Mat Kearney - New york to california
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Capo: 5.
The other tab was right, but this is another way to play it. Since in the studio version
(pretty much) just Mat on the piano, playing this as a solo serenade on the guitar is
pretty easy, and in my opinion, it's much prettier with the following lay-out.
Capo 5. Chords relative to capo.
CUnder the TV lights, yoFu fell asleep again
CDont know, I'm writing this sonGg about you
CThere's a picture of a Hollywood sign, Freflecting off your skin
CI don't want to live another daGy without you
CYou woke up and said baby I, hFad one of those dreams again
CThe rain came down and I lost you,G In the wind
CYou said something about don't leave, Fbefore you fell back asleep
CBefore I could sing my song bacGk to you
FBut you
Could find yourself lost oCut in this worlGd
FAnd I
Could find a way to get bCack to your sideG
No mountains too Fhigh, no stone is too smGall
I'll build a bridge through the fAmire, for you I would crGawl
From New York to California C F C F
...
CLa la la la
FOh, it's not that far
etc. (it just keeps switching from C to F)
NOTES:
This is an adaptation, but I believe all of the chords are still correct. It will sound
lot different on the acoustic guitar, but it's still pretty as hell (and in my opinion
prettier because I like the guitar more than the piano). I know the song for both
and I prefer this version.
For the chords, here's what I am playing MOST of the time:
C: (0)10230
F: (0)12331 (use thumb for first fret of low E string)
G: x00023
Am: 012200
I put the (0) in parentheses because sometimes the top E is scratched, and sometimes it
just sort of hit, not by accident necessarily, but just as accompaniment. For that
the F chord actually becomes the FM7 chord, but for simplicity's sake I just called it F
Note that **not hitting the top F note (1st fret on top E string) is crucial** in my
anyway. For the little interludes (and the lalala part at the end), playing C with the
low E string and the F with the thumb on the first fret is essential. (I like to put the
on the lower, bass notes in those sections, not so much the top E and B strings.) But
much anywhere else, you can play CaddG (010233) instead of the C I listed
Likewise, I often play the G chord as (0)30023. It just depends on what you think goes
or what your preferences are. As I said, these are just guidelines, since this is an
Feel free to go your own way with it. I'm just speaking from experience, and this song,
way I've tabbed it for the acoustic guitar, is very pretty and gets a warm response.
Questions, email.
schm2213@umn.edu