| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | April 16, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes: | The first single to Cat’s new album King of a Land (2023), which seems somewhat influenced by Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince (1943), is actually its last song. And what a happy little song it is! “Sometimes you have to take something apart”, says Cat, “to find the peace you’re looking for.” This cheerful and optimistic little tune is a pleasure to play on guitar even if Cat’s bespoke chord fingering will take some getting used to (see bottom for notes). | ||
| 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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"Take the World Apart"
by Yusuf / Cat Stevens
from the original album
KING OF A LAND (2023)
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E
in 4/4 time
INTRO Note: Please see bottom for
Cat's very special
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B chord fingering.
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Do-do...
VERSE 1
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
I'll take the world a-part to find a place for a peaceful heart
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
I know I've got to find it, al-though I break down the Walls of China
VERSE 2
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
I shake the world a-round until my little mellow home is found
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
I look 'til I find my beauty I would jump right over Mount Fuji
BRIDGE (La, la...)
E A F# B E A F# B (2x)
|:| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |:|
VERSE 3
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
I'll cross the ocean wide if I knew it's on the other side
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
I'll find some boat to sail or might have/try to swim all the way
VERSE 4
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B
I'll make the world give up until it leads me to the land of love
E C#m F# B E C#m F# B (E)
I'll go any length to see it tun-nel under the Colos-seum, I will
REPEAT BRIDGE.
VERSE 5
E A F# B E C#m F# B
I'll take the world a-part to find a place for a peaceful heart
E A F# B E C#m F# B (E)
I know I've got to find it, al-though I break/shake down the Walls of China, I will
OUTRO (Do-do...)
E A F# B E A F# B (4x)
|:| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |:|
E
| / / / / ||
CHORDS (in order of appearance)
======
Note #1: Holding down the bass A-string with your thumb
(chords) like Cat does here for the C#m and B chord re-
quires a slim-taper neck, larger hands and lots
of practice. If you have trouble doing so,
simply hold down the treble strings only, as
Cat is wont to do as well.
Note #2: In a 2023 live-recording Cat shook up the struc-
(lyrics) ture of the song a little bit, particularly to-
wards the end, and varied the lyrics in verse 3
and 5, which we transcribed with a slash ("/")
for the alternate version of the word.
E C#m F# B A
022100 446544 244322 22444x x02220
-MRI-- TTRLMI TRLMII TTRRR- --IMR-
↓ ↓
└───────┬───────┘
Note: Don't emphasize these two
bass notes here too much.
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
Tablature notation: d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke
> = accentuate
! = accentuate with great intensity
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
Playing Cat Stevens 