Leonard Cohen's "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong", track 10 on "Songs of Leonard
Cohen", his 1967 debut album.
The other tab you'll see online for this song is in the key of major, and it
sounds that way on Leonard Cohen's recording. But he uses a capo at the second
fret, and is fingering the "basic" set of open chords rather than playing any
barres. He probably does this because it's more comfortable for him to sing in
the key of major, but if your voice is flexible you can forgo the capo and
play "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" in major, thereby choosing easier
fingerings and getting more resonance from open strings. I fancy up the chords
a bit so as to be "juss a lil different," and I think it sounds good. But if
you prefer, you can play the simple familiar open chords, or whatever version
you like, just so long as the basic tonality (major/minor and the correct
key/letter name) is there.
Major chords are traditionally written with an uppercase letter, and minor
chords with a lowercase letter. A number means "put that finger on that fret
and string" (1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinkey), and "x" means
"don't play that string." All diagrams represent the first 3 or 4 frets of the
neck, and are shown with the low string (fattest string) at the bottom.
(actually ...not strictly major or minor, and can function either way)
a (actually a minor 9)
(actually add 11)
(sometimes I hammer on and off on the 2nd and 3rd fretts of the high string,
adding a suspended 4 or 2)
e (actually e minor 9)
(actually major 7)
About the rhythm and strum pattern: Leonard Cohen fingerpicks this song in a 3/4
waltz-y rhythm. You don't have to fingerpick it (I don't) but it's important to
keep that 3/4 time. Each of the chord letters written under the lyrics represent
one of the "big beats" -- the "4" of the "3/4" (think "1. one two three, 2. one
two three, 3. one two three, 4. one two three"). Sing the lyrics in such a way
that the words fall into place when the chords sound (as I've indicated), with
the chords played at an even beat and the triplet feel somehow preserved in your
improvised strum pattern. The chords and lyrics below have been spatially arranged
so that they make rhythmic sense.
It would be helpful to listen to the song, bearing in mind it will sound in a
different key ( major) than what you're playing ( major). Of course, if you
have a capo, now would be the time to use it, on the 2nd frett.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iels3GLw-zs
I lit a thin green candle
to make you jealous of me But the
room just filled up with mosquitos they
heard that my body was free Then
I took the dust of a long sleepless night and I
put it in your little shoe And
then I confess that I tortured the dress that you
wore for the world to look through
...........I
showed my heart to the doctor
he said I just have to quit then
he wrote himself a prescription and
your name was mentioned in it then
he locked himself in a library shelf with the
details of our honeymoon and I
hear from the nurse that he's gotten much worse and his
practice is all in a ruin
...........I
heard of a saint who had loved you so I
studied all night in his school He
taught that the duty of lovers is to
tarnish the golden rule and just
when I was sure that his teachings were pure he
drowned himself in the pool his
body is gone but back here on the lawn his
spirit continues to drool
...........an
Eskimo showed me a movie he'd
recently taken of you the
poor man could hardly stop shivering his
lips and his fingers were blue I su-
-pose that he froze when the wind took your clothes and I
guess he just never got warm but you
stand there so nice, in your blizzard of ice oh please
let me come into the storm
..........
la la la la la la la*
la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la
la
la la la la la la la
la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la (starting to sound weird while it fades)
la la la la la la la (sounding REALLY weird...screaming, basically)
fade out
*sing "la la la" or whistle...L.. overdubs both
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