Jmitchell

Jmitchell - I Had A King guitar tab

I Had A King - Joni Mitchell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

from the album "Joni Mitchell"

tabbed by Jared White

with thanks to Howard Wright for the tuning

For this song, it is important to let notes ring and to emphasise

the melody notes, particularly in measures 13 through 20, where the

melody is played on the 4th and 5th (ie bass A & D) strings - listen

to the recording. Notes are all quavers; a * indicates a quaver rest.

Bracketed notes are optional. Full lyrics are at the end. Comments,

corections, suggestions, etc. *please* mail me. Enjoy!

Tuning DADEAD, Capo 7. 4/4, quarter note = 108.

Intro:

|--------------0----------|------------------------|-------------0----------|

|-----------0-----0-------|-------0-----------0----|----------------0-------|

|-----3-------------------|-3-----------3----------|-------1----------------|

|--------4-----------4----|----4-----------4-------|----------2--------2----|

|-----------------------5-|----------5-----------0-|----3-----------------3-|

|--0----------------------|------------------------|-0----------------------|

4 Verse:

|-------------------------|-------------0----------|------------------------|

|--------0-----------0----|*---------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|

|--1-----------1----------|-------3----------------|-3-----------3----------|

|-----2-----------2-------|*---------4--------4----|----4-----------4-------|

|-----------3-----------0-|----5-----------------5-|----------5-----------0-|

|-------------------------|-0----------------------|------------------------|

I had a king in a tenement castle

7 crescendo............

|--------------0----------|------------------------|-------------------0----|

|-----------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|-------------------0----|

|--------1----------------|-1-----------1----------|----*--------0-----0----|

|-----------2--------2----|----2-----------2-------|-------0-----0----------|

|-----3-----------------3-|----------3-----------0-|-------0----------------|

|--0----------------------|------------------------|-0--------0-----0-----0-|

Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown

10

|-----------0-------------|----------0-------------|-------------0----------|

|-----------0-------------|-------------0----------|----------------0-------|

|--0-----0--------0-------|-1-----*--1-------------|-1--------1-------------|

|--0-----------------0----|-0--------0-----0-----0-|----0--------------0----|

|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|

|-----0--------0--------0-|----0--------------0----|-------0-------------(0)|

He's taken the cur - tains down He's

13 (emphasise melody notes!!.......)

|-----------0-----------0-|------------------------|----------0-------------|

|--------0-----------0----|-0--------0-----------0-|-0--------------------0-|

|--0----------------------|-3-----3-----------3----|-1-----1-----------1----|

|-----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|

|--------------0----------|-5-----------0----------|-3-----------0----------|

|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|

Swept with the broom of contempt and the rooms have an empty ring

16

|--------------0----------|----------0-----------0-|----------0-----------0-|

|--0--------0-----0-------|-0-----0-----------0----|-0----------------------|

|--0-----0-----------0----|-0----------------------|-3-----3-----------3----|

|-----0-----------0-----0-|----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|

|--2-----------0----------|-------------0----------|-5-----------0----------|

|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|

He's cleaned with the tears of an actor who fears for

19

|-------------------------|-------------0----------|-0-----------0----------|

|--0--------0--------0----|-0--------0-----0-----0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-|

|--1-----1--1-----1--1----|-0-----0-----------0----|-------0----------------|

|-----0-----------0-------|----0--------------0----|-------0-----------0----|

|--3-----------0--------0-|-2-----------------2----|-------2-----------0----|

|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|

the laughter's sting....

Chorus:

|--------------------0----|-5--------4-----0-------|-----------------(0)----|

|-----------0--------0----|-0--------0--------0----|---------0--------0-----|

|--3-----*--3--------3----|-------*----------------|-3----*--3--------3-----|

|--0--------0-----0-------|----0--------0--------0-|-0-------0-----0--------|

|-------------------------|-0--------0--------0----|-0----------------------|

|--0--0--------0--------0-|------------------------|-0--0-------0---------0-|

I can't go back there any - more You know my keys won't

25

|--5--------4-----0-------|------------------(0)---|-5--------4-----0-------|

|--0--------0--------0----|----------0--------0----|-0--------0--------0----|

|--------*----------------|-3-----*--3--------3----|-------*----------------|

|-----0--------0--------0-|-0--------0-----0-------|----0--------0--------0-|

|--0--------0--------0----|-0----------------------|-0--------0--------0----|

|-------------------------|-0--0--------0--------0-|------------------------|

fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man

28

|--------------0----------|------------------------|-------------0----------|

|-----------0-----0-------|-------0-----------0----|----------------0-------|

|-----1-------------------|-1-----------1----------|-------3----------------|

|--------2-----------2----|----2-----------2-------|----------4--------4----|

|--3--------------------3-|----------3-----------0-|----5-----------------5-|

|-(0)---------------------|------------------------|-0----------------------|

They never can they never can

31 Ending:

|-------------------------|-------------0----------|------------------------|

|--------0-----------0---*|----------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|

|--3-----------3----------|-------1----------------|-1-----------1----------|

|-----4-----------4------*|----------2--------2----|----2-----------2-------|

|-----------5-----------0-|----3-----------------3-|----------3-----------0-|

|-------------------------|-0----------------------|------------------------|

34

|--------------0----------|------------------------|------------------------|

|-----------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|-------0-----------0----|

|--------3----------------|-3-----------3----------|-3-----------3----------|

|-----------4--------4----|----4-----------4-------|----4-----------4-------|

|-----5-----------------5-|----------5-----------5-|----------5-----------5-|

|--0----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|

37 ritardando.....................

|-------------------------|------------------------|--0--------------------||

|--------0-----------0----|-------0-----------0----|--0--------------------||

|--3-----------3----------|-3-----------3----------|--0--------------------||

|-----4-----------4-------|----4-----------4-------|--0--------------------||

|-----------5-----------5-|----------5-----------5-|--0--------------------||

|-------------------------|------------------------|--0--------------------||

(slow strum.....)

Alternative measures:

11 12

|-----------0-------------|-------------0----------|

|--------------0----------|------------------------|

|--1--------1--------1----|-1--------1--------1----|

|--0-----0--------0-----0-|----0-----------0-----0-|

|-------------------------|------------------------|

|-----0-------------(0)---|------(0)---------(0)---|

15 16

|-------------------------|-------------0----------|

|--0--------0--------0----|-0--------0-----0-------|

|--1-----1--------1-------|-0-----0-----------0----|

|-----0--------0--------0-|----0--------0-------(0)|

|--3--------3--------3----|-2--------2--------0----|

|-------------------------|------------------------|

19

|-------------------------|

|--0--------0--------0----|

|--1-----1--------1-------|

|-----0--------0--------0-|

|--3--------3--------3----|

|-------------------------|

I HAD A KING - JONI MITCHELL

I had a king in a tenement castle

Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown

He's taken the curtains down

He's swept with the broom of contempt

And the rooms have an empty ring

He's cleaned with the tears

Of an actor who fears for the laughter's sting-

Chorus:

I can't go back there anymore

You know my keys won't fit the door

You know my thoughts don't fit the man

They never can they never can

I had a king dressed in drip-dry and paisley

Lately he's taken to saying i'm crazy and blind

He lives in another time

Ladies in gingham still blush

While he sings them of wars and wine

But I in my leather and lace

I can never become that kind-

Chorus

I had a king in a salt-rusted carriage

Who carried me off to his country for marriage too soon

Beware of the power of moons

There's no one to blame

No there's no one to name as a traitor here

The king's on the road

And the queen's in the grove 'till the end of the year-

Chorus

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