| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | January 1, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | Not least for its lyrics and melody, this song went on to become a world-hit. Cat originally wrote it for his lover at the time, Patti D’Arbanville, an actress. The official music video, which was rediscovered some 50 years later, even features her. However, in a 1973 interview Patti D’Arbanville revealed another side to the song: “Look, [Cat] wrote that song when I left for New York. I left for a month, it wasn’t the end of the world was it? But he wrote this whole song about ‘Lady D’Arbanville, why do you sleep so still.’ It’s about me dead. So while I was in New York, for him it was like I was lying in a coffin… he wrote that because he missed me, because he was down… It’s a sad song.” Cat used to play this song on a classical guitar as well in live performances. The slower melodic riffs contrast with the fast strumming and rapid chord changes. We adapted Alun’s phrasing for solo guitar (see bottom). | ||
| 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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"Lady D'Arbanville"
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
(E5)
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E| |-----------------|-------[12]------|-----------------|-------[12]------| |
B| |-------0---0---0-|-------N.H.------|-------0---0---0-|-------N.H.------| |
G|.|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|.| (Play twice.)
D|.|-----9-------9---|-----------------|-----9-------9---|-----------------|.|
A| |-7(7)------------|-7---------------|-7---------------|-7---------------| |
E| |-----------------|-----0-----------|-----------------|-----0-----------| |
VERSE 1
RIFF-1 RIFF-2
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still
RIFF-1
I'll wake you tomorrow
Bm/F# Em
And you will be my fill, yes you will be my fill
VERSE 2
Em EmaddG D Em D
d d d u d u d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u
E|-------------------0---|-3---3-3-2-2-0-0-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|
B|-////////////------0---|-0---0-0-3-3-0-0-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|
G|-///tap on///------0---|-0---0-0-2-2-0-0-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|
D|-///guitar///------2---|-2---2-2-0---2-2-|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
A|-////////////------2---|-2---2-------2---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-------------------0---|-0---0-------0---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
My Lady D'Arbanville, why does it grieve me so
D Em D Em Em EmaddG D Em
d d u d u d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d u d u
E|-2---2-2-0-0-2-2-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-3---3-3-2-2-0-0-|
B|-3---3-3-0-0-3-3-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-3-3-0-0-|
G|-2---2-2-0-0-2-2-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-2-2-0-0-|
D|-0---0---2-2-0---|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-0---2-2-|
A|---------2-------|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2-------2---|
E|---------0-------|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0-------0---|
But your heart seems so silent
D Bm/F# Em
d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d
E|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-0-------0-------|
B|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-0-------0-------|
G|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-4---4-4-4---4-4-|-4---4-4-4---4-4-|-0-------0-------|
D|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-4---4---4---4---|-4---4---4---4---|-2-------2-------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-2-------2-------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low
VERSE 3
Em EmaddG D Em D
d d d u d u d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u
E|-------------------0---|-3---3-3-2-2-0-0-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|
B|-////////////------0---|-0---0-0-3-3-0-0-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|
G|-///tap on///------0---|-0---0-0-2-2-0-0-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|
D|-///guitar///------2---|-2---2-2-0---2-2-|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
A|-////////////------2---|-2---2-------2---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-------------------0---|-0---0-------0---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still
D Em D Em G G! D G
d d u d u d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d d u d u d u
E|-2---2-2-0-0-2-2-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-3-------|-3---3-3-2-2-3-3-|
B|-3---3-3-0-0-3-3-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-------|-0---0-0-3-3-0-0-|
G|-2---2-2-0-0-2-2-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-------|-0---0-0-2-2-0-0-|
D|-0---0---2-2-0---|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-0-------|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|
A|---------2-------|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2---x-------|-x---x-------x---|
E|---------0-------|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---2---3-------|-3---3-------3---|
I'll wake you to- mor-row______________
RIFF-3 (x4)____________
D Bm/F# Em
d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u d d u u u d d u
E|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-| |-----------------------0-| |
B|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3---3-3-| |-----------------------0-| |
G|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-|-4---4-4-4---4-4-|-4---4-4-4---4-4-|.|---------0-------------0-|.|
D|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-4---4---4---4---|-4---4---4---4---|.|-----0h2---2-0h2-----2---|.|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-0h2-------------0h2-----| |
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-------------------------| |
And you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill_________________
VERSE 4
RIFF-2 RIFF-1 RIFF-2
My Lady D'Arbanville, you look so cold tonight
RIFF-1
Your legs feel like winter
Bm/F# Em
Your skin has turned to white, your skin has turned to white
VERSE 5
(tap on guitar) Em EmaddG D Em D D Em D Em
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still
EmaddG D Em D
I'll wake you to-mor-row
Bm/F# Em
And you will be my fill, yes you will be my fill
VERSE 6
(tap on guitar) Em EmaddG D Em D D Em D Em
La-la, la, la, la-la la-la, la, la, la-la
G G! D G D
La-la, la, la, la-la____
Bm/F# RIFF-3 x2
La, la-la, la , la-la, la, la-la, la, la-la
VERSE 7
Em EmaddG D Em D D Em D Em
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you grieve me so
EmaddG D Em D
But your heart seems so silent
Bm/F# Em Em!
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low
VERSE 8
Em EmaddG D Em D D Em D Em
I loved you, my lady, though in your grave you lie
G G! D G D
I'll always be with you
Bm/F# Em
This rose will never die, this rose will never die
VERSE 9
(tap on guitar) Em EmaddG D Em D D Em D Em
I loved you, my lady, though in your grave you lie
G G D G D
I'll always be with you
Bm/F# RIFF-3 x4
This rose will never die, this rose will never die
RIFFS
=====
RIFF-1 RIFF-2
E|--7--|--7--5--3--|--5~~--| E|--5--|--5--7--5--|--3~~--|
B|-----|-----------|-------| B|-----|-----------|-------|
G|--7--|--7--5--4--|--5~~--| G|--5--|--5--7--5--|--4~~--|
D|-----|-----------|-------| D|-----|-----------|-------|
A|-----|-----------|-------| A|-----|-----------|-------|
E|-----|-----------|-------| E|-----|-----------|-------|
RIFF-3
Em
d d u u u d d u
E|-----------------------0-|
B|-----------------------0-|
G|---------0-------------0-|
D|-----0h2---2-0h2-----2---|
A|-0h2-------------0h2-----|
E|-------------------------|
2ND GUITAR (HIGH GUITAR)
========================
(adapted for solo play)
Note: The following are additional phrases the second
guitar, or high guitar, employs arranged for
solo guitar.
D
RIFF-1 / / / /
E|--7--|--7--5--3--|--5-----5----------|--5------------|
B|-----|-----------|----7-------7------|---------------|
G|--7--|--7--5--4--|------7-------7----|---------------|
D|-----|-----------|--0----------------|-(0)-----------|
A|-----|-----------|-------------------|---------------|
E|-----|-----------|-------------------|---------------|
Em
RIFF-2 / / / /
E|--5--|--5--7--5--|--3-----3----------|--3------------|
B|-----|-----------|----5-------5------|---------------|
G|--5--|--5--7--5--|------4-------4----|---------------|
D|-----|-----------|-------------------|---------------|
A|-----|-----------|-------------------|---------------|
E|-----|-----------|--0----------------|-(0)-----------|
CHORDS
======
E5 Em EmaddG D Bm/F# G
079x0.12 022000 022003 xx0232 xx4432 3x0003
-IR--.L. -MR--- -MR--L ---IRM --RLMI R----L
2nd guitar:
D Em
xx0775 0xxx453
---RLI ----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
x = mute
~ = vibrato
[ ] = natural harmonic (N.H.)
/ = legato slide (gliss) up the fret
\ = legato slide (gliss) down the fret
! = accentuate part with great intensity
d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke
LYRICS ONLY
===========
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow, and you will be my fill,
Yes, you will be my fill.
My Lady D'Arbanville, why does it grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent. Why do you breathe so low?
Why do you breathe so low?
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?...
My Lady D'Arbanville, you look so cold tonight.
Your legs feel like winter. Your skin has turned to white,
Your skin has turned to white.
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?...
My Lady D'Arbanville, why do you grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent. Why do you breathe so low,
Why do you breathe so low?
I loved you, my lady, though in your grave you lie,
I'll always be with you. This rose will never die,
This rose will never die!!!!!!!!!
Playing Cat Stevens 