You Can Call Me Al Cifras

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                  You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
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Written by: Paul Simon
From: "Graceland" (1986)
 
Tabbed by: maguri
Tuning: Standard
 
I use a capo on the 3rd fret for playability. The basic tabs below
show how to play the chords with or without a capo in the original key.
 
I made a short demo recording so one can hear what this is supposed to
sound like:
https://soundcloud.com/maguri/paul-simon-you-can-call-me-al-demo
 
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transpose: -              +3 (and "use flats")
capo:      3rd fret       no capo
play:      D              F
key:       F              F
 
CHORDS
       transpose: -       transpose: +3
       capo 3rd fret      capo: -
 
       E-A-D-G-B-e            E-A-D-G-B-e
Em7    0-2-0-0-0-0        Gm7 3-x-0-3-3-1
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
[Main Riff]
 
(Intro / Chorus / Interlude / Outro) capo 3rd fret
      D   A     Em7    D   A     D      D   A     Em7    D   A     D
  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2-2h3|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2-2h3|
G|----2---2--2--0-|----2---2--2-2--|----2---2--2--0-|----2---2--2-2--|
D|----4---2--2--0-|----4---2--2-2h4|----4---2--2--0-|----4---2--2-2h4|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
                               | h  Hammer-on
 
(Intro / Chorus / Interlude / Outro) no capo (transpose this chord sheet +3)
      F   C    Gm7     F   C     F      F   C    Gm7     F   C     F
  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----6---5--5--3-|----6---5--5-5h6|----6---5--5--3-|----6---5--5-5h6|
G|----5---5--5--3-|----5---5--5-5--|----5---5--5--3-|----5---5--5-5--|
D|----7---5--5--3-|----7---5--5-5h7|----7---5--5--3-|----7---5--5-5h7|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
                               | h  Hammer-on
 
[Verse] capo 3rd fret
There is a little lick or riff in the verse, which is played on an
electric guitar. Using a capo, it is possible to integrate this
lick into the accompaniment. Here’s a suggestion:
  D                Em7   Asus4  A   D                Em7   Asus4 A [ D ]
  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|--2--0----------|--0-------------|--2--0----------|--0-------------|
B|--3--3--3---3---|--0--3--3---2---|--3--3--3---3---|--0--3--3-3-2-3-|
G|2-------2---2---|-----0--2---2---|2-------2---2---|-----0--2-2-2---|
D|0---------------|--------2-------|0---------------|--------2-------|
A|----------------|2-------0-------|----------------|2-------0-------|
E|----------------|0---------------|----------------|0---------------|
 
 
[Chorus] capo 3rd fret
If you want to include the riff into your guitar accompaniment, this
might be a good solution:
  D       A        Em7     A        D       A        Em7     A
  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2--3-|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2--3-|
G|2---2---2--2--0-|----0---2--2--2-|2---2---2--2--0-|----0---2--2--2-|
D|0-------2-------|----0---2--2----|0-------2--2--0-|----0---2--2----|
A|--------0-------|2-------0-------|--------0-------|2-------0-------|
E|----------------|0-0-------------|----------------|0---------------|
 
[Chorus] no capo (transpose this chord sheet +3)
  F       C        Gm7     C        F       C        Gm7     C
  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|----1---0--0----|----1---0--0--1-|----1---0--1----|----1---0--0--1-|
B|----1---1--1--3-|----3---1--1--1-|----1---1--1--3-|----3---1--1--2-|
G|----2---0--0--3-|----3---0--0--2-|----2---0--0--3-|----3---0--0--2-|
D|----3---2-------|----0---2-------|----3---2-------|----0---2-------|
A|3-------3-------|--------3-------|3-------3-------|--------3-------|
E|1-1-------------|3-3-------------|1-1-------------|3-3-------------|1
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
[Intro]
| D   A     Em7 | D   A     D   |
(guitar and synth)
| D  A |  Em7 A  | D  A |  Em7 A  | D  A |  Em7 A  |
(full band)
 
[Verse 1]
D
 A man walks down the street
       Em7        Asus4       A
He says, Why am I soft in the middle now?
D
 Why am I soft in the middle?
        Em7         Asus4   A
When the rest of my life is so hard!
D
 I need a photo-opportunity
Em7       Asus4     A
 I want a shot at redemption
D
Don't want to end up a cartoon
    Em7      Asus4 A
In a cartoon graveyard
 
[Bridge]
D
Bonedigger, Bonedigger,
Em7          A
 Dogs in the moonlight
D                 Em7          A
 Far away from my well-lit door
    D
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly
Em7              A
Get these mutts away from me!
           D                       Em7       A
You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
 
[Chorus]
D               A
If you'll be my bodyguard
Em7           A         |   D  A |  Em7 A  |
I can be your long lost pal
D              A
I can call you Betty
    Em7              A
And Betty, when you call me
       |   D  A |  Em7 A  |
You can call me Al
 
[Verse 2]
D
 A man walks down the street
       Em7        Asus4      A
He says, Why am I short of attention?
     D
Got a short little span of attention
   Em7       Asus4      A
And whoa, my nights are so long!
D
 Where's my wife and family?
Em7        Asus4 A
 What if I die   here?
D
 Who'll be my role-model?
Em7          Asus4  A
 Now that my role - model is
 
[Bridge]
D
Gone, gone
   Em7                  A
He ducked back down the alley
         D                  Em7           A
With some roly-poly, little bat-faced girl
     D
All along, along
           Em7           A
There were incidents and accidents
          D                      | Em7 A |
There were hints and allegations
 
[Chorus]
D               A
If you'll be my bodyguard
Em7           A         |   D  A |  Em7 A  |
I can be your long lost pal
D              A
I can call you Betty
    Em7              A
And Betty, when you call me
       |   D  A |  Em7 A  |
You can call me Al ...                 Call me Al ...
 
[Solo] (pennywhistle) = verse + bridge
 
| D | Em7  Asus4 A | D | Em7  Asus4 A |
| D | Em7  Asus4 A | D | Em7  Asus4 A |
 
| D | Em7 A | D | Em7 A |
| D | Em7 A | D | Em7 A |
 
[Interlude]
| D   A     Em7 | D   A    D   |
(guitar and synth)
| D  A |  Em7 A  | D  A |  Em7 A  | D  A |  Em7 A  |
(full band)
 
[Verse 3]
D
 A man walks down the street
      Em7          Asus4   A
It's a street in a strange world
D
 Maybe it's the Third World
Em7             Asus4      A
 Maybe it's his first time around
D
 He doesn't speak the language
  Em7       Asus4 A
He holds no currency
  D
He is a foreign man
Em7       Asus4   A
 He is surrounded by the 
 
[Bridge]
D
Sound, the sound 
Em7            A
 Cattle in the marketplace
D                            | Em7 A |
 Scatterlings and orphanages
          D
He looks around, around
        Em7           A
He sees angels in the architecture
D
 Spinning into infinity
         Em7       A
He says, Amen! and Hallelujah!
 
[Chorus]
D               A
If you'll be my bodyguard
Em7           A         |   D  A |  Em7 A  |
I can be your long lost pal
D              A
I can call you Betty
    Em7              A
And Betty, when you call me
       |   D  A |  Em7 A  |
You can call me Al ... call me ...
 
[Verse] (scat vocals)
D               Em7      Asus4 A
 Na, na, na, na, na, na, na    na...
D               Em7      Asus4 A
 Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na na na ...
D               Em7      Asus4 A
 Na, na, na, na, na, na, na    na...
D               Em7      Asus4 A
 Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na na na ...
 
[Bridge]
D           | Em7 A |
Mmmh, mmmh
D           | Em7 A |
 Mh, mh
D           | Em7 A |
Mmmh, mmmh
D           | Em7 A |
 Mh, mh
 
[Break]
| N.C. | % |
(bass solo)
 
[Chorus] (instrumental)
| D  A |  Em7 A  |
| D  A |  Em7 A  |
| D  A |  Em7 A  |
| D  A |  Em7 A  |
 
[Outro] (chorus)
D               A              | Em7  A | D  A |  Em7 A  |
If you'll be my bodyguard ...
D              A        | Em7  A | D  A |  Em7 A  |
I can call you Betty ...
D               A              | Em7  A | D  A |  Em7 A  |
If you'll be my bodyguard ...
D              A        | Em7  A | D  A |  Em7 A  |
I can call you Betty ...
 
(repeat and fade)
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