California Cifras

Song: California
Artist: Joni Mitchell
Composer: Joni Mitchell
Album: Blue
 
Tabbed by DJ  29th July 2020
 
Based on James Taylor's guitar accompaniment
to Joni's dulcimer.
 
CAPO: 2nd fret
(Song will then sound in the recorded key of E)
 
IGNORE THE CHORD BOX DIAGRAMS that the website
displays, they are generated automatically from a
generic database and often don't show the best
options for a particular chord progression. Just use
the voicings suggested in the text column numbers
 
 A7     = x02020   (D/A)   = x0xxxx   D5    = xx0235
 G      = 320003   (D+/A#) = x1xxxx   E     = 022100
 A      = x02220   B7      = x21202   C     = x32010
 D      = xx0232   B7/F#   = 2x1202   Asus2 = x02200
 A7sus4 = x02030   D/F#    = 20023x   G/B   = x2003x
(G/F#)  = 2xxxxx   Dsus2   = xx0230   G *   = xx5433
 E7     = 020100   Gmaj7   = 320002   E7 *  = xx2434
 A7sus2 = x02000   G6      = 320000   A7 *  = x05655
 Gsus4  = 320013   Dsus4   = xx0233   Asus4 = x02230
 
Chords in brackets are intended to be played as
passing bass notes only.
G *, E7 * and A7 * chords marked with an asterisk
are specific voicings to that section of the song
and are played staccato.
 
Please take a second to scroll down to the bottom of
the page and select a star rating for my tab, thanks
=====================================================
[Intro]
(See bottom of page for an adapted guitar tablature
 of the dulcimer Riff)
   A7       G                    A
|  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
   D                    A7sus4
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /_/ /_/  |
 
[Verse 1]
D
Sitting in a park in Paris, France
G                          (G/F#)      E7
    Reading the news and it sure looks bad,
     E7
They won't give peace a chance,
A7sus2           A7                      D
        That was just a dream some of us had,
               G
Still a lot of lands to see,
     (G/F#)          E7
But I wouldn't wanna stay here,
                 A7sus2   A7                  G
It's too old and cold and settled in its ways here,
G4                 G
    Ah, but Cali - fornia, 
G G4 G    D     (D/A)(D+/A#) B7            B7/F#
Ca---li - fornia--------------- I'm coming home, 
B7  G
        I'm going to see the folks I dig,
D/F#                         A7          A7sus4
     I'll even kiss a sunset pig, Cali - fornia...
    D           Dsus2 D Dsus2   Gmaj7 G6 D
I'm coming home----------------------------!
Dsus4 D   A7sus4 A7 A7sus4
 
[Verse 2]
  D
I met a redneck on a Grecian isle,
G                               E7
    Who did the goat dance very well,
                          A7sus2
He gave me back my smile,
                  A7
...But he kept my camera to sell,
D
Oh, the rogue, the red red rogue,
G
   He cooked good omelettes and stews,
      E7
And I might have stayed on with him there,
       A7sus2      A7           G   G4
But my heart cried out for you----,
       G          G4  G
Cali - fornia, oh---- oh,
D              (D/A)(D+/A#) B7              B7/F#
    California-----------------, I'm coming home,
B7   G
Oh,  make me feel good, rock'n'roll band,
D/F#                                A7
   ...I'm your biggest fan,  Cali - fornia,
    A7sus4      D  Dsus2 D Dsus2  Gmaj7 G6  D D4 D5
I'm coming home---------------------------!
 
[Bridge]
D5         D       E      G
    Oh, it gets so lone - ly, when you're walking,
D                               A
    And the streets are full of strangers,
A7sus4  A7      E        G
All the news of home you read...
                  E7     C
Just give you the blues-----,
                  A         A7sus4 A7 A7sus2 A7
Just give you the blues-----------------------!
   G     G4       G    Asus2 A
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /__/  /  |
   D                    G/B D
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
 
[Verse 3]
     D                                       G *
So I bought me a ticket, I caught a plane to Spain,
                                E7 *
Went to a party down a red dirt road,
E7 *
     There were lots of pretty people there,
A7 *                                   D
     Reading 'Rolling Stone', reading 'Vogue',
                             G *
They said, "How long can you hang around?"
                          E7 *
I said, "A week, ...maybe two!
                         A7 *
Just until my skin turns brown,
                      G    G4             G
Then I'm going home-----     ...to Cali - fornia!"
G  G4   G    D                 (D/A) (D+/A#) B7
Ca------li - fornia-------, I'm com - ing    home,
B7/F#  B7   G
       Oh,  ...will you take me as I am,
D/F#                        A7           A7sus4
   ...Strung out on another man?  Cali - fornia,
           A7   D  Dsus2 D Dsus2 Gmaj7 G6  D D4 D5
I'm coming home--------------------------!
 
[Verse 4]
D5        D       E         G
   Oh, it gets so...lonely, ...when you're walking,
D                                A
    And the streets are full of strangers,
A7sus4  A7      E        G
All the news of home you read,
               D                   A
More about the war and the bloody changes,
          E                        G
Oh - oh,  ...will you take me as I am?
 
[Coda]
                     D             A
Will ya take me as I am?  Will ya-----?
         Asus4        E7   G
Will you take me as I am-------?
            D                       A
Hmm - hmm - hmm!  Hmm - hmm - hmm - hmm!
             E7    G                  D          A
Take me as I am------,  will you take ...me as I am?
  E7           G            D            A
| /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / |
  E7           G             D
| /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / |  /  ||
 
=====================================================
    [Intro Riff]  Dulcimer adapted for guitar
e |----------------------|--3-------3--3----3------|
B |-------2-h3-2---------|--3-------3--3----3------|
G |---------------2---2--|--0-------0--0----0------|
D |-----------------4----|--0-------0--0----0------|
A |----------------------|--2-------2--2----2------|
E |----------------------|--3-------3--3----3------|
 
e |--3------------0------|--2-------2-------2------|
B |--3--3-------2---2----|--3-------3-------3------|
G |--0--------2-------2--|--2----2--2----2--2---2--|
D |--0----4--------------|--4-------4-------4------|
A |--2-------------------|-------------------------|
E |--3-------------------|-------------------------|
 
e |--3-------------------|
B |--2-------------------|
G |--3-------------------|
D |--4--4-h5-4--h5-4-----|   h = Hammer on notes
A |--2-------------------|
E |--3-------------------|
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