Lady D’Arbanville

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.

                 
                    "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!!!!!!!!!

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