I Had A King - Joni Mitchell ---------------------------- From the album "Song To A Seagull" Transcribed by Howard Wright hakwright (at) gmail (dot) com Tuning: -------- From low to high: EBEEBE capo at 5th fret in "Joni" notation: E 75075 (with capo in place, strings sound AEAAEA) The unison tuning of the two middle strings is one of the interesting features of this song, providing some of the close intervals in the first few chords, and by doubling the 5th fret note in the first chord of the chorus, giving this note a distinctive emphasis. Because of this unison tuning, many of the chords could be fretted slightly differently whilst still giving exactly the same notes (e.g. 070700 or 077000, where the open/fretted notes on the 3rd and 4th strings are swapped). From the picking pattern for the later parts of the verse it seems that the chord shapes here mostly use fretted notes on the 3rd string and use the 4th open string, as this gives a much more natural picking pattern. The chord shape at the 8th fret (088000) is the exception (using fretted notes on the 4th string), and although it's not always easy to hear, in later verses the picking pattern makes more sense using the 088000 shape, rather than 080800. The studio recording has two guitar tracks throughout most of the song (the intro has just one guitar). After the intro, the two guitars play pretty much the same guitar part, although there are small differences in tone and picking pattern that help to create the rich guitar sound. I've transcribed the guitars mostly as a single guitar part. In a few sections, where there are more notable differences between the left and right guitars, I've added comments or additional tablature. In some cases, where notes from the second guitar part can be incorporated into the main part, I've notated these in the tablature using square brackets [], so you can choose to include these or ignore tham as you prefer. Tablature notes in round brackets () indicate notes that are not clearly struck, so are optional. The picking patterns used in the verse and chorus sections are almost the same throughout the song, though the descending section in the verse is slightly different the first time ("He's swept with a broom of contempt") compared to later verses, so I've written this out in full on the 2nd verse to show the differences. Chord shapes ------------- All chord shapes used in the song are shown below. AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA 055400 033200 000200 088000 Aadd4 Am9 Asus2 Fmaj7/A AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA x70700 x00700 x50500 x00500 A5/B A5/E Asus4 Asus4/E AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA x30300 x00300 x20200 x00200 Am/G Am/E F#m7add4 Asus2/E (only the first verse uses the change to the one finger variant of the same chords in the two rows above) AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA AEAAEA 005500 x00005 x00004 x00400 Asus4 Asus4 A A Intro ------ A-----------0-------------------------------0------------------------- E---------0---0---------0-------0-------------0---------0-------0----- A-------4-------4-----4-------4-----------2-----2-----2-------2------- A-----5-------------5-------5-----------3-----------3-------3--------- E-----------------5-------5-------0---3-----------3-------3-------0--- A---0-------------------------------0--------------------------------- Verse 1 ------- I had a king in a te - ne - ment cast - le A-------------------0----------------------------------------------- E-----------------------0-------------------0--------------0-------- A---------------4-----------4-----------4---------------4----------- A-----------5-----------------------5---------------5--------------- E-------5-----------------------5---------------5---------------0--- A---0--------------------------------------------------------------- lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls A-------------------0----------------------------------------------- E-----------------------0-------------------0---------------0------- A---------------2-----------2-----------2---------------2----------- A-----------3-----------------------3---------------3--------------- E-------3-----------------------3---------------3--------------0---- A---0--------------------------------------------------------------- brown. He's taken the A---------------------0--------------0------------------------------ E---------------0-----0--------------0------------------------------ A---------2-----2-----2-----2--------2--------0--------------------- A---------0-----0-----------0-----0--------0-----0------------------ E---------0-----------------0--------------------------------------- A---0--------0-----0-----0-----0--------0--------------------------- cur - tains down A------------0--------------------------0------------ E---------------0--------------------0-----0--------- A---0--------------0-----0--------0-----------0------ A---8-----8-----------8--------8-----------------0--- E---8-----------------------8------------------------ A------0--------------------------------------------- Note: the left channel guitar plays a variation of the line above, as shown below: A----------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------- A---0-----0--------0-----0--------0--------0-----0---- A---8-----------8--------------8--------8------------- E---8--------8--------------8--------8-------(8)------ A------0--------------0------------------------------- He's swept with the broom of contempt and the rooms have an A-----------------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-- E-----0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------------- A-------------7---------------7------(5)------5---------------5------ A---------0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------- E-----7---------------0---------------5---------------0-------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------------- empty ring A-----------------0---------------0-------------------0-------------- E-----0---------------0---------------0-----------0-------0---------- A----(3)------3---------------3---------------2---------------2------ A---------0---------------0---------------0--------------[0]------0-- E-----3---------------0---------------2--------------[0]------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------------- (notes in square brackets [] above show notes from the left-channel guitar that follow a slightly different picking pattern) He's cleaned with the tears of an actor who fears for the A-----------------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-- E-----0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------------- A-------------7---------------7------(5)------5---------------5------ A---------0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------- E-----7---------------0---------------5---------------0-------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------------- laughter's sting A------------0-----------0--- E---0-----------0------------ A--(3)----3-----------3------ A------0-----------0--------- E---3-----------0------------ A---------------------------- A---------------0-----------0-----------0------------ E---0--------0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--- A---------2-----------2-----------2-----------0------ A------0--------------0-----------0-----------0------ E---2-----------------2-----------2-----------0------ A---------------------------------------------------- Chorus ------ I can't go back there anymore A---------------0-------------------5-----------4-----------0--------- E---------------0-----------0-------0-----------0-----------0--------- A---5-----------5-----------5-------0-----------0-------4------------- A---5---------------------------0-------0-----------0-----------0----- E---0-----------0-----------0-------0-----------0-----------0--------- A--(0)--0------(0)---------------------------------------------------- You know my keys won't fit the door A---------------0-------------------5-----------4-----------0--------- E---------------0-----------0-------0-----------0-----------0--------- A---5-----------5-----------5-------0-----------0-------4------------- A---5---------------------------0-------0-----------0-----------0----- E---0-----------0-----------0-------0-----------0-----------0--------- A--(0)--0------(0)---------------------------------------------------- You know my thoughts don't fit the man, A---------------0-------------------5-----------4-----------0------- E---------------0-----------0-------0-----------0---------------0--- A---5-----------5-----------5-------0-----------0-------4----------- A---5---------------------------0-------0-----------0--------------- E---0-----------0-----------0-------0-----------0------------------- A---0---0-------0--------------------------------------------------- they never can A---------------0------------------------------------ E------------0-----0--------------0-----------0------ A---------2-----------2--------2-----------2--------- A------3--------------------3-----------3------------ E---3--------------------3-----------3-----------0--- A---------------------------------------------------- they never can A---------------0------------------------------------ E------------------0--------------0-----------0------ A------------4--------4--------4-----------4--------- A---------5-----------------5-----------5------------ E------5-----------------5-----------5-----------0--- A---0------------------------------------------------ Verse 2 ------- (Picking patterns as before, except where noted) I had a king dressed in drip-dry and paisley Lately he's taken to saying I'm crazy and blind He lives in another time Ladies in gingham still blush while he sings them of A-----------------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-- E-----0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------------- A-------------7---------------7------(5)------5---------------5------ A---------0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------- E-----7---------------0---------------5---------------0-------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------------- wars and wine A-----------------------------------------------------0-------------- E-----0-----------0-----------0-------0-----------0-------0-------0-- A----(3)------3-----------3-------------------2----------[2]--2------ A---------0-----------0-----------0-------0----------[0]---------[0]- E-----3-----------3-----------3-------2----------[2]---------[0]----- A-------------------------------------------------------------------- (notes in square brackets [] above are from the left-channel guitar) But I in my leather and lace I can never be - A-----------------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-- E-----0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------------- A-------------7---------------7------(5)------5---------------5------ A---------0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------- E-----7---------------0---------------5---------------0-------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------------- - come that kind A------------------------------ E-----0--------0--------0------ A----(3)----3--------3--------- A--------0--------0--------0--- E-----3--------3--------3------ A------------------------------ A---------------0-----------0-----------0----------- E---0--------0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-- A---------2-----------2-----------2-----------0----- A------0--------------0-----------0-----------0----- E---2-----------------2-----------2-----------0----- A--------------------------------------------------- Chorus ------ I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man They never can, they never can Verse 3 ------- I had a king in a salt-rusted carriage Who carried me off to his country for marriage too soon Beware of the power of moons There's no one to blame No there's no one to name as a traitor here The king's on the road And the queen's in the grove till the end of the year Chorus ------ I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man they never can A---------------0----------------------------------- E------------0-----0--------------0-----------0----- A---------2-----------2--------2-----------2-------- A------3--------------------3-----------3----------- E---3--------------------3-----------3-----------0-- A--------------------------------------------------- they never can A---------------0----------------------------------- E------------------0--------------0-----------0----- A------------4--------4--------4-----------4-------- A---------5-----------------5-----------5----------- E------5-----------------5-----------5-----------0-- A---0----------------------------------------------- they never can A---------------0----------------------------------- E------------------0--------------0-----------0----- A------------2--------2--------2-----------2-------- A---------3-----------------3-----------3----------- E------3-----------------3-----------3-----------0-- A---0----------------------------------------------- they never can A---------------0--------------------------------- E------------------0--------------0-----------0--- A------------4--------4--------4-----------4------ A---------5-----------------5-----------5--------- E------5-----------------5-----------5------------ A---0--------------------------------------------- (rall.) A--------------------------------------------------- E------------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-- A---------4-----------4-----------4-----------4----- A------5-----------5-----------5-----------5-------- E---5-----------5-----------5-----------5----------- A--------------------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------0--- E-----------0-----------0------------0---- A--------4-----------4--------------2----- A-----5-----------5---------0------0------ E--5-----------5------------0-----0------- A--------------------------------0--------