American Tune

American Tune . . . . Paul Simon

Many's the time I've been mistaken, And many times confused
Yes, and often felt . . .forsaken And certainly misused
Oh, but I'm alright, I'm alright I'm just weary to my bones
Still, you don't expect to be Bright and bon vivant
So far a-way from home . . . . so far away from home
I don't know a soul who's not been battered I don't have a friend who feels at ease
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered Or driven to it's knees . . .
Oh, but it's alright, it's alright . . For we lived so well so long .
Still, when I think of the Road we're traveling on
I wonder what's gone wrong . . I can't help it, I wonder what's gone wrong
And I dreamed I was dying . . . I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me . . . . Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying . . And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The statue of liberty Sailing away to sea . . And I dreamed I was flying
We come on the ship they call the mayflower We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hour . . And sing an American tune
Oh, and it's alright, it's alright, it's alright You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all I'm trying to get some rest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aprox. Chords:
C . . . . . . . . F . Am . Dm . C G E . . . . . . .Am .. E . . . . . . Am . C . . . . . . . . . . F Am Dm . C G . E . . . . . .Am . E . . . Am . . .C9
Many's the time I've been mistaken, And many times confused. Yes, and I've often felt . ..forsaken And certainly misused
. . . . . . . . . .F . G . . . . . .F .C . . . . . . . F . . . C . . . .E
Oh, but I'm alright, I'm alright I'm just weary to my bones
F . . . . . . .G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C . . . . . . D . . .G . . . . . . F . . . G . . . . . . .E . . . Am F . C . . . G . . . . . C
Still, you can't expect to be Bright and bon vivant . . So far a-way from home . . . . so far away from home
. . . I don't know a soul who's not been battered I don't have a friend who feels at ease
. . . I don't know a dream that's not been shattered Or driven to it's knees . . .
. . . Oh, but it's alright, it's alright . . For we lived so well so long .
. . . Still, when I think of the Road we're traveling on, I wonder what's gone wrong . . I can't help it, I wonder what's gone wrong
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G . .E . . . . . Am . . . . . . . D7
And I dreamed I was dying . . . I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G . . . . . . F . . . . . . . . . . . . . C . . G . . . . . . G7
And looking back down at me . . . . Smiled reassuringly
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G . . . . . E. . . . . . . . .Am . . . . . . . .D7 .
And I dreamed I was flying . . And high up above my eyes could clearly see
. . . . . . . . . . . G. . . F. . . . . . C. . . . . . .G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C
The statue of liberty Sailing away to sea . . And I dreamed I was flying
We come on the ship they call the mayflower We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hour . . And sing an American tune
Oh, and it's alright, it's alright, it's alright You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day And I'm trying to get some rest . . That's all I'm trying to get some rest

[original version »»]

album

on colbert

central park with garfunkle

The tune is based on a melody line from Johann Sebastian Bach's chorale from "St. Matthew Passion," itself a reworking of an earlier secular song, "Mein Gmüth ist mir verwirret," composed by Hans Hassler.[2] The melody used for American Tune can be heard quite distinctly in part 1, number 21 and number 23 and in part 2, number 53. "American Tune"'s melody is identical to that of the hymn "O Sacred Head Now Wounded".
[FROM WIKIPEDIA]

[from http://www.paul-simon.info/PHP/showsongtab.php?songnummer=22]

  

C |           |F    C    G    C  G E  
    Many's the time I've been mistaken 

   |Am   E7      |Am  
And many times confused 

C       |F C   G    C |G C 
Yes, and often felt forsaken 

Bdim|Am     E    |Am   
And  certainly misused 

C9        |F   G           |F C  
   Oh, but I'm alright, I'm alright 

        |F  C  G  G#dim|Am   A7| 
I'm just weary to my    bones 

D7           |G                 | 
   Still, you don't expect to be 

C      G   D    |G 
Bright and bon vivant 

C  F   C|G       |E    Am Dm|C/G  G       |C   | 
So far a-way from home,   so far away from home 


              |F    C     G   C    G E  
I don't know a soul who's not been battered 

              |Am         E7      |Am  
I don't have a friend who feels at ease 

  C           |F     C      G   C   |G  C 
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered 

Bdim|Am     E     |Am   
or   driven to its knees 

C9          |F G          |F C  
Oh, but it's alright, it's alright 

      |F     C  G    G#dim|Am   A7| 
for we lived so well so    long 

D7       |G                  | 
   Still, when I think of the  

C    G     D        |G 
road we're traveling on 

C F  C  |G          |E    Am 
I wonder what's gone wrong 

        Dm        |C/G   G            |C    | 
I can't help it, I wonder  what's gone wrong 


                    |     | 
 And I dreamed I was dying 

                  |G            |Am       
 I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly 

Ebdim                 |G/D       | 
      And looking back down at me 

F           C      G | 
  Smiled reassuringly 

                    |C     | 
 And I dreamed I was flying 

             |G                 |Am          
 And high up above my eyes could clearly see 

Ebdim              |G/D    | 
      The Statue of Liberty 

F         |C      G  | 
  Sailing away to sea 

                    |C     | 
 And I dreamed I was flying 


              |F    C    G    C     |G      
We come on the ship they call the Mayflower 

E               |Am        E7        |Am    
  We come on the ship that sailed the moon 

   C          |F C    G    C|G       C 
We come in the a-ge's most uncertain hours 

Bdim|Am       E      |Am 
and  sing an American tune 

C9          |F G          |F C           G C 
Oh, and it's alright, it's alright, it's alright 

         |F  C  G   |Am     A7| 
You can't be forever blessed 

D7          G                     |C  G  D      |G 
   Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day 

C      |F      C  G       |E    
And I'm trying to get some rest 

Am        Dm     |C/G   G            |C   |F C|G F|C G|C 
   That's all I'm trying  to get some rest

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