Tuning:

Johnny Cash - Bird On A Wire Standard tuning Tab - Lokki - TheSmokinGum www.facebook.com/thesmokingum Hey guys, doing a record of this song and thought I'd share with you how we played it. It is very very close to the record version that Johnny Cash did on the album CASH. Props to Mr. Rittard for his tab which was very close, but I do believe this is closer. Share your thoughts and comment for any suggestions! I have done my best to get the chords in time with the words, you need to listen to the song to get the strumming, to sound like the record, use your thumb and strum the bass note first. OK - Some NOTES! The song uses F Bb C G7 and F7 leading into the chorus. We found it better to use open chords where possible F C Bb G7 F7 e|-1--0--1---1--1-| B|-1--1--3---3--1-| G|-2--0--3---0--2-| D|-3--2--3---0--1-| A|-3--3--1---2--3-| E|-1--3------3--1-| The strumming looks something like this., I use only my thumb (d= down, u = up):

d^F d u d d d u d d^C d u d d d u d d^F d u d d d u d ^Bbd d u d d d u d e|---1-1-1---1-1-1----0-0-0---0-0-0---1-1-1---1-1-1---1-1-1---1-1-1--| B|---1-1-1---1-1-1----1-1-1---1-1-1---1-1-1---1-1-1---3-3-3---3-3-3--| G|---2-2-2---2-2-2----0-0-0---0-0-0---2-2-1---2-2-2---3-3-3---3-3-3--| D|---3-3-3---3-3-3----2-2-2---2-2-2---3-3-2---3-3-3---3-3-3---3-3-3--| A|---3-3-3-3-3-3-3--3---------3-3-3---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-1-------1--------| E|-1------------------------3-------1--------------------------------|

Use this type of strumming to pick out the bass notes through the song ;). Also in the intro it mostly hangs on the F, but there is a quick change to a C which you can pick up, then back to F and into the verse. Intro: F, C, F

L^Fike a bird,^C on a wire, l^Fike a drunk in a mid^Bbnight choir. I have ^Ftried in my ^Cways to be fr^Fee. ^C Like a ^Ffish, on a ^Chook, like a ^Fknight in some old fashioned b^Bbook. I have ^Fsaved all my ^Cribbons for t^Fhee. ^F7

And if ^BbI, if I have been un^Fkind. I just ^G7hope you, will let it go ^Cby. And if ^BbI, if I have been un^Ftrue. I just ^G7hope you know, it was never to ^Cyou.

Like a ^Fbaby, still^Cborn, like a ^Fbeast with his ^Bbhorn. I have ^Ftorn every^Cone who reached out to m^Fe. ^C But I ^Fswear, by this s^Cong ,and by a^Fll that I have done w^Bbrong. ^FI'll make it ^Call up to t^Fhee. ^F7

I saw a ^Bbyoung man, leaning on his wooden ^Fcrutch. He called ^G7out to me, don't ask for so ^Cmuch. And a ^Bbyoung woman, leaning in her darkened ^Fdoor. She cried ^G7out to me, hey why not ask for ^Cmore.

Like a ^Fbird, on a ^Cwire, like a ^Fdrunk in a midnight ^Bbchoir. I have ^Ftried in my ^Cways to be ^Bbfree. ^F

( Enjoy! feel free to comment ;) )

Johnny Cash - Bird on a wire