Daytime

Author: Leonard Latest revision: June 4, 2020
Author’s Notes: During their stay in France, Alun and Cat spent a lot of time on the lyrics of the song. In many ways “Daytime” continues the musical and lyrical theme that “Where Do the Children Play” started, and both songs were even played together as a medley during Cat’s last appearance at the Year of the Child Concert in November 1979. What makes this song so experimental from a production standpoint is that Paul Samwell-Smith and Cat sang one note at a time putting them on different loops so as to mimic the basic principle of a mellotron, lending the piece a very soft synthesizer-like sound at the expense of note separation or distinctiveness. The recent re-release of the UNICEF concert tapes gave more insights into how the song is play on guitar.
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.
                 
                        "Daytime"
               by Cat Stevens & Alun Davies
                   
                 from the original album
                   BACK TO EARTH (1978)
 

Standard tuning
(low to high) E-A-D-G-B-E

in 4/4 time


INTRO

    D                     G6                  D                     G6
E|----------0h2---0----|--------0----------|----------0h2---0----|--------0----------|
B|--3-----------3---3--|--3---------3------|--3-----------3---3--|--3---------3------|
G|----2---2------------|----0-----------0--|----2---2------------|----0-----------0--|
D|--0---0---0-----0----|-------------------|--0---0---0-----0----|-------------------|
A|---------------------|-------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
E|---------------------|--3---3---3---3----|---------------------|--3---3---3---3----|

   D               G6             Bm/F#            A*      G
 | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / |


VERSE 1

          D     G6                 D      G6
In the daytime  —  time for cele-bration,
          D          G6              Bm/F#  |  A*  G
No use looking down     if it's over here.
         D     G6           D        G6
It's a world,     a new cre-a-tion,
          Em9
And the golden light of the morning
          A                  E
Makes it easy to comb your hair,
          G        D/F#
And the love of a child,
             Esus4 E       D      G6        D         G6
Oh, it's the time of the year.  | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |


VERSE 1 

          D     G6                   D      G6
In the daytime     you can move a mountain
          D           G6                Bm/F#               | A*  G
With a blink of your eye, now it's over here, now it's over there.
         D    G6                   D      G6
It's a world     with no compli-cations,
           Em9
And the curtains on the window
         A                E
Start blowing like your hair,
          G         D/F#
And the love that I feel
                Esus4 E       D      G6        D         G6
'Cause it's the time of the year.  | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |


MIDDLE 8

Bm/F#            A*              G               C/G  G
     Mysterious Moon found me crying in the dark,
Bm/F#            A*               G    A
     Heard my footsteps on the stairs.
Bm/F#            A*              G   
     Mysterious Moon found me crying,
                         D     G6             D    G6
But the sun's dried my tears,     showed he cares.


INSTRUMENTAL

     D               G6              D               G6             Repeat twice
 |:| /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / |:|
     D               G6             Bm/F#            A*      G
   | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / |


VERSE 3

          D     G6                 D      G6
In the daytime  —  time for cele-bration,
          D          G6                    Bm/F#  |  A*  G
No use looking down,    children open your eyes.
         D     G6           D      G6
It's a world,     a whole nation.
         Em9
Now the white boats have landed
           A          E
And the innocent are here,
      G           D/F#
So dream for the child,
                Esus4 E       D      D           
'Cause it's the time of the year.  | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
                                    (D)            G6
                                   | / / / / | / / / / |

OUTRO

   D               G6              D               G6             
 | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / |
   D               G6             Bm/F#            A*      G      
 | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / |
  Bm/F#            A*      G       D
 | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / | /   /   /   / ||

 

CHORDS
======

  D       G      Bm/F#    A*       A 
xx0232  3x0003  xx4432  x0222x  x02220
---IRM  R----L  --RLMI  --III-  --IMR-

  E      Esus4   Em9     D/F#     C/G
022100  022200  024032  xx4232  3x2013
-MRI--  -MRL--  -IL-RM  --RIMI  R-M-IL


Chord fingering:      T = thumb                
                      I = index finger
                      M = middle finger
                      R = ring finger
                      L = little finger

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