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Leonard Cohen - Thoughts Are Free tab

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Die Gedanken sind Frei  (text and music: anonymous)


Dean Engelhard writes in his complete collection of cohen songs (ftp.uwp.edu
/pub/music/lyrics) that Cohen had performed this german folk song.
It was never released on CD (as much as I know).

The song was written between 1780 and 1800, at the time of the French
Revolution.

 Possible accompaniment  patterns:

           C                     C

    1  a  2  a  3  a     1  a  2  a  3  a
e:--------------------|--------0-----0-----|
B:--------1-----------|--------1-----1-----|
G:-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D:--------------2-----|--------------------|
A:--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
E:--------------------|--------------------|
    p  i  m  i  p  i     p  i  a  i  a  i              C
                               m      m
                                             3  a      1     2     3  a

                                    ---------------||--------------0-----|
                                    ---------------||--1-----1--------1--|
                                    ---------0--0--||--------------------|
    The melody:                     ---------------||--------------------|
                                    ---------------||--------------------|
                                    ---------------||--------------------|
                                            Die Ge-   dan-  ken   sind

                    G7              C

    1    2    3     1    2    3     1    2    3      1     2    3  a
e:---------------|---------------|----------------|-------------0-----|
B:---------------|---------------|----------------|--1-----1-------1--|
G:--0---------0--|------------0--|------------0---|-------------------|
D:---------------|--3----0-------|--2-------------|-------------------|
A:---------------|---------------|-------3--------|-------------------|
E:---------------|---------------|----------------|-------------------|
    frei     wer   kann  sie  er-  ra-  ten?  Sie   flie-  hen  vor-

                      G7                C                  G7

    1     2     3     1     2     3     1     2      3     1      2   3 a
e:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
B:-----------------|-----------------|---------------1--|--0------3-----0--|
G:--0-----------0--|--------------0--|------------------|------------------|
D:-----------------|--3-----0--------|--2---------------|------------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|--------3---------|------------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
    bei,       wie   naech- li-   che Schat-  ten.  Kein  Mensch  kann  sie

    C                  G7               C
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/l/leonard-cohen/124121.html ]
    1     2   3  a     1    2   3 a     1       2    3
e:--------0---------|----------------|----------0--------|
B:--1------------1--|--0----3-----0--|--1------------1---|
G:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
D:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
A:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
E:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
    wis-  sen,  kein  Jae-  ger   er-   schies- sen  mit

    F                    C                   G7

    1    2  a  3   a     1    2    3   a     1  a   2    3
e:--------------------|----------------0--|--0----------------|
B:----------0---1-----|------------1------|-----3---1----0----|
G:--2----2---------2--|--0----------------|-------------------|
D:--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A:--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E:--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
    Pul-  ver    und     Blei,     die Ge-   dan-   ken  sind

    C

    1 2 Da capo
e:--------------||
B:--1----------*||
G:--------------||
D:-------------*||
A:--------------||
E:--------------||
    frei.

      C                     G7          C
Die Gedanken sind frei! Wer kann sie er-raten?
                       G7          C
Sie fliegen vorbei wie naechtliche Schatten.
     G7              C            G7        C
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen, kein Jaeger er-schiessen
    F          C            G7          C
mit Pulver und Blei. Die Ge-danken sind frei!

    [Thoughts are free! Who can guess them?
     They fly along like nightly treasures
     No man can know them
     No hunter can shoot them
     With powder and lead
     Thoughts are free!]
    C                       G7          C
Ich denke, was ich will und was mich be-gluecket,
                            G7          C
doch alles in der Still und wie es sich schicket.
     G7            C           G7          C
Mein Wunsch und Be-gehren kann niemand ver-wehren,
   F          C           G7          C
es bleibet da-bei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!

    [I think about what I want and what makes me happy
     But everything quietly, and just how it comes.
     To my wish and desire
     Nobody can oppose,
     It stays this way:
     Thoughts are free!]
    C                      G7        C
Und sperrt man mich ein im finsteren Kerker,
                        G7       C
das alles sind rein ver-gebliche Werke,
     G7       C          G7          C
denn meine Ge-danken zer-reissen die Schranken
    F          C            G7          C
und Mauern ent-zwei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!

    [And if they lock me in a dark dungeon
     That is something that can be forgiven
     Cause my thoughts
     Tear up the bars
     And walls.
     Thoughts are free!]
    C                    G7           C
Ich liebe den Wein, mein Maedchen vor allen,
                         G7      C
sie tut mir allein am be-sten ge-fallen.
    G7           C         G7          C
Ich bin nicht al-leine bei meinem Glas Weine,
     F           C           G7          C
mein Maedchen da-bei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!

    [I love wine, my girl most of all,
     Only me she pleases best
     I am not alone
     With my glass of wine
     My girl is with me:
     Thoughts are free!]
     C                      G7         C
Drum will ich auf immer den Sorgen ent-sagen
     C                        G7           C
und will mich auch nimmer mit Grillen mehr plagen.
    G7         C            G7         C
Man kann ja im Herzen stets lachen und scherzen
    F         C           G7          C
und denken da-bei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!

    [That's why I will never worry anymore
     And I will never tease myself with whims anymore
     Because in one's heart
     One can keep laughing and joking
     While thinking
     Thoughts are free!]


Adi.Heindl@chemie.uni-regensburg.de
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