| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | May 14, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes: | Cat’s growing sense of spriritual awareness and his quest for answers to life’s larger philosophical questions are perfectly reflected in this song. Even though the piano riff, which was conceived from the start, takes central stage, guitar was laid down first with the piano probably overdubbed later according to Paul Samwell-Smith. The song keeps stopping and abruptly going off into another direction for B major, so filler words like “Ooh”, “Yes”, etc. were put in to better take the listener by the hand. Alun’s extensive guitar solo is a big highlight in this song. It is transcribed here (or anywhere, really) for the very first time, but we also provide you with tips on how to tackle the triplets Cat strums. | ||
| 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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"I Wish, I Wish"
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
C/G! ! Dm D G! ! (G) F
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . (2x)
E| |-------------------1-1-1-2---2---|---------3---------3-3-0---1-1-1-| |
B| |---------1---------3-3-3-3---3---|---------0---------0-0-0---1-1-1-| |
G|.|---------0---------2-2-2-2---2---|---------0---------0-0-0---2-2-2-|.| Play
D|.|-2-------2-------0-0-0-0-0---0---|---------0---------0-0-0---3-3-3-|.| twice.
A| |-3-------3-------0-0-0-0-0---0---|-x-------x-------x-x-x-x---3-3-3-| |
E| |-3-------3-----------------------|-3-------3-------3-3-3-3-1-1-1-1-| |
VERSE 1
C/G Dm D G (G) F
I wish I knew, I wish I knew
C/G Dm D G (G) F
What makes me me and what makes you you
C/G Dm D G B
It's just an-other point of view - ooh
E A D B
A state of mind I'm going through - yes
E A D G (G) F
So what I see is never true - no
VERSE 2
C/G Dm D G (G) F
I wish I could tell, I wish I could tell
C/G Dm D G (G) F
What makes a heaven, what makes a hell
C/G Dm D G B
And do I get to ring my bell - ooh
E A D B
Or land up in some dusty cell - no
E A D G (G) F
While others reach the big ho-tel - yes
SOLO (See bottom for tablature transcription.)
C/G! ! Dm D G! ! (G) F (3x)
|:| / / / / | / / / / |:| Play three times.
VERSE 3
C/G (Dm) (D) G (G) F
I wish I had, I wish I had
C/G Dm D G (G) F
The secret of good and the secret of bad
C/G Dm D G B
Why does this question drive me mad - aah
E A D B
'Cause I was taught when but a lad - yes
E A D G (G) F
That bad was good and good was bad - no
VERSE 4
C/G Dm D G (G) F
I wish I knew the mystery of
C/G Dm D G (G) F
That thing called hate and that thing called love
C/G Dm D G B
What makes the in-be-tween so rough - why
E A D B
Why is it always push and shove - why
E A D G (G) F
I guess I just don't know e-nough - yes
OUTRO (Keep repeating the solo until fade-out.)
C/G! ! Dm D G! ! (G) F
|:| / / / / | / / / / |:| Repeat until fade.
CHORDS (in order of appearance)
======
Note #1: Especially in the intro, the C/G and G
major chords are strummed, then palm-
muted to give this staccato-like effect.
Note #2: For the B major chord Cat holds down the
root bass note with his thumb, which can
be difficult to do. You can also just
play the treble strings, without the bass
note, as Cat is wont to do as well.
Note #3: Speak after me, "Tri-pe-let, tri-pe-let."
That is exactly how you play the B major
chord in triplets, where three notes take
the space of two. Here is a part trans-
cribed in tablature (listen to the song)
as an example:
G B
/ . / . / . / .
┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐
E|-----3-3-------------------------------|
B|-----0-0---4-------4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
G|-----0-0---4-------4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
D|-----0-0---4-------4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
A|-----x-x---2-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
E|-3---3-3-------------------------------|
C/G Dm D G F
332010 x00231 x00232 3x0003 133211
RLM-I- ---MRI ---IRM R----L TRLMII
B E A
x2444x 022100 x02220
-TRRR- -MRI-- --IMR-
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
SOLO
====
C/G Dm D G (G) F
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
B|-----------8------10h11p10-8-----|---------------5p3---------------------|
G|--------/9-------------------9-7-|(7)----------------4p2-0-----0h2-0-----|
D|---------------------------------|-------------------------0h2-----------|
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
C/G Dm D G (G) F
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
! ! ! ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐
E|---------------------------------|-----7---------------8-----8-----8-----8-|
B|---------1---3-------------------|-----8-----------8h10--8h10--8h10--8h10--|
G|---0h2-0-----------------5--/7---|-----------------------------------------|
D|-----------------5--/7-----------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------3--/5---|-----------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3--/5-----------|-----------------------------------------|
C/G Dm D G (G) F
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
! ! ! ! !
E|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|10---10-8-------------8---8---8---|-8---8---8-------8-8-8-6-6---6-6-|
G|---x-10-9-------------9---9---9---|-7---7---7-------7-7-7-5-5---5-5-|
D|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C/G Dm D G (G) F
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
! ! ! ! ! ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐ ┌─3─┐
E|---------------------------------|---------------------8-----8-----8-----8-|
B|---------------------------------|-----8-----------8h10--8h10--8h10--8h10--| For the OUTRO,
G|---------5---7-----------5--/7---|-----7-----------------------------------| repeat the solo
D|-5---7-----------5--/7-----------|-----------------------------------------| from here on un-
A|-------------------------3--/5---|-----------------------------------------| til fade-out.
E|-----------------3--/5-----------|-----------------------------------------|
C/G Dm D
/ . / . / . / .
E|-8-------------------------------||
B|-8-------------------------------||
G|---------------------------------||
D|---------------------------------||
A|---------------------------------||
E|---------------------------------||
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, or staccato
d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke
x = mute note
┌─3─┐ = triplets
Playing Cat Stevens 