| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | June 11, 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | Crank up the volume of the record and you hear that it is actually Cat’s deep sigh that kicks off the song. In a way this song is Cat’s commentary on the Vietnam War at the time, but it also applies universally to human-caused misery. In an interview at the time he said, “It’s as close as I’ll ever get to Vietnam—I won’t even say the word. I had to imagine London and in my mind I saw Oxford Street and the whole of my childhood, ’cause I’m trying to imagine when everything I know has been torn down.” The fingerpicking pattern is uniquely his, with the thumb on the bass string and the index finger swinging like a pendulum on a string freeform-style, and getting ever more violent the harsher decay, destruction and ruin morbidly overwhelm the scene. In a more recent concert Cat’s introduction and performance of the song (“this song’s more of a downer”) remain very much the same. | ||
| 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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"Ruins"
by Cat Stevens
from the original album
CATCH BULL AT FOUR (1972)
Standard tuning
(low to high) E-A-D-G-B-E
in 4/4 time
INTRO
D/F# G6 G2 D/F# G6 G2
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /. / . / . / .
u u u u
E| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |
B| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| | Play
G|.|-------2-------2-|-------0-----2-0-|-------2-------2-|-------0-----2-0-|.| three
D|.|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-0-0-|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-0-0-|.| times.
A| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |
E| |-2---2---2---2---|-3---3---3-------|-2---2---2---2---|-3---3---3-------| |
VERSE 1
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
It's so quiet in the ruins walking through the old town
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
Stones crumbling under my feet I see smoke for miles around
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
Oh it's enough to make you weep, all that remains of the main street
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
Up in the park on Sunday dogs chasing and the children played
F/C F2/C C C2 F/C C A D/F#
Old man with his head down, can't see nothing more a-round... no
G6 D/F# G6
But he remembers how it used to be, back in the old days
CHORUS 1
D G Gmaj7 Em Em*
So nice to see you coming back in this town a-gain
C C2 G A
It's nice to see a friendly face come peeping through having tea in the afternoon
D4 G Gmaj7 Em Em*
So nice to see you coming back in this town a-gain...
C C2 G A
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | Note: The transitions to G and A major
are slightly off-beat here, namely
on the up-stroke.
VERSE 2
D/F# G6
|:| / / / / | / / / / |:| Play three times.
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
Ah but it's all changed, winter turned on a man
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
Came down one day when no one was looking and it stole away the land
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
People running scared, losing hands, dodging shadows of falling sand
D/F# G6 D/F#! G6
Buildings standing like empty shells and no-body helping no one else
F/C F2/C C C2 F/C C A D/F#
Young child with his hands high ain't able to see no reason why... no
G6 D/F# G6
But he remembers how it used to be
CHORUS 2
D G Gmaj7 Em Em*
So nice to see you coming back in this town a-gain
C C2 G A
It's nice to see a friendly face come peeping through, you'd better know what you're going through now
BREAK
A* B/A D E/D A*
You came back here to find your home is a black horizon that you don't recognize
B/A D E/D A*
Evil destruction has taken everything you'd better walk on the side while you're still walking
B/A D E/D A*
Just keep on walking... on down the street, keep your distance from the people you meet
B/A D E/D
Oh Lord, and you'd better watch your eyes 'cause if smoke gets in them, baby, you won't rise again
CHORUS 3
D4 G Gmaj7 Em Em*
So nice to see you coming back in this town a-gain
C C2 G A
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | Note: The transitions to G and A major
are slightly off-beat here, namely
on the up-stroke.
VERSE 3
D/F# G6
|:| / / / / | / / / / |:| Play 4 times.
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
Where's it leading to, freedom at what cost?
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
People needing more and more and it's all getting lost
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
I want back, I want back,
D/F# G6 D/F# G6
Back to the times when the earth was green, and there was no high walls and the sea was clean
F/C F2/C C C2 F/C C A
Don't stop that sun to shine, it's not yours or mine... no
OUTRO
D/F# G6 D
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / ||
CHORDS (in order of appearance)
======
Note: The fingerpicking pattern over D/F# and G major
(fingerstyle) is a mix of fingerpicking/strumming in the
typical Cat Stevens style.
It is achieved by having the thumb pick the
upper bass string and the index finger swinging
like a pendulum freeform-style a gentle up- and
downstroke strumming motion at the other strings
outlined and often hitting two or more strings
(here often the D and G strings) at once in the
upswing motion.
D/F# G6 G2 F/C F2/C C C2 Note: C major (and C2) can also be
2x0232 3x0030 3x0230 x33211 x33011 x32013 x30013 played with G in the bass,
T--IRM R---L- R--IL- -RLMII -RLMII -RM-IL *R--IL see alternate fingering here.
332010 330010
RLM-I- RM--I-
A D G Gmaj7 Em Em*
x02220 xx0232 3x0003 3x0002 022000 022003
--IMR- ---IRM R----L R----L -MR--- -MR--L
D4 A* B/A E/D
xx0233 x07655 x09877 xx0454
---IRL --RMII --RMII ---IRM
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 
This song is a masterpiece.
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