This is a brilliant song from their first album. Paul Simon s guitar
playing is amazing. The reason it sounds so good is that it s capoed at
the 9th fret to get those really high twangy sounds. He plays two very
similar parts, I ve transcribed this from the guitar in the LH speaker.
I ve included the intro, first verse and the end. The intervening verses
are nearly identical but there are certain variations mainly on the D/F#
and the G/C parts but all are included somewhere in the tab for the first
verse. Listen to the record for them. Paul Simon Travis picks throughout
(as usual). Anyway here it is....
Transcribed by Rich Kent (
[email protected]). If there s any questions
mail me...
Capo 9th Fret!!
Intro|
e||-----------------|-2---------------|-------3---------|-----------------|
B||-0-----0---0-----|-------3---3-----|-0h1-------1-----|-----0h1---0-----|
||-------0---------|------(2)--------|-----0-------0---|-----------------|
D||-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|---------2-------|-----0h2-----0---|
||-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|
||-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
| | | | | | | |
Verse1:
e||-----------------|-----------------|-----2-----2-----|-------3---------|
B||-------0h1p0-----|-----0h1---0-----|-------3---------|-0h1-------1-----|
||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----0-------0---|
D||-----0--h2p0-0---|-----0h2-----0---|-----0-------0---|---------2-------|
||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
||-3------(3)------|-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|
| | | | | | | |
Fogs rolling in off the east river
e||-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-|-----------------|
B||-----0h1---0-----|-----------0-----|-----------1-----|-----------1-----|
||-----------------|-------0---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|
D||-----0h2-----0---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
||-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|
||-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
| | | | | | | |
bank like a shroud
e||-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------------|---------------0-|
||-------1---------|-------1---------|-----0-------1---|-0---------0-----|
||-----------------|-----------------|-----0-----------|-0-----0---------|
||-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|
||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------3---2---|-0-------0-------|
| | | | | | | |
it covers Bleecker Street
e||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||-----------0-----|-------0---------|-4-----0---------|-------1---------|
||-------0---------|-----------2-----|-----------2-----|-----------0-----|
||-----2-------2---|-----1-------1---|-----1-------1---|-----2-------2---|
||-----------------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------3-------|
||-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| | | | | | | |
fills the alleys where men sleep
e||-3---------------|-------3---------|-3---------------|-----2-----0-----|
||-----------1-----|-----------------|-----------0-----|-------3-------3-|
||-------0---------|-----------0-----|-------0---------|-----------------|
||-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
||-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|
| | | | | | | |
hides the shepherd
e||-----2-----------|---------------0-|-----0-----------|-----------------|
||-----3-----------|-----------0-----|-----0-----------|-------3---------|
||-----2-----------|-------0---------|-----0-----------|-----------0-----|
||-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----2-----------|-----0-------0---|
||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||-2-------2---0---|-0-------0-------|-0-------0---2---|-3-------3-------|
| | | | | | | |
from the sheep
Em G Verse2:>
e||-2-------0-------|-----------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
||-----------------|-3-----0---0-----|-------0---0-----|-------0---------|
||-------0-------0-|-------0---0-----|-------0---0-----|-----------0-----|
||-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E||-2-------0h2-----|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
| | | | | | | |
Voices
End|
e||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------|-----------------|
||-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------------|
||-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----------------|
||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3---------------|
| | | | | | | |
Other verses
Voices leaking from a sad cafe
Smiling faces try to understand
I saw a shadow touch a shadow s hand
On Bleecker Street
The poet reads his crooked rhyme
Holy holy is his sacrament
Thirty dollars pays your rent
On Bleecker Street
I heard a church bell softly chime
In a melody sustaining
It s a long road to Canaan
On Bleecker Street
Notes:
The bass note of the D/F# must be played with the thumb
hooking over the guitar s neck. The bass note G in brackets in bar 5 can
be played but only if you break the Travis pattern, it s optional.