| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | October 10, 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | A track from the Teaser & the Firecat album sessions, but which ended up solely on the B-side of the hit-single long play record (LP) for “Morning Has Broken“. Its message reflects Cat’s “wandering soul, looking at different houses, different dwellings” (his words). Since the song was only ever part of a single release and subsequent compilation albums, the lyrics were never made officially available so that unsuspecting fans, much to Cat’s dismay, ended up transfiguring the outro to “We gotta get to heaven, get a dime“. “The most important part of the song,” Cat later added, “is the end, where I said I’m glad I’m alive.” The song is actually a lot harder to play on guitar, especially the break part, than it might seem at first glance. While the capo does some of the heavy lifting here, the use of special chords and chord transitions at unusual intervals warrant a lot of attention and playing practice. The outro is a departure from the rest of the song (similar to “Don’t Blame Them“) but eventually circles back beautifully, with the last two chords, to the song’s main theme. | ||
| 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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"I Want to Live in a Wigwam"
by Cat Stevens
B-side to hit-single release of
"Morning Has Broken"
(1972)
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E
Capo at 5th fret
in 4/4 time
played with a pick
VERSE 1
G D/F# Am
I'd like to live in a wig-wam, yes I'd like to live in a wigwam
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-1
I'd like to live in a wig-wam and dance 'round the totem pole
G D/F# Am
I'd like to live in an ig-loo, yes I'd like to live in an igloo
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-2
I'd like to live in an i-gloo and fish from an ice-hole
VERSE 2
G D/F# Am
Oh I'd like to ride on a caravan, I'd like to take a ride on a caravan
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-1
Yes I'd like to ride on a cara-van and sing with the gyp-sies
G D/F# Am
I'd like to live on a commune, yes I'd like to live on a commune
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-2
I'd like to live on a com-mune, and people can call me a 'hippie'
BREAK
G G6 D7s2 D7 D7s4 D7 D7s2 Em
d u d u d u d u
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|---3-------------|---------------2-|-------3-2-0-0---|-----------------|
B|---0-0---3-5---1-|---------1-----1-|-------1-1-1-1-0-|---------------0-|
G|---0---0-0-0---2-|---2-----2-----2-|---2---2-2-2-2---|---0-------0-0---|
D|---0-----0-0---0-|---0---0-0---0---|-0---0-----------|---2---2---2-2---|
A|-----------------|-------------0---|-0---0-----------|-------2---------|
E|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---0-----------|
Am7 D* D Am7 D* D Am7 D* Am7 D*
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-----------0---2-|-------2---------|-------0-2-2-0---|-----------------|
B|-1-1-1-1-3-0---3-|-----3-3-------0-|-1-1-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-3-0-1-1-3-0-|
G|-0-0-0-0-0-0-----|---2-2-----2---0-|-0-0-0-0-2-2-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
D|-2-2-2-2-4-------|-----0-------0---|-2-2-4-----------|-2-2-4---2-2-4---|
A|-----------------|-------------0---|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Am7 D/F# B Am7 Em RIFF-2_______________
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-----2-2---------|-0---0---0-0-----|-----------------|
B|-1-1-3-3-4---1---|-0---0---0-0-----|-----------------|
G|-0-0-2-2-4---0---|-0---0---0-0-----|-----------------|
D|-2-2-4---4---2---|-2---2---2-2-----|-----------------|
A|-------------0---|-2---2---2-2-----|---2-0-----------|
E|-----------------|-0---0---0-0-0-2-|-3-------3-------|
VERSE 3
G D/F# Am
I don't want to live in a pal-ace, no I don't want to live in no palace
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-2
Oh I don't want to live in no pal-ace, there's too many empty rooms
G D/F# Am
And I don't want to live in the bar-racks, don't want to live in the barracks
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-1
Oh I don't want to live in the bar-rack and wake up to the bugle tune
VERSE 4
G D/F# Am
I'd just like to live on a tree hut, yes I'd like to live on a tree hut
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-2
Yes I'd like to live on a tree hu-ut and listen to the sound of th' birds
G D/F# Am
And I don't want to live in a jailhouse, don't wanna bide my time in no jailhouse
(Am) D G C D Em RIFF-2
No I don't want to live in no jailhou-se and be fed bread through the bars
OUTRO VERSE
C/G F G
I'm glad I'm alive, am I, I'm glad I'm alive, am I
F C F C F G
I'm glad I'm a-live, I'm glad I'm a-live, I'm glad I'm alive, am I
C/G F G
We gotta get our heads up in the sky, we gotta get our heads up in the sky
F C/G F E Am F G
We gotta get our heads up, gotta give a try, we gotta get our heads up in the sky
C/G F G
We gotta get to heaven, get a guide, we gotta get to heaven, get a guide
F C/G F C/G F G D/F# Em
We gotta get to heaven, we gotta have a guide, we gotta get to heaven, get a guide
RIFFS
=====
RIFF-1 RIFF-2
N.C. N.C.
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-----------------| E|-----------------|
B|-----------------| B|-----------------|
G|-----0-4-2-------| G|-----------------|
D|-0-2-------------| D|-----------------|
A|-----------------| A|-------2-0-------|
E|-----------------| E|-0-2-3-------3---|
CHORDS (in order of appearance)
======
Note #1: All chords detailed here are relative
to the capo position indicated at the top.
Note #2: Cat uses his favorite secret-sauce D major
chord, transcribed here as D/F#, in this song.
To a certain extent, the chord reappears in
"Father and Son" and "Into White". Harmonically,
it has a lot in common with Bm7.
G D/F# Am D C Em
3x0003 204232 x02210 xx0232 x32013 022000
R----L T-RIMI --MRI- ---IRM -RM-IL -MR---
G6 D7 D7s4 D7s2 Am7 D* B
320030 x00212 xx0213 xx0210 x02010 xx4030 xx444x
RM--L- ---MIR ---MIL ---MI- --M-I- --M-I- --RRR-
C/G F E
332010 133211 022100
RLM-I- TRLMII -MRI--
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
===========
I'd like to live in a wigwam, yes I'd like to live in a wigwam
I'd like to live in a wigwam and dance 'round the totem pole
I'd like to live in an igloo, yes I'd like to live in an igloo
I'd like to live in an igloo and fish from an ice-hole
Oh I'd like to ride on a caravan, I'd like to take a ride on a caravan
Yes, I'd like to ride on a caravan and sing with the gypsies
I'd like to live on a commune, yes I'd like to live on a commune
I'd like to live on a commune, and people can call me a 'hippie'
I don't want to live in a palace, no I don't want to live in no palace
Oh I don't want to live in no palace, there's too many empty rooms
And I don't want to live in the barracks, don't want to live in the barracks
Oh I don't want to live in the barrack and wake up to the bugle tune
I'd just like to live on a tree hut, yes I'd like to live on a tree hut
Yes I'd like to live on a tree hut and listen to the sound of th' birds
And I don't want to live in a jailhouse, don't wanna bide my time in no jailhouse
No I don't want to live in no jailhouse and be fed bread through the bars
I'm glad I'm alive, am I, I'm glad I'm alive, am I
I'm glad I'm alive, I'm glad I'm alive, I'm glad I'm alive, am I
We gotta get our heads up in the sky, we gotta get our heads up in the sky
We gotta get our heads up, gotta give a try, we gotta get our heads up in the sky
We gotta get to heaven, get a guide, we gotta get to heaven, get a guide
We gotta get to heaven, we gotta have a guide, we gotta get to heaven, get a guide
Playing Cat Stevens 