| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | May 26, 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | An exceptional song, not least for its deep lyrics, and one that was always meant to be played together with “Fill My Eyes“. It is just Cat on two guitars here and vocals. Credits go to DJ Illingworth, of Majicat.com fame, for first trying to really transcribe this song for guitar, as he did for so many other Cat Stevens song. It is an especially difficult song to play due, in part, to the “timeless” time signature changing freeform in the first half. We tried to capture the song in 4/4 and 3/4 time, having to alternate constantly. Not even the verse lines are played like for like. That the song is not some random improvisation either becomes clear when we consider that Cat added a second guitar (with partly more intricate fingerpicking) later, and that Cat played the song in live performances much like on the original recording. We have taken the liberty to provide cover names for the various E minor chords in the beginning of the song, so as to make remembering the transition spots easier than with some correct but convoluted chord names, which you can still find in the listing at the 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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"Time"
by Cat Stevens
from the original album
MONA BONE JAKON (1970)
Standard tuning
(low to high) E-A-D-G-B-E
in 4/4 and 3/4 time (or timeless)
Note: > = accentuate note
INTRO
Em[1] Em[2] Em[3] Em[4] Em[5]*
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
d d u d u d d u u d d u d d u d u d d u d u d u d u
> > > > > > >
E|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0---0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B|-3---3-3-3-3-5---|-5-5---5-5---5-5-|-5---5-5-5-5/7---|-7-7-7-7-7-7-0-0-|
G|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0---0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
D|-2---2---2---4---|-4-------4---4-4-|-5---5---5-5/7---|-7---7---7---9---|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0-------0---0-0-|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Em[5] Em[4]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
d d u d d u u d d u d u d u u u d u d u u u d u d u u u
> >
E|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|(0)0-0---0-0-0-0-|---0-------0---0-|-------0---0-----|
B|-8---8-8-8---8-8-|(8)8-8---8-8-8-8-|-----8-----------|-7-----------7---|
G|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|(0)0-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-------0---0---|---0-0---0-----0-|
D|-9---9---9---9---|-----9---9---9---|-9-----9-9---7---|-----7---7-------|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-----0---0---0---|-0-------0---0---|-----0---0-------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Em[3] Em[2] Em[1]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
d u u u d u u u d u d d d d u d d u d u d u
> > > > >
E|---0-------0-|-------0-0---|(0)--0---0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B|-----5-------|-5-------3---|(3)--3---3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3-3-3-3-|
G|-0-----0-0---|---0-0---0---|(0)--0---0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|
D|-5-------4---|-----4---2---|(2)--2---2---2---|-2---2---2---2---|
A|-0-------0---|-----0---0---|(0)--0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
E|-------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
VERSE
Em[1] Em[2] Em[3] Em[4] Em[5]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
> > > > >
E|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|
B|-3---3-3-3-3-5---|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---|-5-5-5-5-5-5/7---|-7-7-7-7-8---8-8-|
G|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|
D|-2---2---2---4---|-4---4---4---5---|-5---5---5-5/7---|-7---7---9---9---|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Time rise, time fall
Em[4]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
> > > >
E|-0---0-0-0---|-0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|
B|-8---8-8-8---|-8-8-8---8-8-|-8---8-8-8-8-7---|-7-7-7-7-7---7-7-|
G|-0---0-0-0---|-0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|
D|-9---9---9---|-9---9---9---|-9---9---9---7---|-7---7---7---7---|
A|-0---0---0---|-0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
E|-------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Time leaves you no-
Em[3] Em[2] Em[1]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
> > > d u u
E|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|(0)0-0---0-0-|
B|-5---5-5-5---5-5-|-5-5-3---3-3-3---|-3-3-3-3-3-3-|(3)3-3---3-3-|
G|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|(0)0-0---0-0-|
D|-5---5---4---4---|-4---2---2---2---|-2---2---2---|-----2---2---|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---|-----0---0---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-------------|-------------|
thing, no-thing at all
Em[1] Em[2] Em[3] Em[4] Em[5]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
> > > > >
E|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-|
B|-3---3-3-3-3-5---|-5-5-5-5-5---5-5-|-5-5-7---7-7-|-7-7-8---8-8-|
G|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-|
D|-2---2---2---4---|-4---4---5---5---|-5---7---7---|-7---9---9---|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---|-0---0---0---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-------------|-------------|
Words, just words, don't know
Em[4]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
> > > >
E|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|
B|-8---8-8-8-8-|-8-8-8---8-8-|-8---8-8-8-8-8-8-|-7---7-7-7-7-7---|
G|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|
D|-9---9---9---|-9---9---9---|-9---9---9---9---|-7---7---7---7---|
A|-0---0---0---|-0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
E|-------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Wo- rds ta- ke you no-
Em[3] Em[2] Em[1]
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
> > > > > >
E|-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|(0)--0---0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B|-7-7-5---5-5-5-5-|-5---5-5-5-5-3---|(3)--3---3---3-3-|-3---3-3-3-3-3-3-|
G|-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|(0)--0---0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|
D|-7---5---5---5---|-4---4---4---2---|(2)--2---2---2---|-2---2---2---2---|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|(0)--0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
where, no- where to go - to
Em/B
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-0-------0-----0-|-0---0-0-0---0---|(0)--0-------|-0---0-0-0-0-|
B|-0-------0-----0-|-0---0-0-0---0---|(0)--0-------|-0---0-0-0-0-|
G|-0-------0-----0-|-0---0-0-0---0---|(0)--0-------|-0---0-0-0-0-|
D|-2-------2-------|-2---2---2---2---|(2)--2-------|-2---2---2---|
A|-2-------2-------|-2---2---2---2---|(2)--2-------|-2---2---2---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-------------|-------------|
go
OUTRO
A
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
d d u d d d d d d d
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-2-------2-----2-|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2---2-------|-----------------|
G|-2-------2-----2-|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2---2-------|-----------------|
D|-2-------2-------|-2---2---2---2---|-2---2---2-------|-----------------|
A|-0-------0-------|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0-------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Back... I'm go- ing
D Dsus2/C G6/B A
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
d u d d u
E|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-|-----------------|
B|---------3-------|---------3-----3-|---------3-----3-|---------2---2-2-|
G|-----2-----------|-----2-----------|-----0-------0---|---------2---2-2-|
D|-0-----------0---|-----------------|-------------0---|-----2-----------|
A|-----------------|-3-----------3---|-2---------------|-0---------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
back...
F#m/C# Bm/F# A* G
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
d d d d d d u d u d u d
E|---------2-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-2---2---2---2---|---------3---2---|-2-2-2-2-2-2-----|-----------------|
G|-2---2---2---2---|-4---4-------2---|-2-2-2-2-2-2-0---|---------0---0---|
D|-4---4-------4---|-4-----------2---|-2-2-2-2-2-2-0---|-----0-----------|
A|-4---4-----------|-------------0---|-0---0---0---2---|-2---------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-------------3---|-----------------|
Oooh...
(G) Aaug
/ . / . / . / . / . / .
u d u d u d u d...
E|-3-------|-1---------------||
B|---------|-2---continue----||
G|---------|-2---strumming---||
D|---------|-3---the chord---||
A|---------|-0---up and down-||
E|---------|-----------------||
go-ing back
CHORDS
======
Note #1: The time signature is a mix of 4/4 and 3/4
that changes at irregular intervals. Even
the verse is not played like for like.
However, the song is not an improvisation
either, since Cat played a second guitar
with a more intricate fingerpicking part
just the same way. Even live performances
of this song are not all that different.
Alun calls the time signature of this song
"timeless" for a reason.
Note #2: The intro and verse spiel on various E minor
chords up and down the neck. We tried our
best to still keep the chord names distin-
guishable. As such, we have given them cover
names to better follow the guitar tablature,
as Cat is either going up or down the neck
playing these.
Note #3: As a prelude, "Time" is meant to be played
with "Fill My Eyes" following afterwards.
Em[1] Em[2] Em[3] Em[4] Em[5]* Em[5]
Em7/A Em+9/A Em+11/A Em+9/A* Em/A* Em/A Em/B
x02030 x04050 x05050 x07070 x09000 x09080 x22000
--I-R- --I-R- --M-R- --M-R- --M--- --M-I- -MR---
A Dsus2/C G6/B F#m/C# Bm/F# A* G Aaug
x02220 x3x230 x20030 x44222 xx4432 x0222x 320003 x03221
--IMR- -M-IR- -I--R- -RLIII --RLMI --III- RM---L --LMRI
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
Tablature notation: d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke
> = accentuate note
! = accentuate note or part with great intensity
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
~ = vibrato, or hold chord
[ ] = natural harmonic (Harm.)
/ = legato slide (gliss) up the fret
\ = legato slide (gliss) down the fret
LYRICS ONLY
===========
[1]Time [2]rise, [3] [4] time [5]fall
[5]Time [4]leaves you no-[3]thing, [2]nothing [1]at all
[1]Words, [2]just [3]words, [4]don't [5]know
[5]Words [4]take you no-[3]where, [2]nowhere [1]to go - to go
Back... I'm going back... oooh... going back
Playing Cat Stevens 