| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | October 15, 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author’s Notes: | One of the most beautiful ballads there is and an excellent piano piece. The song is perhaps as much about a real fan of Cat’s as it is about Cat himself really. Cat later revealed that the song was “about a real sweet girl called Lisa from Sweden who came to work in our home in 1969. Though I captured the spirit of her loneliness in this beautiful song, I can only hope she made it out of the door.” The grand piano was run through an Hammond organ amp called a Leslie, which, with its rotating speakers, gives the whole a vibrato, tremolo, and a little “whoosh” of air all put together. Cat worked out the main riff upstairs at home on the piano until the song eventually started flowing and became its very own thing. Capoing up the guitar at the 7th fret gets surprisingly close to the piano original, while keeping the whole thing playable at the same time. Also included here is Alun Davies’s original guitar solo from the Majikat Earth Tour 1976, in capoed and uncapoed version, for the instrumental verse. | ||
| 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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"Sad Lisa"
by Cat Stevens
from the original album
TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN (1970)
Standard tuning
(low to high) E-A-D-G-B-E
Capo at 7th fret
(all chords and notes relative to capo position)
in 4/4 time
INTRO
Am
E|-------------------|----------0--------|-------------------|----------0--------|
B|--------1----------|--------1----------|--------1----------|--------1----------|
G|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2-0------|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2-0------|
D|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|
A|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|
E|-------------------|----------------3--|-------------------|----------------3--|
E|-------------------|----------0-----3--|-------------------|----------0--------|
B|--------1----------|--------1---3---3--|--------1----------|--------1----------|
G|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2---0----|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2-0---2--|
D|----2---------0----|----2--------------|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|
A|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|
E|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
(She...)
VERSE 1
Am (Am) G F
She hangs her head and cries in my shirt
G Am G C (C) G Am D
She must be hurt very bad-ly, tell me what's making you sad-ly?
Am D G F
Open your door, don't hide in the dark
G Am G C (C) G Am D-RIFF
You're lost in the dark, you can trust me, 'cause you know that's how it must be
D-RIFF
E|--------2----------|------0h2----------|
B|------3---3--------|----------3~~~~~~--|
G|----2-------2p0----|----2--------------|
D|--0-----0-------4--|--0-------0--------|
A|-------------------|------0------------|
E|-------------------|-------------------|
Am D E Am-RIFF
Lisa, Li-sa, sad Lisa, Li-sa.
Am-RIFF
E|-------------------|----------0--------|----------------0--|----------0--------|
B|--------1----------|--------1----------|--------1----------|--------1----------|
G|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2-0------|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2-0----2-|
D|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|
A|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|
E|-------------------|----------------3--|-------------------|-------------------|
(Her...)
VERSE 2
Am (Am) G F
Her eyes like windows, tricklin' rain
G Am G C (C) G Am D
Up-on the pain, getting deep-er, though my love wants to re-lieve her
Am D G F
She walks a-lone from wall to wall
G Am G C (C) G Am D-RIFF
Lost in a hall, she can't hear me, though I know she likes to me near me
Am D E Am-RIFF
Lisa, Li-sa, sad Lisa, Li-sa
INSTRUMENTAL (SOLO)
(chords are intended harmonies)
Am G F G Am
E|-----|-------------|-------------------|-----------|-----------------|
B|-----|-------------|-------------------|-----------|-----------------|
G|-----|--2--4/5--4--|--2--4/5--4----5p4-|--2~~~--5--|--4-----2--4--5--|
D|--2--|-------------|-------------------|-----------|-----5-----------|
A|-----|-------------|-------------------|-----------|-----------------|
E|-----|-------------|-------------------|-----------|-----------------|
G C C G Am D
E|------------|--------|---------------3--|--------------|-------------|
B|--3~--5~~~--|-----3--|--3/5~~--3--5-----|--------3~~~--|-------------|
G|------------|--5-----|------------------|--4--2--------|-------------|
D|------------|--------|------------------|--------------|-------------|
A|------------|--------|------------------|--------------|-------------|
E|------------|--------|------------------|--------------|-------------|
Am D G F G Am
E|-----------------|--------------|-----|------------------------------|
B|-----------3-----|--------------|-----|---------------------3~--5~~--|
G|--5--4--5-----5--|--4--------2--|--5--|-4--2-----2~~--4--5-----------|
D|-----------------|-----5--5-----|-----|-------5----------------------|
A|-----------------|--------------|-----|------------------------------|
E|-----------------|--------------|-----|------------------------------|
G Am (D-RIFF) Am D E Am Am-RIFF
E|--------|---------------3--|--------------|--------------|-----------0--|
B|-----3--|--3/5~~--3--5-----|--------3~~~--|--------------|-----------1--|
G|--5-----|------------------|--5--2--------|-----2-----2--|-----1-----2--|
D|--------|------------------|--------------|-----2--0--0--|-----2-----2--|
A|--------|------------------|--------------|--0--0--------|-----2--0--0--|
E|--------|------------------|--------------|--------------|--0--0--------|
VERSE 3
Am (Am) G F
She sits in a corner by the door
G Am G C (C) G Am D
There must be more I can tell her, if she really wants me to help her
Am D G F
I'll do what I can to show her the way
G Am G C (C) G Am D-RIFF
And maybe one day I will free her, though I know no one can see her
Am D E Am Am D E Am
Lisa, Li-sa, sad Lisa, Li-sa | / / / / | / / / / |
OUTRO
Am
E|-------------------|----------0--------|-------------------|----------0------3-|--5--|
B|--------1----------|--------1-------3--|--------1----------|--------1--------3-|--5--|
G|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2-0------|------2---2-0---2--|------2---2-0------|-----|
D|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|----2---------0----|-----|
A|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|--0----------------|-----|
E|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-----|
CHORDS
======
Note: The solo part above is a transcription of Alun Davies'
original guitar solo (only without capo at 7th fret)
as played by him throughout the Majikat Earth Tour 1976.
It emulates in nature the violin solo of the original
recording.
At the bottom you can find the solo of the tour as
played by Alun without capo.
Am G F C D E
x02210 320003 103211 332010 xx0232 022100
--MRI- RM---L T-RMII RLM-I- ---IRM -MRI--
ALUN DAVIES' ORIGINAL SOLO FROM THE MAJIKAT EARTH TOUR 1976
- no capo -
(chords are intended harmonies)
Em D C D Em
E|-----|----------------|-------------------------|------------|---------------------|
B|-----|----------------|-------------------------|------------|---------------------|
G|-----|--9--11/12--11--|--9--11/12--11----12p-11-|--9~~~--12--|--11------9--11--12--|
D|--9--|----------------|-------------------------|------------|------12-------------|
A|-----|----------------|-------------------------|------------|---------------------|
E|-----|----------------|-------------------------|------------|---------------------|
D G D Em A
E|--------------|----------|-------------------10--|----------------|----------------|
B|--10~--12~~~--|------10--|--10/12~~--10--12------|---------10~~~--|----------------|
G|--------------|--12------|-----------------------|--12--9---------|----------------|
D|--------------|----------|-----------------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--------------|----------|-----------------------|----------------|----------------|
E|--------------|----------|-----------------------|----------------|----------------|
Em A D C D Em
E|----------------------|-----------------|------|-------------------------------------|
B|--------------10------|-----------------|------|--------------------------10~--12~~--|
G|--12--11--12------12--|--11----------9--|--12--|--11--9------9~~--11--12-------------|
D|----------------------|------12--12-----|------|---------12--------------------------|
A|----------------------|-----------------|------|-------------------------------------|
E|----------------------|-----------------|------|-------------------------------------|
D Em A
E|----------|-------------------10--|----------------|
B|------10--|--10/12~~--10--12------|---------10~~~--|
G|--12------|-----------------------|--12--9---------|
D|----------|-----------------------|----------------|
A|----------|-----------------------|----------------|
E|----------|-----------------------|----------------|
Em A B Em
E|----------------|---------|-----0--|
B|----------------|----(0)--|-----0--|
G|-----9----------|-----4---|-----0--|
D|-----9------7---|-----4---|-----2--|
A|--7--7------7---|--2--2---|-----2--|
E|---------5--5---|---------|--0--0--|
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
LYRICS ONLY
===========
She hangs her head and cries in my shirt
She must be hurt very badly, tell me what's making you sadly?
Open your door, don't hide in the dark
You're lost in the dark, you can trust me, 'cause you know that's how it must be
Lisa, Lisa, sad Lisa, Lisa
Her eyes like windows, tricklin' rain
Upon the pain, getting deeper, though my love wants to relieve her
She walks alone from wall to wall
Lost in a hall, she can't hear me, though I know she likes to me near me
Lisa, Lisa, sad Lisa, Lisa
She sits in a corner by the door
There must be more I can tell her, if she really wants me to help her
I'll do what I can to show her the way
And maybe one day I will free her, though I know no one can see her
Lisa, Lisa, sad Lisa, Lisa
Playing Cat Stevens 