Song: Even a fool learns to love
Artist: David Bowie
English Lyrics: David Bowie
Music: Claude Francois & Jacques Revaux
Tabbed by DJ 5th Jun 2015
In 1968, before he was really famous, David Bowie was employed
by publishers to write an English lyric to a French pop hit
called 'Comme d'habitude'. Bowie's submission was unsuccessful,
and the publishers used a lyric by Paul Anka instead,
his version was called 'My way'.
Three years later Bowie partly based his own hit 'Life on Mars'
on a similar chord sequence.
More information, and the first verse of Bowies' demo recording
at this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/
5cSdD53NknkB4nWXRKCWwd4/the-origins-of-my-way
The demo first verse differs slightly from Bowie's typed lyrics,
for the tab I've gone with what he sang on the demo.
I've included two tab versions: one in Claude Francois'
(and Bowie's demo) key of F, and the second tab in
Frank Sinatra's recorded key of D.
N.B. As I haven't heard the full demo, I've done my best to
guess how the chords and lyrics might have scanned.
****************************************************************
The demo version which Bowie overdubbed at his own home
over Claude Francois's 'Comme d'habitude' recording.
F = xx3211 F4 = 133311 C7 = x32310
Am/E = xx2210 F/C = x33211 Am = x02210
Cm/Eb = xx1013 Fmaj7 = xx3210 Bbmaj7 = x13231
D7 = xx0212 Cm7/F = xx5343 Am7 = 353333
D7sus4 = xx0213 F7 = 131211 Gm7 = xx0231
Gm = xx5333 Bb = x13331 C/Bb = x12020
Gm/F = xx3333 Bbm6 = xx3323 Dm = xx0231
C7/E = xx2310 C = x32010 Dm7 = xx0211
Just like Bowie, sing-a-long with (or rather, over..) Claude
at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avr5nvY4wxg&list=
PLndfQd4JJEus2PszOahi-MHXMXLhHGlyt
****************************************************************
[Verse 1]
F Am/E
There was a time, a happy time,
Cm/Eb D7
I took my heart ...to every party,
D7sus4 Gm Gm/F
They'd point my way, "How are you to - day?"
C7/E F4 F
"Will you make us laugh, chase our blues a - way?"
F/C F Fmaj7 Cm7/F F7
Their funny man ....won't let them down,
Bb Bbm6
No, I'd dance and prance, and be their clown,
F/C C C7 Gm/F F
That time, a happy time, that even a fool--- learns to love!
[Verse 2]
F Am/E
The clown ...turned a - round,
Cm/Eb D7 D7sus4
And saw her smile, ...oh, how she loved me,
Gm Gm/F
She'd clap her hands, and beg me stay,
C7/E F4 F
To make her laugh, to make her life gay,
F/C F Fmaj7 Cm7/F F7
Who wants the love ...of all the world,
Bb Bbm6
When here was love in the eyes of just one girl?
F/C C C7 Gm/F F
That day, that precious day, when even a fool--- learns to love!
[Verse 3]
Am C7 F Fmaj7 Cm7/F
But, oh, how I dreamed, a marvelous dream,
F7 Bb Bbmaj7 Bb
Where all of the heavens, or so it had seemed,
Am7 Gm7 C
With thunderous ap - plause, looked down from a - bove,
C/Bb Am Am7 Dm Dm7
On a clown and an angel so much in love,
Gm7 C
I'll stay with my dream, it takes such a dream,
C7 Gm/F F
And even a fool---- learns to love!
[Verse 4]
F Am/E
That day, ...that hateful day,
Cm/Eb D7 D7sus4
The joke turned stale, ...the game was over,
Gm Gm/F
Those spiteful words, "Oh, go a - way!
C7/E F4 F
Who wants to play? It's getting late now!"
F/C F Fmaj7 Cm7/F F7
My world, ...my funny world,
Bb Bbm6
Had lost its mask, and shown a broken heart,
F/C C C7 Gm/F F
A time, a sour time, when even a fool---- learns to love!
[Verse 5]
Am C7 F Fmaj7 Cm7/F
But, oh, how I dreamed, a marvelous dream,
F7 Bb Bbmaj7 Bb
Where all of the heavens, or so it had seemed,
Am7 Gm7 C
With thunderous ap - plause, looked down from a - bove,
C/Bb Am Am7 Dm Dm7
On a clown and an angel so much in love,
Gm7 C
I'll stay with my dream, it takes such a dream,
C7 Gm/F F
And even a fool---- learns to love!
[Coda]
F7 Gm7 C
||: With thunderous ap - plause, looked down from a - bove,
C/Bb Am Am7 Dm Dm7
On a clown and an angel so much in love,
Gm7 C
I'll stay with my dream, it takes such a dream,
C7 Gm/F F
And even a fool---- learns to love! :|| [Repeat]
***************************************************************
***************************************************************
Song: Even a fool learns to love
Artist: David Bowie
English Lyrics: David Bowie
Music: Jacques Revaux & Claude Francois
Tabbed by DJ
5th Jun 2015
David Bowie's demo lyrics to the tune of Frank Sinatra's
version of 'My way'.
CAPO: 2nd fret (Sounds in the key of D)
Chord names and fret positions are relative to the capo:
C = x32010 C4 = x33010 G7 = 320001
Em/B = x22000 C/G = 332010 Em = 022000
Gm6/Bb = x10030 Cmaj7 = x32000 Fmaj7 = xx3210
A7 = x02020 Gm7/C = x33333 Em7 = 022030
A7sus4 = x02030 C7 = x32310 Dm7 = xx0211
Dm = xx0231 F = 133211 G/F = 120003
Dm/C = x30231 Fm6 = 100111 Am = x02210
G7/B = x20001 G = 320003 Am7 = x02213
***************************************************************
[Intro]
C
| / / / / | / / / / |
[Verse 1]
C Em/B Gm6/Bb A7
There was a time, a happy time, I took my heart to every party,
A7sus4 Dm Dm/C
They'd point my way, "How are you to - day?"
G7/B G7 C4 C
"Will you make us laugh, chase our blues away?"
C/G C Cmaj7 Gm7/C C7
Their funny man ...won't let them down,
F Fm6
No, I'd dance and prance, and be their clown,
C/G G G7 Dm/C C
That time, a happy time, when even a fool--- learns to love!
[Verse 2]
C Em/B
The clown ...turned a - round,
Gm6/Bb A7 A7sus4
And saw her smile, oh, how she loved me,
Dm Dm/C
She'd clap her hands, and beg me stay,
G7/B G7 C4 C
To make her laugh, to make her life gay,
C/G C Cmaj7 Gm7/C C7
Who wants the love ...of all the world,
F Fm6
When here was love in the eyes of just one girl?
C/G G G7 Dm/C C
That day, that precious day, when even a fool--- learns to love!
[Verse 3]
Em G7 C Cmaj7 Gm7/C
But, oh, how I dreamed, a marvelous dream,
C7 F Fmaj7 F
Where all of the heavens, or so it had seemed,
Em7 Dm7 G
With thunderous ap - plause, looked down from a - bove,
G/F Em Em7 Am Am7
On a clown and an angel, so much in love,
Dm7 G
I'll stay with my dream, it takes such a dream,
G7 Dm/C C
And even a fool----- learns to love!
[Verse 4]
C Em/B
That day, that hateful day,
Gm6/Bb A7 A7us4
The joke turned stale, ...the game was over,
Dm Dm/C
Those spiteful words, "Oh, go a - way!
G7/B G7 C4 C
Who wants to play? It's getting late now!"
C/G C Cmaj7 Gm7/C C7
My world, ...my funny world,
F Fm6
Had lost its mask, and shown a broken heart,
C/G G G7 Dm/C C
A time, a sour time, when even a fool---- learns to love!
[Verse 5]
Em G7 C Cmaj7 Gm7/C
But, oh, how I dreamed, a marvelous dream,
C7 F Fmaj7 F
Where all of the heavens, or so it had seemed,
Em7 Dm7 G
With thunderous ap - plause, looked down from a - bove,
G/F Em Em7 Am Am7
On a clown and an angel, so much in love,
Dm7 G
I'll stay with my dream, it takes such a dream,
G7 Dm/C C Em G7
And even a fool---- learns to love!
[Coda]
C Cmaj7 Gm7/C C7 F Fmaj7
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Fm6 C Em/B Am
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
G7 Dm/C C
And even a fool---- learns to love!
