Williams Dar - When I Was A Boy tab

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Subject: Dar William's "When I Was A Boy".tab
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 96 01:32:05 -0800
From: Carl Gigun 


Dar Williams, When I was a boy... aditional tablature
-----------------------------------------------------

I don't know how David ever figured out that she was using this tuning, 
it had me stumped until I got this tab. I've added a section showing 
the finger picking that Dar uses below David's original submission.


From: dave.thompson@mps.org (David Thompson)
Subject: Dar William's When I was a Boy.Chords

Think is pretty close:

/"When I Was A Boy"---by DAR Williams--From the Seminal alblum The Honesty
Room////

Dar Plays something like the following ("It works for me" as you americans
would say)
DADGAD tuning-No capo
----Here's how to do it:  Tune the treble E string down until it sounds
like the open D string; do the same for the bass E string.  Then tune the 
B
string down until it sounds like the open A string.  This tuning was, I
believe, "discovered" by Davy Graham
Chords:
X: (5x5000);  Y: (9x9000);  Z: (10,x,10,000);  W: (000000);  R: (030034);
S: (020020)

(X)I won't forget when Peter (Y)Pan came to my house, took my (Z)hand//
I said I was a boy; I'm (Y)glad he didn't (W)check.//
(X)I learned to fly, I learned to (Y)fight, I lived a whole life in one
(Z)night//
We saved each other's lives out (Y)on the pirate's (W)deck.//
And (R)I remember that night (S)when I'm leaving a late night with some
(R)friends//
And I hear somebody (S)tell me it's not safe, someone should (W)help me//
I need to find a nice man to walk me (X)home.//
When I was a boy, I (Y)scared the pants off of my (Z)mom, //
Climbed what I could climb up(Y)on(W)//
(X)And I don't know how I (Y)survived, I guess I knew the tricks that
(Z)all boys knew. (Y)(W)//
And (R)you can (S)walk me (W)home, but I was a boy, (X)too.////

I was a kid that you would (Y)like, just a small boy on her (Z)bike//
Riding topless, yeah, I (Y)never cared who (W)saw.//
(X)My neighbor come outside to (Y)say, "Get your shirt," I said  "No
(Z)way//
It's the last time I'm not (Y)breaking any (W)law."//
And (R)now I'm in a clothing (S)store, and the sign says Less is (R)More//
More that's tight means more to (S)see, more for them, not more for 
(W)me//
That can't help me climb a tree in ten seconds (X)flat//
When I was a boy, (Y)see that picture? That was (Z)me//
Grass-stained shirt and dusty (Y)knees(W)//
And (X)I know things have gotta (Y)change, they got pills to sell, they've
got (Y)implants to put in, they've got (Z)implants to (W)remove//
But (R)I am (S)not for(W)getting//
That I was a boy (X)too////

And like the woods where I would (Y)creep, it's a secret I can (Z)keep//
Except when I'm tired, except when I'm being caught off (W)guard//
(X)I've had a lonesome awful (Y)day, the conversation finds its (Z)way//
To catching fire-flies out (Y)in the back(W)yard.//
And (R)I tell the man I'm (S)with about the other life I (R)lived//
And I say now you're top (S)gun, I have lost and you have (W)won//
And he says, "Oh no, no, can't you (X)see//
When I was a girl, my (Y)mom and I we always (Z)talked//
And I picked flowers every(Y)where that I (W)walked.//
(X)And I could always (Y)cry, now even when I'm (Z)alone I seldom 
(Y)do(W)//
And (R)I have (S)lost some (W)kindness//
But I was a girl (X)too.//
And you were just like (Y)me, and (Z)I was (Y)just (W)like (X)you.////\\\\
>>>>david

*********************************************************

Now for the finger picking. It's basically alternating thumb, so anyone
who plays any folk will recognize it.

I've used the same finger lettering scheme used in classical guitar.
(P=thumb.....I=index.....M=middle.....A=ring...... pinky is not used)

This tab is for RIGHT hand only. Place your left hand as David indicated.
I'll label the chords the same way he did.

Chords W,X,Y,Z picking: 
(the Y measure right before descending to W is short. Play only the)
(first 1/2 of the tab for it.) 

|d|--A---------------------A----------
|a|--M---------M-------M-------M------
|g|--I-------------I---------------I--
|d|------P-------P-------P-------P----
|a|-----------------------------------
|d|--P-------P-------P-------P--------

Chords R,S picking:

|d|--A---------------------A----------
|a|--M---------M-------M-------M------
|g|--I-------------I---------------I--
|d|------P-------P-------P-------P----
|a|--P-------P-------P-------P--------
|d|-----------------------------------

That's the general pattern anyways. You could always embelish a little.
If you have trouble, try practising the thumb and finger parts separately.
The thumb just bobs back and forth between the two bass notes. The fingers
look more complicated, but really they just go like a little wave
Try drumming them on the table in this order (M,I,M,A,M,I) to get a feel
for it.

Carl (carlg@pinc.com)
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/w/williams-dar/20912.html ]