Biography:
Terry Callier (24 May 1945 - 28 Oct 2012) was an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist and singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Callier, a childhood friend of Curtis Mayfield, began recording in 1963 but never reached stardom despite a series of regional hits in the 1960s and 70s and three outstanding albums for Cadet: 'Occasional Rain' (1972), 'What Color Is Love' (1973) and 'I Just Can't Help Myself' (1974). In 1983, he gained custody of his 12-year-old daughter Sundiata and decided to retire from music to look for a steadier income.
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This is my first tab contribution, time to give something back after having received so
much from this site.
Your comments are welcome.
It's quite different from the other tab on this site, so I thought it would be a good
thing to propose this version of what I think is Terry Callier's most beautiful song.
Listen to it to get an idea of how to put the words on the chords. Alternate between the
different ways to play the chords to bring in some change.
FM7: 1x2210 or x8109108
Em: 022000 or x79987
Am: 00210 or 577555
F: 133211
G: 320003 or 355433
Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe (from the album Occasional Rain - 1972)
[Intro]
FM7 Em 4x
[Verse]
FM7
And for my opening line
Em
I'm not trying to indicate my state of mind.
FM7
I turn you on,
Em
I tell you that I'm laughing just to keep from crying
FM7 Em
And bringing music when you hear it,
FM7 Em
Keep on trying to get near it.
FM7 Em
A little rhythm for your spirit
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G
Oh but that's what it's for
F G
Come on in, here's the door
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
And I've seen a sparrow get high
FM7 Em
And waste his time in the sky
FM7 Em
He thinks it's easy to fly
FM7 Em
He's just a little bit freer than I
FM7
Now here's a mystery
Em
And maybe you can help to make it clear to me
FM7
When you're fast asleep
Em
Then what is it that's lighting up the dreams you see
FM7 Em
Only your tears can't conceal it
FM7 Em
And only your prayers may not reveal it
FM7 Em
You've got soul so you can feel it
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G
And when you make the scene
F G
Well you know what I mean
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
Hey I've seen a sparrow get high
FM7 Em
And waste his time in the sky
FM7 Em
He thinks it's easy to fly
FM7 Em
He's just a little bit freer than I
FM7
n'doo dee doo boo bee boo boo bee bo dee
Em FM7
dee boo boo dee bo do bee bo dee bo bee ba
[Instrumental]
Em FM7 Em FM7 Em
[Verse]
FM7
Down here on the ground
Em
When you find folks are giving you the runaround
FM7
Keep your game uptight
Em
And if you must just take your secrets underground
FM7 Em
Now politicians are trying to speech you
FM7 Em
Mad colour watchers are trying to teach you
FM7 Em
Very few will really try to reach you
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G
If you're lost in a stack
F G
That's OK, come all black
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
Now I'd be the last to deny
FM7 Em
That I'm just an average guy
FM7 Em
And don't you know each little bird in the sky
FM7 Em
Is just a little bit freer than I
[Verse]
FM7
Hey ordinary Joe
Em
Although they say you're just a lazy so-and-so
FM7
What they think is real
Em
Is nothing but an animated puppet show
FM7 Em
So don't let time and space confuse you
FM7 Em
And don't let name and form abuse you
FM7 Em
Let that Big Joe Williams blues you
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G F G
In the light of the sun you can see how they burn
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
Oh I've seen a sparrow get high
FM7 Em
And waste his time in the sky
FM7 Em
He thinks it's easy to fly
FM7 Em
He's just a little bit freer than I
[Outro]
FM7
n'doo dee doo boo bee boo boo bee bo dee
Em FM7
dee boo boo dee bo do bee bo dee bo bee ba ... fade out
Have fun!
much from this site.
Your comments are welcome.
It's quite different from the other tab on this site, so I thought it would be a good
thing to propose this version of what I think is Terry Callier's most beautiful song.
Listen to it to get an idea of how to put the words on the chords. Alternate between the
different ways to play the chords to bring in some change.
FM7: 1x2210 or x8109108
Em: 022000 or x79987
Am: 00210 or 577555
F: 133211
G: 320003 or 355433
Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe (from the album Occasional Rain - 1972)
[Intro]
FM7 Em 4x
[Verse]
FM7
And for my opening line
Em
I'm not trying to indicate my state of mind.
FM7
I turn you on,
Em
I tell you that I'm laughing just to keep from crying
FM7 Em
And bringing music when you hear it,
FM7 Em
Keep on trying to get near it.
FM7 Em
A little rhythm for your spirit
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G
Oh but that's what it's for
F G
Come on in, here's the door
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
And I've seen a sparrow get high
FM7 Em
And waste his time in the sky
FM7 Em
He thinks it's easy to fly
FM7 Em
He's just a little bit freer than I
FM7
Now here's a mystery
Em
And maybe you can help to make it clear to me
FM7
When you're fast asleep
Em
Then what is it that's lighting up the dreams you see
FM7 Em
Only your tears can't conceal it
FM7 Em
And only your prayers may not reveal it
FM7 Em
You've got soul so you can feel it
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G
And when you make the scene
F G
Well you know what I mean
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
Hey I've seen a sparrow get high
FM7 Em
And waste his time in the sky
FM7 Em
He thinks it's easy to fly
FM7 Em
He's just a little bit freer than I
FM7
n'doo dee doo boo bee boo boo bee bo dee
Em FM7
dee boo boo dee bo do bee bo dee bo bee ba
[Instrumental]
Em FM7 Em FM7 Em
[Verse]
FM7
Down here on the ground
Em
When you find folks are giving you the runaround
FM7
Keep your game uptight
Em
And if you must just take your secrets underground
FM7 Em
Now politicians are trying to speech you
FM7 Em
Mad colour watchers are trying to teach you
FM7 Em
Very few will really try to reach you
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G
If you're lost in a stack
F G
That's OK, come all black
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
Now I'd be the last to deny
FM7 Em
That I'm just an average guy
FM7 Em
And don't you know each little bird in the sky
FM7 Em
Is just a little bit freer than I
[Verse]
FM7
Hey ordinary Joe
Em
Although they say you're just a lazy so-and-so
FM7
What they think is real
Em
Is nothing but an animated puppet show
FM7 Em
So don't let time and space confuse you
FM7 Em
And don't let name and form abuse you
FM7 Em
Let that Big Joe Williams blues you
[Pre-Chorus]
Am G F G
In the light of the sun you can see how they burn
[Chorus]
FM7 Em
Oh I've seen a sparrow get high
FM7 Em
And waste his time in the sky
FM7 Em
He thinks it's easy to fly
FM7 Em
He's just a little bit freer than I
[Outro]
FM7
n'doo dee doo boo bee boo boo bee bo dee
Em FM7
dee boo boo dee bo do bee bo dee bo bee ba ... fade out
Have fun!
Terry Hoax
Terry Jack
Terry Kelly
terry knight
Terry Lockerbie