| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | June 5, 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | Together with “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out“, the song was composed for Hal Ashby’s 1971 black-comedy-drama Harold and Maude, but did not see a separate release until the mid-eighties on a sampler album. “They’d use my music as a background to the script-writing of Harold and Maude,” Cat later said, “and then they couldn’t extract it! I liked the idea. It was funny enough and serious enough to fit my music. Here was a youngster who was rebelling, very much like me, and the storyline reflected my morbid sense of humor and jokier side.” It also certainly a song that makes or breaks with the performer’s singing voice, and one whose chords have never been transcribed properly before. The chord transitions are probably the most difficult part to master and sing over, for they together with the lyrics of the song appear at unusual intervals in the 4/4 time signature, with the E/A major chord holding everything together like glue. It is noteworthy that the whole song is made up of these three chords that also appear in the outro sequence of “Lilywhite“, which is also one of the reasons Cat, in more recent performances, likes to link both of these songs together. The studio demo of this song is sung by Cat as a most beautiful lullaby, and there is also an alternate version in a most beautiful, almost live-performance-like rendition but without the piano, both of which can be found on the official 2007 soundtrack to Harold and Maude. In the studio Art Garfunkel provided the second voice to the song only for Cat to come in, sing a (superior) third voice over it and delete the second vocal track entirely, resulting in the final version of the song. | ||
| 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. |
|||
"Don't Be Shy"
(1972)
by Cat Stevens
from the official
HAROLD AND MAUDE SOUNDTRACK
(2007)
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E
in 4/4 time
INTRO
A E D E A E D E
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
d d u d u d u u d u d u d d u d u d u 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-| |
B| |-5---5-5-5-5-3---|---3---3-3-3-5-5-|-5---5-5-5-5-3---|---3---3-3-3-5-5-| |
G|.|-6---6-6-4-4-2---|---2---2-2-2-4-4-|-6---6-6-4-4-2---|---2---2-2-2-4-4-|.| (Repeat.)
D|.|-7---7-7-6-6-4---|---4---4-4-4-6-6-|-7---7-7-6-6-4---|---4---4-4-4-6-6-|.|
A| |-0---0---0---0---|---------0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|---------0---0---| |
E| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |
VERSE 1
A E D E A E D E
Don't be shy, just let your feelings roll on by
A E D E A E D E
Don't wear fear, or nobo-dy will know you're there
A E D E A E D E
Just lift your head, and let your feelings out in-stead
A E D E A E D E
Now, don't be shy, just let your feelings roll on by
CHORUS 1
A E D E A E D
On by, on by, on by, on by, on by
E A E D E A E D
On by, on by, on by, on by
VERSE 2
E A E D E A E D E
You know love is better than a song
A E D E A E D E
Love is where all of us be-long
A E D E A E D E
So don't be shy, just let your feelings roll on by
A E D E A E D E
Don't wear fear, or nobod-y will know you're there
E A E D E A E D
That you're there, you're there, you're there, you're there, you're there
E A E D E A E D
You're there, you're there, you're there, you're there
INSTRUMENTAL
A E D E A E D E
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
A E D E A E D E
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
REPEAT VERSE 1.
OUTRO
A E D E A E D E A
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / ||
CHORDS
======
A E D
x07650 x06450 x04230
--RMI- --RIM- --RIM-
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
Tablature notation: 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
! = accentuate part with great intensity
d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke
Playing Cat Stevens 