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Version 1 Version 2--------------------------------------------------------------------------- You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by: Paul Simon From: "Graceland" (1986) Tabbed by: maguri Tuning: Standard I use a capo on the 3rd fret for playability. Without a capo one would have to transpose this tab +3 steps to match the original key of F major. The 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: -soundcloud-/maguri/paul-simon-you-can-call-me-al-demo --------------------------------------------------------------------------- transpose: - +3 capo: 3rd fret - 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-|----0------2--3-|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2--3-| G|2---2---2--2--0-|----0------2--2-|2---2---2--2--0-|----0---2--2--2-| D|0-------2-------|----0------2----|0-------2--2--0-|----0---2--2----| A|--------0-------|2-------0-------|--------0-------|2-------0-------| E|----------------|0-0-------------|----------------|0---------------| [Chorus] no capo 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] (guitar and synth) | D A Em7 | D A D | (full band) | D A | Em7 A | | D A | Em7 A | | D A | Em7 A | [Verse] 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] 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] (guitar and synth) | D A Em7 | D A D | (full band) | D A | Em7 A | | D A | Em7 A | | D A | Em7 A | [Verse] 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] (bass solo) | N.C. | % | [Chorus] (instrumental) | D A | Em7 A | | D A | Em7 A | | D A | Em7 A | | D A | Em7 A | [Outro] (chorus) 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 ... | D A | Em7 A | (repeat and fade)