| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | December 8, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | After a solitary holiday in Spain’s countryside Cat was delighted with how much of a shadow the bright moon really cast without any streetlights around, which gave him the image for the song. The basic idea also stemmed from an old traditional Greek song. It took Cat, co-guitarist Alun Davies and producer Paul Samwell-Smith four hours on a Sunday afternoon to record and mix the song, with Cat doubling the guitars perfectly. The distortion on the guitar at the end is credited to Paul who took over engineering that session, since neither Mike Bobak nor Robin Black, usually the engineers, were available at the time. The bespoke fingerpicking pattern, played with thumb and index only, is typically Cat’s—what a delight to play! As Cat alternates seamlessly between fingerpicking with his index and thumb and strumming with a plectrum, you will need to practice Cat’s pick trick to play this song exactly as he does. | ||
| 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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"Moonshadow"
by Cat Stevens
from the original album
TEASER AND THE FIRECAT (1971)
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E
in 4/4 time
INTRO
Note: Sometimes Cat's index
D5 D4 D D4 D D/F# G G/B A A4 D finger or thumb hits more
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . than one string at once
E|-5---5-5-5---3-2-|-3-------2-------|-----3-----------|-----0h2---------| when fingerpicking.
B|---3-------3-----|---3---3---3---0-|---0---0---0-2-3-|---3-----3----(3)|
G|-----------------|-----------------|--(0)-(0)--------|-----0h2---------|
D|-0---0-0-0---0(0)|-0---0---0-------|-----0-----------|-0-------0-------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|---------2---0---|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-------------2---|-3---------------|-----------------|
CHORUS (Continue with intro riff throughout.)
D5 D4 D D4 D D/F# G G/B A A4 D
Yes I'm being followed by a moon-shadow, moon-shadow, moon-shadow
D5 D4 D D4 D D/F# G G/B A A4 D
A leapin' and hoppin' on a moon-shadow, moon-shadow, moon-shadow
VERSE 1
G D G D G D G A
And if I ever lose my hands, lose my plough, lose my land
G D G D Em A D F#/C# Bm/F#
Oh if I ever lose my hands, oh if | / / / / |
Em A RIFF-1
I won't have to work no more
VERSE 2
G D G D G D G A
And if I ever lose my eyes, if my colors all run dry
G D G D Em A D F#/C# Bm/F#
Yes if I ever lose my eyes, oh if | / / / / |
Em A RIFF-1
I won't have to cry no more
REPEAT CHORUS.
VERSE 3
G D G D G D G A
And if I ever lose my legs, I won't moan and I won't beg
G D G D Em A D F#/C# Bm/F#
Oh if I ever lose my legs, oh if | / / / / |
Em A RIFF-1
I won't have to walk no more
VERSE 4
G D G D G D G A
And if I ever lose my mouth, all my teeth north and south
G D G D Em A D F#/C# Bm/F#
Yes if I ever lose my mouth, oh if | / / / / |
Em A RIFF-2 Note: Instead of A7s4, Cat just
I won't have to talk... plays a regular A major
chord over "talk" here.
REPEAT INTRO TWICE.
MIDDLE EIGHT
E A A2 E A A2
"Did it take long to find me," I asked the faithful light
E A A2 E A A7s4
"Oh did it take long to find me, and are you gonna stay the night?"
OUTRO (Strum throughout.)
D (D) G A D
I'm being followed by a moonshadow, moonshadow, moon-shadow
(D) (D) G A D
A leapin' and hoppin' on a moonshadow, moonshadow, moon-shadow
G A A4 D G A D
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
u d d d u d d u d
E|-----3-----------|-----0h2---------|-3---3---3-3-0---|-----2-----------||
B|-0-----0---0-2-3-|---3-----3-----0-|-0---0---0-0-2---|-----3-----------||
G|---0-------------|-----0h2-------0-|-0---0---0-0-2---|---2-2-----------||
D|-----------------|-0-------0-----0-|-0---0---0---2---|-0---0-----------||
A|-------------0---|-----------------|-x---x---x---0---|-----------------||
E|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3---3---3-------|-----------------||
Moon-sha-dow, moon-sha-dow, moon-sha-dow, moon-sha-dow
RIFFS
=====
RIFF-1____ RIFF-2_____ Note: Cat usually strums RIFF-1 and finger-
D D picks RIFF-2. He also sometimes hits
d u d u d more than one string at once, with
E|-2-0-------| |-0h2-0-------| his thumb and/or index finger, when
B|-3-3-3-3-3-| |-------3-3-3-| fingerpicking.
G|-2-0-0-0-2-| |-0h2-0----(2)|
D|-----2-0-0-| |-------2-0-0-|
A|-----------| |-------------|
E|-----------| |-------------|
CHORDS (in order of appearance)
======
D5 D4 D D/F# G G/B
xx0235 xx0233 xx0232 200232 320003 x20003
---IRL ---IRL ---IRM T--IRM RM---L -M---L
A A4 Em F#/C# Bm/F#
x02220 x02230 022000 x44322 xx4432
--IMR- --IMR- -MR--- -RLMII --RLMI
E A2 A7s4
022100 x02200 x02030
-MRI-- --IM-- --I-R-
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
Tablature notation: h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
~ = vibrato
[ ] = natural harmonic (Harm.)
/ = legato slide (gliss) up the fret
\ = legato slide (gliss) down the fret
! = accentuate part with great intensity
d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke 
Playing Cat Stevens 