“YOU CAN CLOSE YOUR EYES” by James Taylor
[Intro]
Capo on 1st fret
If you're just getting into James Taylor, I believe this is the best song to learn his
Be sure to learn the licks he plays in between his singing. Anyone can just play the chords.
[Intro]
E |------0-2--3--0--------|------0-2--3-------0------|
B |----3------3--3-----2--|----3------3---3-------3--|
G |--2-----------------0--|--2--------0-----0---0----|
D |----0------------------|----0---------------------|
A |--------------0---0-0--|-------------------0------|
E |-----------3-----------|-----------3-2-0----------|
[Verse]
(He finger-strums while singing and does licks in between. The exact strings you strum
have to be exact, but the licks in between are written out exactly.)
"Well the sun is surely sinking down..."
E |-----2-2-2-2------------|---------------0---0-----------0---------|
B |-----3-3-3-3-------3-3--|-----3-3-----------0-----0^2-------2-----|
G |-------------------0-0--|-----2-2---------------2---------------0-|
D |--0----------------0-0--|--0----------2-------2-------2-------2---|
A |------------------------|----------0--------------0-------0-------|
E |--------------2-3-------|-----------------0-----------------------|
"But the moon is slowly rising..."
E |------------------0-0--|------3-------3-----------------0--|
B |----0-0----0-0----0-0--|--------1^0-------0---------3---3--|
G |----0-0----0-0----0-0--|----0-------0---------------0---0--|
D |----2-2----------------|----------------------0---2--------|
A |---------2------0------|--------------------------------0--|
E |--0--------------------|--3-------------3---3---0----------|
"So this old world must still be spinning round..."
E |------------------------|---------------0---------0-0-----0----0-0-|
B |-----3-3---3-------3-3--|-----3-3-----------0-----3-2^0---0^2--2-0-|
G |-----2-2---2-------0-0--|-----2-2---------------2-------2----------|
D |--0------0---------0-0--|--0----------2-------2--------------------|
A |------------------------|----------0--------------0----------------|
E |--------------2-3-------|-----------------0------------------------|
*You'll find this lick in
a lot of James Taylor songs
"And I still love you..."
E |-------------------------|---------3-----2---0------------|
B |-----0-0-----0-0----0-0--|---------3-----3-------2-----3--|
G |-----0-0-----0-0----0-0--|-------0-----0-------------2----|
D |-----2-2-----------------|--0--0-----------------------0--|
A |----------2-------0------|---------------------0---0------|
E |--0----------------------|---------3-3---0-0--------------|
I have tabbed out some of the later picking patterns at the bottom of this tab. The
of the chorus are below.
From here on out it's pretty easy to figure out the picking patterns,
many from above are repeated or you can just improvise if you want. Just remember to
those bass notes like James.
[Chorus]
G Em7 A7sus4 A7
So close your eyes
C G Badd9 Bm (tab below)
You can close your eyes, it's alright
Em7 A7sus4 A7 C G Badd9 Bm
I don't know no love songs, and I can't sing the blues anymore
Em7 D/F# G (tab below)
But I can sing this song,
Em7 D/F# G A Badd9 Bm
and you can sing this song when I'm gone
Em7 F#m G Em7 A7sus4 A7 (tab below)
And back to (Verse) for second verse.
Here are some of the fingerpicking patterns from the chorus:
(Numbers in parentheses are usually just played as grace notes
while switching chords)
"You can close your eyes, it's alright..."
E--------0----------------3-------------------2---------------2------------|
B-------------------------------------------------2-----2h3-------3--------|
G----0-------0---0------------0------0----------------4---------------(0)--|
D------2----------------0-------------------4-------4-------4-------4------|
A--3-------3-----------------------0---2--------2-------2-------2----------|
E--------------2---3--------3----------------------------------------------|
Same pattern as above for "And I can't sing the blues anymore"
"But I can sing this song..."
E |--------------------3----------------3------|
B |--------------0------------1p0--------------|
G |--0-----2--------0-------0-------0-------0--|
D |-----0-----0--------------------------------|
A |--------------------------------------------|
E |--0-----2-----3--------3---3---3---3---3----|
"And you can sing this song when I'm gone..."
E |------------------------------------2---------------2------------|
B |--------------0-------2-----------------2-----2h3-------3--------|
G |--0-----2--------0--------(0)---------------4---------------(0)--|
D |-----0-----0------------2---------4-------4-------4-------4------|
A |--------------------0---------2-------2-------2-------2----------|
E |--0-----2-----3--------------------------------------------------|
Next, when (Em7 F#m G Em7 A7sus4 A7) is played, the pattern is roughly this:
E |---------------------------|
B |----3----2----3----3--3-2--|
G |----0----2----0----0--0-0--|
D |---------------------------|
A |----------------------0-0--|
E |--0----2----3----0---------|
Second verse and chorus are pretty much the same. At the end of the song
a second guitar part joins in. Both parts are below:
Guitar 1:
E |------0-2--3-0--------|------0-2--3---------2--|
B |----3------3-3-----2--|----3------3---3--2--3--|
G |--2--------0-0-----0--|--2--------0---0--0--2--|
D |----0-----------------|----0----------------0--|
A |-------------0---0-0--|------------------0-----|
E |-----------3----------|-----------3-2-0--------|
Guitar 2:
E |-----------------------------------------------------(2)--|
B |-----------------------------------------------------(3)--|
G |---------------------------2---------0-2-4-0---2---2-(2)--|
D |-----------------------0-2---0-2-4-0---------2--------0---|
A |-----------------0-2-4---------------------------0--------|
E |----------------------------------------------------------|
source: bwl397