| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | March 25, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes: | Composed before Cat’s comeback as a pop star, this song with its notable bazouki-style intro riff perhaps best encapsulates the inner journey Cat was on during his entire second career in the music business. And another great song where the guitar plays the central part. The lyrics of the fifth verse (“Kick out the devil’s sin, pick up, pick up a good book now”) were originally penned as “the book” so as to pinpoint towards the Bible as the only book to read, but was eventually changed in the album version to be more universal. Over verses such as “When I left my happy home to see what I could find out,” Alun Davies actually fingerpicks a Gsus4 chord, whereas Cat often stops strumming focusing on delivering the vocal line and rather sticking to the G-D7-G sequence following shortly thereafter. As an additional note, Cat likes to do hammer-ons (from the open string) with his middle finger, as you can see in the live performance below as well, for certain chords used in this song (D7, C/G and F/C). | ||
| 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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"On the Road to Find Out"
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
E|-7--7-7---8---8--8---8/10-10-10--|--10~~~12--10---8--7~~---|
B|-8--8-8--10--10-10--10/12-12-12--|--12~~~13--12--10--8~~---|
G|-0--0-0---0---0--0---0-----0--0--|---0----0---0---0--0-----|
D|---------------------------------|-------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|-------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------7/8--------8-------10-10--|-10~~~12--10---8--7~~----|
B|-0h8-------0h10-----10/12-12-12--|-12~~~13--12--10--8~~----|
G|-----0----------0---------0--0---|--0----0---0---0--0------|
D|---------------------------------|-------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|----------------------9\-|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------10\-|
G D7 G D7 G
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
d d u d u d u d u d d d d u d u d u d u d d
E| |-3---3-3-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3---3------|-3---3-3-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3---3-----| |
B| |-0---0-0-1-1-1-1-|-0-0-0---0------|-0---0-0-1-1-1-1-|-0-0-0---0-----| |
G|.|-0---0-0-2-0h2-2-|-0-0-0---0------|-0---0-0-2-0h2-2-|-0-0-0---0-----|.| Play
D|.|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0---0------|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0---0-----|.| twice.
A| |-x---x-----------|-x---x---x------|-x---x-----------|-x---x---x-----| |
E| |-3---3-----------|-3---3---3------|-3---3-----------|-3---3---3-----| |
Note: Repeat this strumming sequence after each verse line where indicated.
VERSE 1
G G4 G (G) G4 G (G) D7 G D7 G
Well I left my happy home to see what I could find out | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
G G4 G (G) G4 G (G) D7 G D7 G
I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out
C/G F/C C/G F4 F C/G F/C C/G F4 F
Well I hit the rowdy road, and many kinds I met there
C/G F/C C/G Am D7 G D7 G D7 G
Many stories told me of the way to get there
CHORUS
C/G F/C C/G F4 F C/G F/C C/G F4 F
So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
C/G F/C C/G Am D7 G D7 G D7 G
There's so much left to know and I'm on the road to find out
BREAK
G D7 G D7 G x2
|:| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |:|
VERSE 2
G D7 G (G) D7 G (G) D7 G D7 G
In the end I'll know, but on the way I won-der | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
G D7 G G D7 G (G) D7 G D7 G
Through des-cending snow and through the frost and thun-der
C/G F/C C/G F4 F C/G F/C C/G F4 F
Well I listen to the wind come howl, telling me I have to hurry
C/G F/C C/G Am D7 G D7 G D7 G
I listen to the robin's song, saying not to worry
REPEAT CHORUS.
REPEAT INTRO.
VERSE 3
G D7 G (G) D7 G (G) D7 G D7 G
Then I found my-self a-lone hoping someone would miss me | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
G D7 G G D7 G (G) D7 G D7 G
Thinking a-bout my home and the last woman to kiss me (Kiss me)
C/G F/C C/G F4 F C/G F/C C/G F4 F
Well sometimes you have to moan when nothing seems to suit ya
C/G F/C C/G Am D7 G D7 G D7 G
But neverthe-less you know you're locked to-wards the future
REPEAT CHORUS.
VERSE 4
G D7 G G D7 G (G) D7 G D7 G
Then I found my head one day when I wasn't even try-ing | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
G D7 G G D7 G (G) D7 G D7 G
And here I have to say 'cause there is no use in ly-ing (Lying)
C/G F/C C/G F4 F C/G F/C C/G F4 F ┐
Yes the answer lies with-in so why not take a look now │ Play
C/G F/C C/G Am D7 G D7 G D7 G │ three times.
Kick out the devil's sin, pick up, pick up a good book now ┘
REPEAT INTRO.
OUTRO
F/C G/D
| / / / | / / / / |
CHORDS
======
G G4 D7 Am
3x0003 3x0013 xx0212 x02210
RM---L R---IL ---MIR --MRI-
C/G F/C F F4 G/D
332010 x33211 xx3211 xx3311 x55433
RLM-I- -RLMII --RMII --RLII -RLMII
________INTRO BOUZUKI-STYLE RIFFS________
xxx087 xxx0.10.8 xxx0.12.10 xxx0.13.12
----MI ------R-I ------R--I ------R--M
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
/ = 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
===========
Well I left my happy home to see what I could find out
I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out
Well I hit the rowdy road, and many kinds I met there
Many stories told me of the way to get there
So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know and I'm on the road to find out
In the end I'll know, but on the way I wonder
Through descending snow and through the frost and thunder
Well I listen to the wind come howl, telling me I have to hurry
I listen to the robin's song, saying not to worry
So on and on...
Then I found myself alone hoping someone would miss me
Thinking about my home and the last woman to kiss me (Kiss me)
Well sometimes you have to moan when nothing seems to suit ya
But nevertheless you know you're locked towards the future
So on and on...
Then I found my head one day when I wasn't even trying
And here I have to say 'cause there is no use in lying (Lying)
Yes the answer lies within so why not take a look now ┐ Play
Kick out the devil's sin, pick up, pick up a good book now ┘ three times.
Playing Cat Stevens 
Leonard: Wow! Thank you so much! I love this song and its augmenting and passionate determination to find one’s purpose in life, contrasted against a more peaceful higher-self knowing to be calm because it will take some time to get there. Your transcription is wonderful and so helpful to those of us who had been wanting to play this. And the chord fingering was especially helpful- I knew how to play many of these chords but with different fingering, but my approach wasn’t as efficient in moving between chords fast enough to keep up with the rhythm. All in all, great job and thank you so much for sharing the fruits of your labor and talent, and for blessing us all by sharing this with the world and giving us the opportunity to play and sing this to express our passion!
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Glad you like it. The chord fingering is all Cat’s.
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