May You Never Lose Your Temper

Posted on May 2, 2007 
Filed Under General

On the sofa :-

She: “that needs to be in DADGAD”

I: “what?”

She: “DADGAD. It doesn’t sound anything like it otherwise”

I: “like what?”

She: “like ‘May You Never’. Almost unrecognisable.”

I: “YOU recognised it.”

She: “well, yeah but..it’s kinda…the spaces…isn’t it? the rhythm in the gaps. You know like when Les Dawson played things wrong but you still knew what it was?”

I (frostily): “so it sounds like it would if Les Dawson were playing it?”

She: “yeah…er…no…um..not quite..ah..I love you?”

I: puts guitar down and sulks.

I’ve been playing guitar for about 20 years but recently realised what I was playing wasn’t what you’d call “songs” so much as “exercises” or “a bloody annoying racket”. In an attempt to justify the stupid amount of time and money I’ve spent on guitars over the years, I’ve been trying to learn some songs the folks can merrily sing-a-long to.

So far, I can just about barge my way through “Don’t think twice, it’s alright”, hack lumps out of “Caledonia” and win by two falls and a submission against “Folsom Prison Blues”

It appears that “May You Never” needs some work.

Comments

4 Responses to “May You Never Lose Your Temper”

  1. Sophie on May 3rd, 2007 9:08

    You know I’m just jealous ‘cos I don’t know which end of a guitar to blow down …!

  2. Donna on May 4th, 2007 15:02

    I can’t carry a tune in a bucket (but I do a mean version of ‘London’s Burning’ on the kazoo) so you are way ahead of me in the musicality stakes :)

  3. Clive For Nothing on May 25th, 2007 14:57

    I found this for you on that internet.

    THE SONG STARTS OFF WITH A NICE DROP DOWN FROM [A]X02225 TO [A7] X02O23. WE THEN
    GO TO [D] ALTERNATING ONCE ONTO [Dsus2] X00230 AND FINISH ON A [D NOTE] XXXX3X.
    HOP SKIP AND JUMP UP ONTO [Em7]ish X20033 AND DROP ONTO X20032. [A] IS PLAYED NEXT.
    DECENDING UP THE B STRING PLAY D ON THE 3rd FRET AND A ON THE 5rd fret , HERE IS THE
    PROGRESSION X0222X THEN X0223X THEN X0225X. NOW THE [D] CHORD IS PLAYED, YOU
    THEN PLAY [Em7] X20033 AND DROP ONTO X20032,WE NOW PLAY THE PROGRESSION X0222X
    THEN X0223X THEN X0225X AND BACK TO [D] . WE FINISH ALTERNATING BETWEEN [D] AND
    THAT FUNKY CHORD X20032 …. It’s basically a 12-bar blues pattern, altered
    to 16 bar and charged with harmonic density

    May You Never By John martyn
    CAPO ON 2nd FRET
    [A]May[A7] you[D] never lay your[X20033] head down
    [A]Without a hand to[D] hold;
    [Em7]May you never make your[A] bed out in the [D]cold.

    [A]You’re just like great strong brother of mine;
    And you[D] know that I[X20032] love you[D] true.
    [X20032]
    [A]And you never talk dirty behind my back,
    And I[D] know that there’s[X20032] those that do.
    [X20032]

    [A]Oh please won’t you[X0223X], please won’t you
    [XO225X] Bear it in mind:
    [X20032]Love is a lesson to learn in our time.
    [A]Now please won’t you[X0223X], please won’t you
    [XO225X] Bear it in mind for[D]me.[X20032]
    [IT'S THE SAME FOR THE REST OF THE SONG]

    John Martyn uses wierdy tunings anyway, and sometimes it’s a bugger to work out, innit.

  4. Delishus on June 5th, 2007 10:10

    Man, you ROCK!!!!

    and it’s not in DADGAD i notice …

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