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Guitar Tab for Song To A Seagull by Joni Mitchell

C
G
C
G
C
C

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Song To A Seagull - Joni Mitchell

Found on:
Archives - Volume 2: The Reprise Years (1968–1971)(2021-11-12)
Don't Interrupt The Sorrow Joni Mitchell Recordings(2021-08-27)
The Reprise Albums (1968–1971)(2021-06-25)
Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)(2020-10-30)
Holiday Rock(2019-09-20)
Laurel Canyon Days: West Coast Folk and Rock(2019-09-06)
Club 47(2015)
The Studio Albums: 1968–1979(2013-02-12)
The World of Joni Mitchell(1989)
Live at Club 47(1968)
Second Fret Sets 1966-1968
Song to a Seagull
Joni Mitchell
Live at the Second Fret 1966
Night in the City Radio Broadcast 1968
The Reprise Albums (1968-1971)
Song To A Seagull

Guitar tablature transcribed by Howard Wright   
Tuning: CGCGCC   "Joni" Tuning: C75750

INTRO:
--------

              C5                    C7sus4

C-------------------12----------------10----10--------
C---------------0---------0-----------0---------------
G------------12--------12-------------10--------------  (REPEAT ONCE)
C-----------------0---------0---------0---------------
G-----------------------------------------------------
C------0-----------------------0----------------------

Once the singing has started, the picking pattern shown above for the 
(0 0 0 12 0 12) chord shape is also used for the second shape at the 
10th fret. Use the same picking pattern for most of the song, with a 
few simple strums mixed in. Where the chord shapes have fretted notes 
on the 2nd and 4th strings (instead of the 1st/3rd strings as above) 
just shift the whole pattern down one string. 

All chord shapes are given at the end. The shapes are easy, but getting the 
fingerpicking to work takes a bit of practice (it's worth the effort though!).
One extra detail : on the G7sus4 shape that comes half way through Verse 1, you
can hammer on to the note on the 2nd string.

Verse 1:
---------

C5        C7sus4     C5         C7sus4
Fly silly seabird no dreams can possess you
C5            C7sus4                     G7sus4
No voices can blame you for sun on your wings
C         Csus4          C               Csus4
My gentle relations have names they must call me
    C          Csus4                 C7sus4   C5  C6/9
For loving the freedom of all flying things
    C5             C7sus4       Cm(add#5)    Csus2
My dreams with the seagulls fly out of reach out of cry


C*            Csus4-9  Cm             Csus4-9
I came to the city and lived like old Crusoe
C*              Csus4-9    Cm          Csus4-9
On an island of noise in a cobblestone sea
C*                   Csus4-9          Cm           Csus4-9
And the beaches were concrete and the stars paid a light bill
        C*            Csus4-9        Cm           C7sus4  C5  C6/9
And the blossoms hung false on their store window trees
    C5             C7sus4       Cm(add#5)    Csus2
My dreams with the seagulls fly out of reach out of cry

Verses 3 and 4 follow the same chord changes as for Verse 1.

C  G  C  G  C  C         C  G  C  G  C  C          C  G  C  G  C  C          C  G  C  G  C  C
0  0  0  12 0  12        0  0  0  10 0  10         x  0  5  0  5  0          0  0  0  5  4  0
      C5                       C7sus4                    G7sus4                    C*

C  G  C  G  C  C         C  G  C  G  C  C          C  G  C  G  C  C          C  G  C  G  C  C
0  0  4  0  4  0         0  0  5  0  5  0          0  0  0  14 0  14         0  0  0  6  5  0
      C                        Csus4                     C6/9                      Csus4-9

C  G  C  G  C  C         C  G  C  G  C  C          C  G  C  G  C  C
0  0  0  8  0  8         0  0  0  7  0  7          0  0  0  8  7  0
   Cm(add#5)                  Csus2                     Cm

Out of the city
And down to the seaside
To sun on my shoulders
And wind in my hair
But sandcastles crumble
And hunger is human
And humans are hungry
For worlds they can't share
My dreams with the seagulls fly
Out of reach out of cry

I call to a seagull
Who dives to the waters
And catches his silver-fine
Dinner alone
Crying where are the footprints
That danced on these beaches
And the hands that cast wishes
That sunk like a stone
My dreams with the seagulls fly
Out of reach Out of cry

CGCGCC Resources

More CGCGCC Resources

Tuning Map

  • Fret
  • S6
  • S5
  • S4
  • S3
  • S2
  • S1
  • -13
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • -12
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • -11
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • -10
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • -9
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • -8
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • -7
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • -6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • -5
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • -4
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G
  • C
  • -3
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • G#
  • C#
  • -2
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A
  • D
  • -1
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • 0
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • 1
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • 2
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • 3
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • 4
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • 5
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • 6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • 7
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • -4
  • -2
  • -2
  • 0
  • 1
  • -4
            ___________
           q o       o p
           q o   G   o p
           d o   T   o b
           q o   D   o p
           q o   B   o p
           d o       o b
            \!       !/
            |=========|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|              ____    ______  ____    ____
            |!!!!!!!!!|             /\  _`\ /\__  _\/\  _`\ /\  _`\
            |!!!!!!!!!|             \ \ \L\_\/_/\ \/\ \ \/\ \ \ \L\ \
           _|!!!!!!!!!|__            \ \ \L_L  \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \  _ <'
         .+=|!!!!!!!!!|--.`.          \ \ \/, \ \ \ \ \ \ \_\ \ \ \L\ \
       .'   |!!!!!!!!!|   `.\          \ \____/  \ \_\ \ \____/\ \____/
      /     !=========!     \\          \/___/    \/_/  \/___/  \/___/
      |    /|!!!!!!!!!|\    ||
       \   \!!!!!!!!!!!/   //
        )   `========='   ((
      .'    !!!!!!!!!!!    `..
     /      !!!!!!!!!!!      \\
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
     \     =============     //
 hjw  `.    o987654321o    .;'
 & warm `-._____________.-'
    whisky