This is just an idea. It's not completely accurate but it sounds
closer than other tabs that are missing a lot of details.
If you don't understand the parenthesis and brackets then just ignore
them and play along with the song and you'll get it.
t = Thumb picks the string.
i = Index picks the string.
m = Middle picks the string.
r = Ring picks the string.
v = Downstroke.
^ = Upstroke.
Parenthesis = Strummed on the chord switch.
Brackets = Just go up and down a little faster.
The Main Riff part sounds pretty close, except the walkdown for G.
You can play with different notes for the walkdown and find something that
sounds better.
Main Riff [Intro, Verse, Everything.]
|----- t v ^ ^v ^ t v ^ v^v^v v ^ ^v ^ t v ^ v^v^ |
|e-|C|---2---2-22(0)-------------------------(3)---3---3-[3333]-|
|B-|A|---3---3-33(1)---1---1-[11111]-1---1-11(3)---3---3-[3333]-|
|G-|P|---2/0h2-22(0)---0---0-[00002]-2---2-22(0)---0---0-[0000]-|
|D-|O|-0-0---0-00(2)---2/0h2-[22002]-2/0h2-22(0)---0---0-[0000]-|
|A-| |-----------(3)-3-3---3-[33220]-0---0-00(2)---2/0h2-[2200]-|
|E-|3|---------------------------------------(3)-3-3---3-[3322]-|
|-----
The Banjo part isn't exact either but it sounds pretty good I think.
If you play it right, and pull the strings more to make it sound
a bit like a banjo.
Banjo [Follows Main Riff]
|----- D C E G
|e-|C|-2-2----------2---------0----------------|
|B-|A|----3------1-1-------1-1----------3------|
|G-|P|-------2-2-------0-0-------2-2-0-0-------|the
|D-|O|-0-0----0----------------------------0-0-|notes
|A-| |-----------3-3----3--0-0----0------------|
|E-|3|-------------------------------3-3----3--|
|-----
|----- D C E G
|e-|C|-r-r----------r---------r----------------|
|B-|A|----m------m-m-------m-m----------r------|
|G-|P|-------i-i-------i-i-------i-i-m-m-------|the
|D-|O|-t-t----t----------------------------i-i-|pattern
|A-| |-----------t-t----t--t-t----t------------|
|E-|3|-------------------------------t-t----t--|
|-----
You can also mix in some strums if you wanna
have a slightly different sound. Like:
|----- D ^v^ C ^v^ E ^v^ G ^v^
|e-|C|-2-2---222----2--222----0------------333-|
|B-|A|----3--333-1-1---111-1-1---111----3--333-|
|G-|P|-------222-------000-------222-0-0---000-|
|D-|O|-0-0---000-------000-------222-------000-|
|A-| |-----------3-3---333-0-0---000-------000-|
|E-|3|-------------------------------3-3---333-|
|-----
And now the entire song:
D C
Goldenrod and the 4h stone,
E
the things I brought you,
G D C E G
when I found out you had cancer of the bone.
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/s/sufjan_stevens/casimir_pulaski_day_tab_ver_5.html ]
D C
Your father cried on the telephone,
E G
and he drove his car into the navy yard,
D C E G
just to prove that he was sorry.
D C
In the morning, through the window shade,
E G
when the light pressed up against your shoulderblade,
D C E G
I could see what you were reading.
D C
All the glory that the Lord has made,
E G
and the complications you could do without,
D C E G
when I kissed you on the mouth.
D C
Tuesday night at the Bible study,
E G
we lift our hands and pray over your body,
[Banjo]
but nothing ever happens.
D C
I remember at Michael's house,
E G
in the living room when you kissed my neck,
[Banjo]
and I almost touched your blouse.
D C
In the morning at the top of the stairs,
E G
when your father found out what we did that night,
[Banjo]
and you told me you were scared.
D C
All the glory when you ran outside,
E G
with your shirt tucked in and your shoes untied,
[Banjo]
and you told me not to follow you.
[Interlude thinger. You can play whatever you]
[want here.]
D C
Sunday night when I cleaned the house,
E G
I find the card where you wrote it out,
[Banjo]
with the pictures of your mother.
D C
On the floor at the great divide,
E G
With my shirt tucked in and my shoes untied,
[Banjo]
I am crying in the bathroom.
D C
In the morning when you finally go,
E G
and the nurse runs in with her head hung low,
[Banjo]
and the cardinal hits the window.
D C
In the morning in the winter shade,
E G
on the first of March on the holiday,
[Banjo]
I thought I saw you breathing.
D C
All the glory that the Lord has made,
E G
and the complications when I see His face,
[Banjo]
in the morning in the window.
D C
All the glory when he took our place,
E G
but he took my shoulders and he shook my face,
[Banjo or Main Riff, played quietly]
and he takes, and he takes, and he takes.
