Longer Boats

Author: Leonard Latest revision: September 17, 2022
Author’s Notes: Recorded at Island Basing Street Studios, the basic track is just two guitars (Cat’s and Alun’s) with live vocals and Cat overdubbing the Hammond organ later. Cat, Alun and Paul Samwell-Smith then tracked the additional voices (4 tracks w/ 3 vocals each), and drums and bass were added later. The actual meaning of the song was not clear to Cat until much later and at which point he also added a third verse (see below) for performing live. In 1972 at the Chicago Concert, when introducing the song to his audience of that night, making an effort to explain what the song actually means, he abrutly changes his mind saying “You know getting into explaining a song you take away half the potential of it.” As is so often the case with Cat’s songs, strong vocals make this one ring. The recent release of the taped 1971 Switzerland concert gave us further reference material to work with for transcribing 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.

                 
                       "Longer Boats"
                       by Cat Stevens

                   from the original album
                 TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN (1970)
 

Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E

in 4/4 time


INTRO (A capella.)

Longer boats are coming to win us, they're coming to win us  
They're coming to win us
Longer boats are coming to win us, hold on to the shore
Or they'll be taking the key from the door

    G        C/G        G        C/G       4x     
|:| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |:| (Play 4 times.)
 
     
CHORUS

  G          C/G   G               C/G
Longer boats are coming to win us
         G               C/G          G                C/G
They're coming to win us,    they're coming to win us
  G          C/G   G              C/G
Longer boats are coming to win us
G            C/G     G  D
     Hold on to the sho-re           |  /   /   /   /  |
                C*                      G  C/G  G
Or they'll be taking the key from the door________

  G C/G G        C/G G        C/G G
| /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / |
    

VERSE 1

         G                 D   [D4]         G   D         G   C/G   G
I don't want no god on my lawn,     just a flow-er I can help  a - long 
            G               D               G  D    C    Em/B  A  | A  A2  A  A2 A A2 A |
'Cause the soul of nobody knows     how a flow-er grows_______________
           C   Em/B  A   | A  A2  A  A4 A A4 A |
Yes how a flow-er  grows________________________


REPEAT CHORUS.


VERSE 2

        G                      D   [D4]            G   D            G        C/G  G
Mary dropped her pants by the sand,     and let a par-son come and take her hand____
          G              D                  G   D   C     Em/B  A  | A  A2  A  A2 A A2 A |
But the soul of nobody knows     where the par-son goes_______________ 
                C  Em/B  A  | A  A2  A  A4 A A4 A |
Where does the par-son  go?________________________


INSTRUMENTAL CHORUS

    G    C/G  G    C/G  G    C/G  G    C/G 2x 
|:| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |:| (Play twice.)
 
 
REPEAT CHORUS.


VERSE 3

             G                  D   [D4]          G    D                  G     C/G   G
Raise your mind up and look a-round,     you may see them, yes they're looking down_____
       G           D            G   D    C    Em/B  A  | A  A2  A  A2 A A2 A |
On a lonely aster-oid     in a va-cant void_______________
  C   Em/B                A    | A  A2  A  A4 A A4 A |
Dying      but not des-troyed_________________________


REPEAT CHORUS.


OUTRO

    G        C/G        G        C/G       2x      
|:| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |:| (Play twice.)



CHORDS (in order of appearance)
======

   G      C/G     C*       C
3x0003  3x2013  332010  x32013
R----L  R-M-IL  RLM-I-  -RM-IL

   D      D4
xx0232  xx0233
---IRM  ---IRL

 Em/B      A      A2      A4
x22000  x02220  x02200  x02230
-MR---  --IMR-  --IM--  --IMRL
  
Chord fingering:      T = thumb                
                      I = index finger
                      M = middle finger
                      R = ring finger
                      L = little finger

Tablature notation:   h = hammer-on
                      p = pull-off
                      / = legato slide (gliss) up the fret
                      \ = legato slide (gliss) down the fret
                      ! = accentuate part with great intensity
                      d = downward stroke
                      u = upward stroke

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