Boy with a Moon and Star on His Head

Author: Leonard Latest revision: October 30, 2022
Notes: This is one of the most fleshed-out philosophical stories Cat has ever told in his songs. Given the scope of the piece, we had to forego some intricacies of how the song is played. Overall this tablature should give you a pretty good idea, though, and it accurately captures Cat’s fingerpicking style. Unfortunately, the video reels of this song from the 1973 ABC concert, also known as the Moon & Star concert, seem to be lost. We have added a lyrics-only section 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.

                 
        "Boy with a Moon and Star on His Head"
                    by Cat Stevens
                     
                from the original album 
               CATCH BULL AT FOUR (1972)
 
 
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E

in 4/4 time, mostly


INTRO

    D                    
   |--------RIFF--------|             
E|--0h2p0---0h2--|--------0h2p0h2---0h2--|--------0h2p0---0h2--|-----------|
B|--------3------|--3-------------3------|--3-----------3------|--3-----3--|
G|--0h2p0---0h2--|----2---0h2p0h2---0h2--|----2---0h2p0---0h2--|----2------|
D|--------0------|--0---0---------0------|--0---0-------0------|--0---0----|
A|---------------|-----------------------|---------------------|-----------|
E|---------------|-----------------------|---------------------|-----------|
                                                                      A...

VERSE 1

    D                          D4          D              G           A
E|--2-----------2-----------|--3-----------2-----------|--------3-----------0-----|
B|-----3-----3-----3-----3--|-----3-----3-----3-----3--|-----0-----0-----2-----2--|
G|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D|--0-----0-----0-----0-----|--0-----0-----0-----0-----|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------0-----------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|--3-----------------------|
gardener's daughter stopped me on my way        on the   day    I was___      to 

    D   RIFFx2                                   |----FILL---|
E|------0h2p0---0h2--|--------0h2p0---0h2--|-------------------|
B|------------3------|--3-----------3------|--3-------3--------|
G|----2-0h2p0---0h2--|----2---0h2p0---0h2--|----2---2---2---2--|
D|--0---------0------|--0---0-------0------|--0---0---0---0----|
A|-------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
    wed.                                                 "It is

    Em                  G                   Em  A        
E|-------------------|-------------------|----------0--------|
B|------0-------0----|------0-------0----|----0-------2---2--|
G|----0---0---0---0--|----0---0---0---0--|--------2----------|
D|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|-------------------|-------------------|------0-------0----|
E|--0-------0--------|--3-------3--------|--3----------------|
   you     who    I    wish to share my    body  with,"   she 

    D   RIFFx2                                     |----FILL---|
E|------0h2p0---0h2--|--------0h2p0h2---0h2--|-------------------|
B|------------3------|--3-------------3------|--3-------3--------|
G|----2-0h2p0---0h2--|----2---0h2p0h2---0h2--|----2---2---2---2--|
D|--0---------0------|--0---0---------0------|--0---0---0---0----|
A|-------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
   said.

        D                   D4          D          G     A     D   RIFFx 2
"We'll find a dry place un-der the sky    with a flower for a bed
             Em         G                     Em   A  
"And for my joy I will give you a boy with a moon and star...             
                              Em A          Em A            D  RIFFx3
                           |  /  /  /  /  |      ...on his head"


VERSE 2

      D                D4          D         G        A       F#m Em D! RIFFx2
Her silver hair flowed in the air,   laying waves a-cross the sun
     Em                   G                   Em         A     D   RIFFx2
Her hands were like the white sands, and her eyes had diamonds on
    D                  D4      D          G           A       D  RIFFx2
We left the road and headed up    to the top of the Whisper Wood
         Em             G                         Em  A        D   RIFFx2
And we walked 'till we came to where the holy mag-no-----lia stood
      D                D4       D             G          A    F#m/C# Bm/F#  Em7  A    RIFFx2
And there we laid cool in the shade, singing songs and making love...      | / / / / | 
          Em                 G              Em   A       D   RIFFx2
With the naked earth beneath us – and the u-ni-verse  a-bove


BRIDGE 1 (WHISTLE.)

   D        G     A        D D2 D D2 D   G   A     D Bm/F# A*  G         A
|  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  | / / / / | /      /    / / | / / / / |
  RIFFx4_______________________________
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |


VERSE 3

     D                 D4              D          Bm/F#       A2  A   D  RIFFx2
The time was late my wedding wouldn't wait; I was  sad  but I had to go
    Em                G                 Em         A   D   RIFFx2
So while she was a-sleep I kissed her cheek for cheer-io
       D                     D4    D         G    A     
The wedding took place and people came from many miles 
    D    A A4 A  D! B/F# E   A!     D
a-round
  | /    / / / | /  / /  / | / /  / / |
  Em                 G       Em        A       D   RIFFx2
There was plenty merriment, cider and wine a-bound
     D             D4     D         G            A      D  RIFFx2
But out of all that I re-call I re-membered the girl I met
       Em                  G               Em          A       D   RIFFx4
'Cause she had given me something that my heart could not for-get


BRIDGE 2

   D        G     A       D  (D4)D4+9 D   G   A     D Bm/F# A*  G         A
|  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  | / /   /     / | / / / / | /      /    / / | / / / / |
  RIFFx2___________
| / / / / | / / / / |


VERSE 4

    D                     D4           D          G     A     F#m/C# Bm/F#              
A year had passed and ev-erything was just as it was a year be-fore
                                                 G     A       D   RIFFx2
                                   (just) as it was a year be-fore
   Em                   G              Em   A         D   RIFFx2
Un-til the gift that someone left, a basket   by my door
    D                     D4          D     G     A     D   RIFFx2
And in there lay the fair-est little baby crying to be fed
  Em                G                  Em        A    
I got down on my knees and kissed the moon and star...
                               Em A          Em  A             D  RIFFx4
                            |  /  /  /  /  | woh,     on his head

                           
VERSE 5

     D               D4        D             G            A      D   RIFFx2
As years went by the boy grew high and the village looked on in awe
        Em                  G                     Em       A       D   RIFFx2
They'd never seen anything like the boy with the moon and star be-fore
     D                     D4       D             G       A         D   RIFFx2
And people would ride from far and wide just to seek the word he spread
       Em              G                        Em       A      D   RIFFx2
"I'll tell you every-thing I've learned," and "Love" is all he said


OUTRO

    D        G     A       D   D4 D4+9 D   G   A     D Bm/F# A*  G         A
 |  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  | / /   /     / | / / / / | /      /    / / | / / / / |
  
    D    D4 D  D4+9
E|--------3p2--0h2--||
B|------------------||
G|-----2-------0h2--||
D|--0-----0---------||
A|------------------||
E|------------------||


 
CHORDS
======

   Note: All chord shapes and fingerings are according to how 
         Cat Stevens himself played them at the time.

   D     D4(Dsus4)  D4+9(Dsus4add9)     G       A    A4(Asus4)    A7      A*
 xx0232   xx0233        xx0030       3x0003  x02220   x02230    x02020  x0222x
 ---IRM   ---IRL        ----R-       R----L  --IMR    --IMR-    --I-R-  --III-
                                             
 
   Em     F#m     Bm/F#   B/F#  A2(Asus2) F#m/C#
 022000  244222  xx4432  xx444x  x02200   x44222
 -MR---  TRLIII  --RLMI  --RRR-  --IM--   TRLIII

 
Note #1: The bar [D   D4 D4+9 D] is played something like this:
 
    D    D4    D4+9 D
E|--------3p2--0h2--------|
B|---------------------3--|
G|-----2--2----0h2--------|
D|--0---------------0-----|
A|------------------------|
E|------------------------|
 
Note #2: The bar [D Bm/F# A*  G  ] is played something like this: 
 
    D  Bm/F# A* G
    /     /     /     /
E|--------------------------|
B|--------3--2--0-----------|
G|-----2-----------0-----0--|
D|--0-----4--2--0-----0-----|
A|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|
 
 
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 (Harm.)
                      / = 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
===========

A gardener's daughter stopped me on my way on the day I was to wed
"It is you who I wish to share my body with," she said
"We'll find a dry place under the sky with a flower for a bed
"And for my joy I will give you a boy with a moon and star... on his head"

Her silver hair flowed in the air, laying waves across the sun
Her hands were like the white sands, and her eyes had diamonds on
We left the road and headed up to the top of the Whisper Wood
And we walked 'till we came to where the holy magnolia stood
And there we laid cool in the shade, singing songs and making love...
With the naked earth beneath us – and the universe above

The time was late my wedding wouldn't wait; I was sad but I had to go
So while she was asleep I kissed her cheek for cheerio
The wedding took place and people came from many miles around
There was plenty merriment, cider and wine abound
But out of all that I recall I remembered the girl I met
'Cause she had given me something that my heart could not forget

A year had passed and everything was just as it was a year before, (just) as it was a year before
Until the gift that someone left, a basket by my door
And in there lay the fairest little baby crying to be fed
I got down on my knees and kissed the moon and star... woh, on his head

As years went by the boy grew high and the village looked on in awe
They'd never seen anything like the boy with the moon and star before
And people would ride from far and wide just to seek the word he spread
"I'll tell you everything I've learned," and "Love" is all he said

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