A |--------------0---0-0--|-------------------0------|
  E |-----------3-----------|-----------3-2-0----------|


Verse:
(He finger-strums while singing and does licks in between. The exact strings you strum 
have to be exact, but the licks in between are written out exactly.)

"Well the sun is surely sinking down..."
  E |-----2-2-2-2------------|---------------0---0-----------0---------|
  B |-----3-3-3-3-------3-3--|-----3-3-----------0-----0^2-------2-----|
  G |-------------------0-0--|-----2-2---------------2---------------0-|
  D |--0----------------0-0--|--0----------2-------2-------2-------2---|
  A |------------------------|----------0--------------0-------0-------|
  E |--------------2-3-------|-----------------0-----------------------|

"But the moon is slowly rising..."
  E |------------------0-0--|------3-------3-----------------0--|
  B |----0-0----0-0----0-0--|--------1^0-------0---------3---3--|
  G |----0-0----0-0----0-0--|----0-------0---------------0---0--|
  D |----2-2----------------|----------------------0---2--------|
  A |---------2------0------|--------------------------------0--|
  E |--0--------------------|--3-------------3---3---0----------|

"So this old world must still be spinning round..."
  E |------------------------|---------------0---------0-0-----0----0-0-|
  B |-----3-3---3-------3-3--|-----3-3-----------0-----3-2^0---0^2--2-0-|
  G |-----2-2---2-------0-0--|-----2-2---------------2-------2----------|
  D |--0------0---------0-0--|--0----------2-------2--------------------|
  A |------------------------|----------0--------------0----------------|
  E |--------------2-3-------|-----------------0------------------------|
                                               *You'll find this lick in
                                                a lot of James Taylor songs

"And I still love you..."
  E |-------------------------|---------3-----2---0------------|
  B |-----0-0-----0-0----0-0--|---------3-----3-------2-----3--|
  G |-----0-0-----0-0----0-0--|-------0-----0-------------2----|
  D |-----2-2-----------------|--0--0-----------------------0--|
  A |----------2-------0------|---------------------0---0------|
  E |--0----------------------|---------3-3---0-0--------------|

I have tabbed out some of the later picking patterns at the bottom of this tab. The 
of the chorus are below.

From here on out it's pretty easy to figure out the picking patterns,
many from above are repeated or you can just improvise if you want. Just remember to 
those bass notes like James.

Chorus:

   G     Em7  A7sus4 A7
So close your eyes


C                  G            Badd9 Bm  (tab below)
You can close your eyes, it's alright

[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/james_taylor/you_can_close_your_eyes_tab_ver_2.html ]
Em7              A7sus4 A7      C                G            Badd9 Bm
I don't know no love songs, and I can't sing the blues anymore


    Em7   D/F#         G   (tab below)
But I can sing this song,

    Em7     D/F#        G  A        Badd9 Bm
and you can sing this song when I'm gone

Em7  F#m  G  Em7  A7sus4  A7   (tab below)

And back to (Verse) for second verse.


Here are some of the fingerpicking patterns from the chorus:
(Numbers in parentheses are usually just played as grace notes
 while switching chords)

"You can close your eyes, it's alright..."
E--------0----------------3-------------------2---------------2------------|
B-------------------------------------------------2-----2h3-------3--------|
G----0-------0---0------------0------0----------------4---------------(0)--|
D------2----------------0-------------------4-------4-------4-------4------|
A--3-------3-----------------------0---2--------2-------2-------2----------|
E--------------2---3--------3----------------------------------------------|


Same pattern as above for "And I can't sing the blues anymore"


"But I can sing this song..."
  E |--------------------3----------------3------|
  B |--------------0------------1p0--------------|
  G |--0-----2--------0-------0-------0-------0--|
  D |-----0-----0--------------------------------|
  A |--------------------------------------------|
  E |--0-----2-----3--------3---3---3---3---3----|


"And you can sing this song when I'm gone..."
  E |------------------------------------2---------------2------------|
  B |--------------0-------2-----------------2-----2h3-------3--------|
  G |--0-----2--------0--------(0)---------------4---------------(0)--|
  D |-----0-----0------------2---------4-------4-------4-------4------|
  A |--------------------0---------2-------2-------2-------2----------|
  E |--0-----2-----3--------------------------------------------------|


Next, when (Em7  F#m  G  Em7  A7sus4  A7) is played, the pattern is roughly this:

  E |---------------------------|
  B |----3----2----3----3--3-2--|
  G |----0----2----0----0--0-0--|
  D |---------------------------|
  A |----------------------0-0--|
  E |--0----2----3----0---------|


Second verse and chorus are pretty much the same. At the end of the song
a second guitar part joins in. Both parts are below:


Guitar 1:
  E |------0-2--3-0--------|------0-2--3---------2--|
  B |----3------3-3-----2--|----3------3---3--2--3--|
  G |--2--------0-0-----0--|--2--------0---0--0--2--|
  D |----0-----------------|----0----------------0--|
  A |-------------0---0-0--|------------------0-----|
  E |-----------3----------|-----------3-2-0--------|

Guitar 2:
  E |-----------------------------------------------------(2)--|
  B |-----------------------------------------------------(3)--|
  G |---------------------------2---------0-2-4-0---2---2-(2)--|
  D |-----------------------0-2---0-2-4-0---------2--------0---|
  A |-----------------0-2-4---------------------------0--------|
  E |----------------------------------------------------------|

Enjoy