| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | November 13, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | This song is one of a handful Cat wrote for a proposed musical about the Romanovs called “Revolussia”, a project that never came to fruition on stage. Cat plays a terrific piano part on the original album recording, with Alun Davies on guitar. In all live performances where a piano was available, Cat chose to play the piano part instead. However, the studio demo has Cat on guitar and vocals only, and his performance on French TV “Pop Deux” in 1970 has Cat and Alun playing this song on guitar. This is what we based our guitar-tab transcription on, while taking some cues from Cat’s great piano part. | ||
| Each guitar tab is the author’s own work and represents his or her own interpretation of the song. Visitors may use the guitar tabs offered here only for private study, scholarship, or research. |
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"Maybe You're Right"
by Cat Stevens
from the original album
MONA BONE JAKON (1970)
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E
in 4/4 time
INTRO
RIFF___
G/D Eb/G D D/F# D D/F# Em Em7
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
d u d u d u d d d u d u d d
E|-3-----3-3-3-3-3-|---3-------3-----|-2---2---2-2-2-2-|-----0-----------|
B|-3-----3-3-3-3-3-|-------4-------4-|-3---3---3-3-3-3-|-----0-----------|
G|-4-----4-4-4-4-4-|-----3-------3---|-2---2---2-2-2-2-|-----0-----0---0-|
D|-5-------5---5---|-5-------5-------|-0---4---0---4---|-2---2---2---0---|
A|-5-------5---5---|-----------------|-----------------|-2---2-----------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|
C G Fadd9 C C2 C C2
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
d d d u d u d u u d u d u d u d d d d u
E|---------3-3-3-3-|-3-3-------3-3-3-|---3-----3-3-3-3---|(3)----------3-3-|
B|---------1-1-1-1-|-0-0-------0-0-0-|---1-----1-1-1-1---|(1)----------1-1-|
G|-----0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0-------0-0-0-|-0h2-----0-2-0-0---|(0)--0---0---0-0-|
D|-2---2---2---2---|-0-----------0---|---3-------3---2---|(2)--0---2---0---|
A|-3-------3---3---|-x-----------x---|---------------3---|(3)------3---3---|
E|-----------------|-3-----------3---|-------------------|-----------------|
VERSE 1
G C D Em RIFF
Now maybe you're right and maybe you're wrong
C G Fadd9 C C2
But I ain't gonna argue with you no more, I've done it for too long
G C D Em RIFF
It was getting so good, why then, where did it go?
C G Fadd9 C C2
I can't think about it no more, tell me if you know
G C D Em RIFF
You were loving me, I was loving you
C G FILL
But now there ain't nothing but regretting
C G Fadd9 C C2
Nothing, nothing but regretting, everything we do
REPEAT INTRO.
VERSE 2
G C D Em RIFF
I put up with your lies like you put up with mine
C G Fadd9 C C2
But God knows we should have stopped somewhere, we could've have taken the time
G C D Em RIFF
But time has turned, yes some call it the end
C G FILL C/G G
So tell me, tell me did you really love me like a friend
C/G G C/G G
You know you don't have to pretend, it's all over now
C/G G C/G G
It'll never happen again, no no no, it'll never happen again
C/G G C/G G
It won't happen again, never, never, never
C/G G Fadd9 C (G)
It'll never happen again, no no no no, no no no no
REPEAT INTRO.
REPEAT VERSE 1. ("So maybe you're right...")
OUTRO (Similar to INTRO).
G/D Eb/G D D/F#D D/F# Em RIFF_
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
C G Fadd9 C C2 C C2
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Fadd9 C C2 C C2 G/D
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / ||
RIFF, FILL
==========
RIFF___ FILL
Em Em7 (G) C
/ / / / / / ...
d d d u d u d u d
E|-----0-----------| |-----|-3---------|
B|-----0-----------| |-----|-1---------|
G|-----0-----0---0-| |-----|-0---------|
D|-2---2---2---0---| |-----|-2---------|
A|-2---2-----------| |---0-|-3---------|
E|-0---------------| |-3---|-----------|
CHORDS (in order of appearance)
======
Note #1: Even though the studio demo has Cat
on guitar and vocals only, this song
ultimately received a prominent piano
part overshadowing the guitar part on
the original album recording. There-
fore, we based the transcription more
on the studio demo and Cat's 1970
performance on French TV, where he
plays this song together with Alun on
guitars only.
Note #2: Cat loves to do hammer-ons with his
middle finger. Throughout the song
he does so liberally with the Fadd9
and C major chords for special effect,
like so:
Fadd9 F2 Fadd9
xx3213 > xx3013 > xx3213
--RMIL --R-IL --RMIL
C C2 C
x32013 > x30013 > x32013
-RM-IL -R--IL -RM-IL
G/D Eb/G D D/F# Em Em7
x55433 xx5343 xx0323 xx4323 022000 020000
-RLMII --RIMI ---IRM --LIRM -MR--- -M----
C C2 G Fadd9 F2 C/G
x32013 x30013 3x0003 xx3213 xx3013 332010
-RM-IL -R--IL R----L --RMIL --R-IL RLM-I-
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
Tablature notation: h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke 
Playing Cat Stevens 