Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind
Tabbed By Ken Boldt with much help from other tab sites
This is just the chords for those of you who just want to strum along like I do and
don't care so much for picking out the individual notes
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Chords:
G 320003
F X33211
C X32010
D X00230 or X00232 (play with it for variety)
Em 022000
G/B X20030
Am7 X02030
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A couple of notes:
1) in order to be in the correct key, capo on the 2nd fret.
2) Use the first string (high E) seldomly. Gordon plays this song entirely picking and
rarely picks the first string.
[Intro]
(Repeat Twice) Also play between verses
G
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|-----0-----0---2-----2-----2-4-0-|x2
D|---0-----0---0-----0-----0-------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|-3-----3---------3-----3---------|
[Verse 1]
G
If you could read my mind love
F
What a tale my thoughts could tell
G
Just like an old time movie
F
'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
G G7 C
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
D Em
With chains upon my feet
C G
You know that ghost is me
C G/B
And I will never be set free
Am7 D G
As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see
[Instrumental]
G
[Verse 2]
G
If I could read your mind love
F
What a tale your thoughts could tell
G
Just like a paperback novel
F
The kind that drugstores sell
G G7 C
When you reach the part where the heartaches come
D Em
The hero would be me
C G
But heroes often fail
C G/B
And you won't read that book again
Am7 D G
Because the ending's just too hard to take
[Instrumental]
G F G F
[Verse 3]
G G7 C
I'd walk away like a movie star
D Em
Who gets burned in a three way script
C G
Enter number two
C G/B
A movie queen to play the scene
Am7 D Em
Of bringing all the good things out in me
C G/B
But for now love, let's be real
C G/B
* I never thought I could act this way *
Am7 D
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
C G/B
I don't know where we went wrong
Am7
But the feelin's gone
D G
And I just can't get it back
[Instrumental]
G
[Verse 4]
G
If you could read my mind love
F
What a tale my thoughts could tell
G
Just like an old time movie
F
'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
G G7 C
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
D Em
With chains upon my feet
C G
But stories always end
C G/B
And if you read between the lines
Am7 D Em
You'll know that I'm just tryin' to understand
C G/B
The feelin's that you lack
C G/B
I never thought I could feel this way
Am7 D
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
C G/B
I don't know where we went wrong
Am7
But the feelin's gone
D G
And I just can't get it back
[Outro]
F G