#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Here's a song I fell in love with when I first heard it on Turbulent Indigo. I learned the chords from
Joni's fingers on the PBS documentary on Troubadours of Folk Festival, where she first introduced the song.
is very classic Joni melody writing, on a par with Both Sides Now in its folk simplicity. The chords are not that exotic or jazzy, but there's a fluidity to the chord changes that really heightens the emotions of
lyrics - a Joni trademark!
As before, I have not included the right-hand fingering - it's best left to the individual player to flesh
Select a tuning that best suits your voice (the fingering is the same for all three):
Tuning on Turbulent Indigo album: BF#BD#F#B (my guitar goes dead this low!)
Tuning on live performance: CGCEGC
Also can be played in DADF#AD
4/4
Borderline - Words & Music by Joni Mitchell
|---0---------------------|---0---------------------|--0---------------------|
|---0---------------------|---0---------------------|--0---------------------|
|---5---------------------|---1---------------------|--5---------------------|
|---5---------------------|---2---------------------|--5---------------------|
|---5---------------------|---2---------------------|--5---------------------|
|---5---------------------|---2---------------------|--5---------------------|
|---0----------------------|-5-----------5-----------|---5-----------5--------|
|---0----------------------|-5-----------5-----------|---5-----------5--------|
|---1----------------------|-5-----------6-----------|---5-----------6--------|
|---2----------------------|-5-----------5-----------|---5-----------5--------|
|---2----------------------|-5-----------7-----------|---5-----------7--------|
|---2----------------------|-5-----------5-----------|---5-----------5--------|
Every - body looks so ill at ease
so distrustful so dis-
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/joni_mitchell/borderline_tab.html ]
|--5----------------5-----|------0-----------------|--0-----------0---------|
|--5----------------5-----|------0-----------------|-12----------13---------|
|--5----------------6-----|------6-----------------|-12----------13---------|
|--5----------------5-----|------0-----------------|-12----------13---------|
|--5----------------7-----|------7-----------------|-12----------13---------|
|--5----------------5-----|------0-----------------|--0-----------0---------|
pleased. Running down this table, I see a borderline. Like a
barbed-wire
|--0------------0---------|---0------------0--------|---0----------------------|
|-12-----------13---------|--12----------13--------|----0----------------------|
|-12-----------13---------|--12----------13--------|----8----------------------|
|-12-----------13---------|--12----------13--------|----9----------------------|
|-12-----------13---------|--12----------13--------|----9----------------------|
|--0------------0---------|---0------------0--------|----9---------------------|
fence strung tight, strung tense, prickling with pretence,
a borderline.
(slur):
|--7--------------7-------|--7-----------7---7-----|--7------------7----------|
|--7--------------7-------|--7-----------7---7-----|--7------------7----------|
|--7--------------8-------|--7-----------8---7-----|--7------------8----------|
|--7--------------7-------|--7-----------7---7-----|--7------------7----------|
|--7--------------9-------|--7-----------9---7-----|--7------------9----------|
|--7--------------7-------|--7-----------7---7-----|--7------------7----------|
Why are you smirking at your friend?
this to be the night
|--0----------------------|---5--------5-----------|--5---------5-----------|
|--0----------------------|---5--------5-----------|--5---------5-----------|
|--8----------------------|---5--------6-----------|--5---------6-----------|
|--9----------------------|---5--------5-----------|--5---------5-----------|
|--9----------------------|---5--------7-----------|--5---------7-----------|
|--9----------------------|---5--------5-----------|--5---------5-----------|
when all well-wishing ends? All credibility re - voked?
Thin skin, thick
|---5---------5--------------|----0-----------0------| etc. for remaining verses
|---5---------5--------------|----0-----------0------|
|---5---------6--------------|----6-----------5------|
|---5---------5--------------|----0-----------5------|
|---5---------7--------------|----7-----------5------|
|---5---------5--------------|----0-----------5------|
jokes! Can we blame it on the smoke, this sudden border - line?
