| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | September 17, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | In the 1970s Cat often lamented on concerts that ‘Wild World’ took center stage before “better” songs like ‘Father and Son’ only because it released as a single. But it really is a perfect song in all regards, with mind-blowing vocals to boot. Cat recorded the song in the studio with an Ovation acoustic/electric. Its electric pickup signal was used on the left channel and the acoustic microphone’s recording the guitar normally on the right, lending the song this sticky swamp-guitar sound typical for Cat’s recording from the 1970s. The song is pregnant with fantastic guitar riffs and fills. The chord progression in the verse is actually a descending bass line for Cat’s rhythm guitar. As indicated in the tablature, Cat skips a beat in the later choruses so as to add a pause when all music stops—a recurring theme in his work on Tea for the Tillerman and at the time general. | ||
| 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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"Wild World"
by Cat Stevens
from the original album
TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN (1970)
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E
in 4/4 time
INTRO
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G F Dm/F
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
d d d d u d d d d u d d d d u d u d d d u d d d d u d d d d u
E|---------0---0-0---------2---2-2-|---------3---------------0-------|---------1---------------1---1-1-|
B|---------1---1-1---------3---3-3-|---------0---------------0-------|---------1---------------3---3-3-|
G|---------2---2-2---------2---2-2-|---------0---------0-----0-------|---------2---------------2---2-2-|
D|---------2---2-2---------0---0-0-|---------0---0-0-0---0---2---2-2-|-3---3---3---3-3---------0---0-0-|
A|-0---0-----------0---0-----------|-x---x-------x-x-3---3-------3-3-|-3---3-------3-3-0---0---0---0-0-|
E|-0---0-----------2---2-----------|-3---3-------3-3-3---3-------3-3-|-1---1-------1-1-2---2---2---2-2-|
E-FILL_________________________
E E4
/ . / . / . / .
d u d u d d u d u d u d u
E|---------0-----------------------|
B|---------0-----------------0-----|
G|---------1-----1---1---1h2-------|
D|-2-2---2-2-------2---2---2-------|
A|-2-2---2---------2---2---2-------|
E|-0-0-0-0-----0---0---0---0-------|
VERSE 1
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G F
Now that I've lost everything to you, you say you wanna start something new
Dm/F E-FILL
And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin', baby, I'm grievin'
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G F
But if you wanna leave, take good care, hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
Dm/F E G G-FILL
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
CHORUS
C/G G F F-FILL-1 G F C/G C-FILL
Oh baby baby, it's a wild world, it's hard to get by just upon a smile
C/G G F F-FILL-1 G F C/G Dm-FILL
Oh baby baby, it's a wild world, I'll always remember you like a child, girl
VERSE 2
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G F
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do, and it's breakin' my heart in two
Dm/F E-FILL
Because I never wanna see you sad, girl, don't be a bad girl
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G F
But if you wanna leave, take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
Dm/F E G G-FILL
But just remember there's a lot of bad and be-ware, beware
REPEAT CHORUS. (But use F-FILL-2 in the chorus's second half.)
VERSE 3
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G F Dm/F E-FILL________
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | Baby, I love you
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G F
But if you wanna leave, take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
Dm/F E G G-FILL
But just remember there's a lot of bad and be-ware, beware
OUTRO, REPEAT CHORUS TWICE. (But use F-FILL-2 for the second half of each chorus.)
FILLS
=====
G-FILL_____________________ F-FILL-1__________________ F-FILL-2__________________
G /F /E /D F G F (G)
d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d d u d u d u d u !
E|-----------------------------| |------------------------|-3- |------------------------|-x-
B|---0-------------------------| |-1--0-------------------|-0- |-1--0-------------------|-x-
G|-------0---0---0---0---0---0-| |-------2--0-----0-----0-|-0- |-------2--0-----0-----0-|-x-
D|-0---3---3---2---2---0---0---| |-------------3-----2----|-0- |-------------3-----2----|-x-
A|-----------------------------| |------------------------|-x- |------------------------|-x-
E|-----------------------------| |------------------------|-3- |------------------------|-x-
↑ ↑ palm-mute to ↑
pinky index (left-hand fingering) skip a beat
C-FILL_____________________ Dm-FILL____________________
C/G Am7 C/G Am7 C/G Dm E7
d d d d d d d d d d d d u d d d u
E|-----------------------------| |-------0-------0-------------|
B|-----------------------------| |-----3-------3---------------|
G|-----------------------------| |---2-------1-----------------|
D|-----------------------------| |-0-------2-------------------|
A|-3-3-3--0--3-3-3--0--3-------| |-----------------------------|
E|-3-3-3--0--3-3-3--0--3-------| |-----------------------------|
CHORDS
======
Am/E D/F# G Cmaj7/G C/G F
002210 200232 3x0003 332000 332010 133211
--MRI- T--IRM R----L RLM--- RLM-I- TRLMII
Dm/F E E4 E7 Am7 Dm
100231 022100 022200 022130 002010 xx0231
T--MRI -MRI-- -MRL-- -MRIL- --M-I- ---MRI
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
Tablature notation: h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
/ = legato slide (gliss) up the fret
\ = legato slide (gliss) down the fret
! = accentuate part with great intensity
d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke
x = mute strings with palm
LYRICS ONLY
===========
Now that I've lost everything to you, you say you wanna start something new
And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin', baby, I'm grievin'
But if you wanna leave, take good care, hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
Oh baby baby, it's a wild world, it's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby baby, it's a wild world, I'll always remember you like a child, girl
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do, and it's breakin' my heart in two
Because I never wanna see you sad, girl, don't be a bad girl
But if you wanna leave, take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware, beware
Oh baby baby...
But if you wanna leave, take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware, beware
Oh baby baby...
Oh baby baby... 
Playing Cat Stevens 