I Love My Dog

Author: Leonard Latest revision: Nov. 23, 2016
Author’s Notes: Another iconic song and Cat’s first released single. Seven takes of the song require most of the 3-hour recording session, set up together with the solo song “Portobello Road”, which takes a mere 20 minutes to cut. Producer Mike Hurst allies “Dog” with a staccato, tympani-and-viola arrangement unlike anything on the pop charts at the time. “I Love My Dog” is an instant success and makes young Cat Stevens a star over night. Cat later admitted that the song was heavily inspired by Yusef Lateef’s rather obscure jazz piece “Plum Bossom” from the album Eastern Sounds (1961), and started paying him royalties. As to “I Love My Dog” itself, especially beautiful is the Emaj7 chord, as played by Cat in the verses, though the chord might require a little practice to get down. Cat’s 1971 BBC Theatre Concert has a fantastic live performance of the song; the video reels helped greatly with transcribing.
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.
                 
                     "I Love My Dog"
                     by Cat Stevens
                          and
                      Yusef Lateef
            
            released as his first single (1966)
              as well as on the debut album
                  MATTHEW AND SON (1967)
        
  
Standard tuning
(low to high) E-A-D-G-B-E

in 4/4 time


INTRO

    E                Esus4               E                Esus4  
E|------------------------------------|-------------------0--------------|
B|------------------------------------|-------------------0--------------|
G|--------1-----1h2--------1--2p1-----|--------1-----1h2-----------------|
D|--2------------------------------2--|--2----------------------2--2-----|
A|------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|-----0-----0-------0--0-------------|-----0-----0----------0--------0--|

    E                Esus4               Esus4             E      
E|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------1-----1h2--------1--2p1-----|--2-----1--------1--------------|
D|--2------------------------------2--|--------------2-----2--2--2-----|
A|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|-----0-----0-------0--0-------------|-----0-----0-----------------0--|


CHORUS 1 (riff as INTRO)

   E      Esus4            E      Esus4
I love my  dog  as much as I love you.
     E      Esus4              (Esus4)  E
But you may fade,  my dog will always  come through.


VERSE 1

Emaj7                             A
     All he asks from me is the food to give him strength.
       Emaj7                    A                 B/A
All he ever needs is love and that he knows he'll get.  So...


PLAY CHORUS 1.


VERSE 2 

Emaj7                             A
     All the pay I need comes a shining through his eyes.
        Emaj7                  A           B/A
I don't need no cold water to make me real-ize that...


PLAY CHORUS 1.


BRIDGE 1

A Asus4                     A   Asus2  A  Asus2  A  Asus2                
      Na na na na na na na na._________
A Asus4                     A   Asus2  A  Asus2  A  Asus2       
      Na na na na na na na na._____________________________


CHORUS 2

    E                Esus4               E                Esus4  
E|------------------------------------|-------------------(0)------------|
B|------------------------------------|-------------------(0)------------|
G|--------1-----1h2--------1--2p1-----|--------1-----1h2-----------------|
D|--2------------------------------2--|--2----------------------2--2-----|
A|------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|-----0-----0-------0--0-------------|-----0-----0----------0--------0--|

      E      Esus4            E      Esus4
So I love my  dog  as much as I love you.
     E      Esus4              (Esus4)  E
But you may fade,  my dog will always  come through.


BRIDGE 2

    G                Gsus4               G                Gsus4
E|------------------------------------|-------------------3--------------|
B|--------0-----0h1--------0--1p0-----|--------0-----0h1--1--------------|
G|--0------------------------------0--|--0----------------------0--0-----|
D|------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|-----3-----3-------3--3-------------|-----3-----3----------3--------3--|

    G                Gsus4               Gsus4             G      
E|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------0-----0h1--------0--1p0-----|--1-----0--------0--------------|
G|--0------------------------------0--|--------------0-----0--0--0-----|
D|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|-----3-----3-------3--3-------------|-----3-----3-----------------3--|

A Asus4                     A   Asus2  A  Asus2  A  Asus2                
      Na na na na na na na na._________
A Asus4                     A   Asus2  A  Asus2  A  Asus2       
      Na na na na na na na na._____________________________


OUTRO

    E                Esus4               E                Esus4  
E|------------------------------------|-------------------(0)------------|
B|------------------------------------|-------------------(0)------------|
G|--------1-----1h2--------1--2p1-----|--------1-----1h2-----------------|
D|--2------------------------------2--|--2----------------------2--2-----|
A|------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|-----0-----0-------0--0-------------|-----0-----0----------0--------0--|

   E      Esus4         E      Esus4           E        Esus4
I love my dog, baby, I love my dog.  Na na na-na, na na-na   na na.
   E      Esus4         E      Esus4         E      Esus4    REPEAT UNTIL FADE.
I love my dog, baby, I love my dog, baby, I love my dog...



CHORDS
======

      Note #1:  In the BRIDGE parts once Asus2 sets in Steve 
                oscillates back and fro between it and the 
                A major chord until the shift to E major again.

    E     Esus4   Emaj7   B/A
 022100  022200  022444  x0444x  
 -MRI--  -MRL--  -MRLLL  --RRR-

    A     Asus4   Asus2
 x02220  x02230  x02200
 --IMR-  --IML-  --IM--

    G     Gsus4
 3x0003  3x0013
 R----L  R---IL        

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
                    [ ] = natural harmonic (Harm.)
                      / = legato slide (gliss) up the fret
                      \ = legato slide (gliss) down the fret
                      ! = accentuate chord with great intensity
                      d = downward stroke
                      u = upward stroke

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