Johnny Cash - Bird on a wire
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Capo: 3
Tuning:
This is Johnny Cash's rendition of Leonard Cohens Bird on a Wire for Cash's album American recordings,
for authenticity the album version has capo on 1st fret with same chords
source i used for this is the Live at Montreux performance in 1994
Chords for the song
E B7 B7(2nd inversion)A A (2nd inversion)E7 C#
E|-0--2--2----------------0---0----------------0---x------|
B|-0--0--0----------------2---2----------------3---2------|
G|-1--2--2----------------2---2----------------2---3------|
D|-2--1--1----------------2---2----------------2---4------|
A|-2--2--0----------------0---0----------------1---4------|
E|-0-----2--------------------0----------------0---x------|
to see correct chord for C# look at the video in this link [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XFk0mlqmYg]
and go to 1:18 in to the video in teh chorus to see the fingering he uses.
There is a picking style in this song for the chords in this song here is an example from the first line
of the song
"Like a bird on a wire like a drunk in a midnight choir"
E|--------0----0------2---2----------0-----0-----0--------0-----0--|
B|--------0----0------0---0----------0-----0-----3--------2-----2--|
G|--------1----1------2---2----------1-----1-----1--------2-----2--|
D|--------2----2------1---1----------2-----2-----2--------2-----2--|
A|--------2--2------2-----0--------2-------2---2--------0-------0--|
E|------0---------------2----------------0--------------------0----|
and now an example from the chorus
"and if I, if i have been untrue, well i just hope you know, it was never to you"
E|-0--0-----0--0---0----------0----0--0------------x----------------------2----2------------------|
B|-3--3-----2--2---2----------0----0--0------------2---2---2--------------0----0------------------|
G|-1--1-----2--2---2----------1----1--1------------3---3---3--------------2----2------------------|
D|-2--2-----2--2---2----------2----2--2------------4--4----4--------------1----1------------------|
A|-2--2---0----0---0--------2------2--2----------4-------4--------------2------0------------------|
E|-0--0--------------------------0----0------------x-------------------------2--------------------|
[Verse 1]
[Chorus 1]
[Verse 2]
[Chorus 2]
[Verse 3]
[Outro]
A A A A E
ELike a bird on a wB7ire, Like a Edrunk in a miE7dnight choiAr
EI have tried in my B7way to be fEree
ELike a fish on a B7hook, Like a kEnight from an E7old fashioned Abook
EI have saved all my B7ribbons with Ethee
E7And if IA have been unkiEnd, I hopeC# that you will just let it go B7by
And if AI have been untErue, I just C#hope you know it was never toB7 you
LEike a baby stB7illborn, LEike a beast witE7h his hoArn
EI have torn eveB7ryone who reached out Eto me
EBut I swear by this sB7ong and Eby all I hE7ave done wArong
EI'll make it all B7up to yEou
E7I saw a young maAn leaning on his wooden crEutch and he called C#out to me "Don't ask for so mB7uch"
And a young womAan leaning on her darkened dEoor, she cried oC#ut to me "why not ask for morB7e"
ELike a bird on a B7wire, Like a dErunk in a midE7night choAir
EI have tried in my B7way to be fAree