Great White Cathedrals
Written by John Stewart
'Great
White Cathedrals’ is on the great “Willard” album, Capitol Records, 1970,
This is
an excellent song.
Not all
that easy to play, a couple of unusual chord progressions, and it took us a
while
E4/C3
E----x-----
B----------
G---2------
D---2------
A--------4-
E----x-----
Capo 3rd
fret
(C/E)(C/D)(C)(C/D)(G/B)(G)(bass
run E-G-C-A) (hold)
Was it (G)you all a(G/F#)long,
good (Em)Jesus,(high
notes g-b-a-g)
Were (C)you all a(Am)long
the right (G/D)way? (G7/F)
Oh, you (C)told me you (Am7short)were,
But the (G)writing was (Em)blurred.
The (E4/C#)people who told me, they (D)twisted your (D7)words,
Saying (Em)burn, (C/E)child, (D)burn,(bass run, middle
strings D-F#-G-A-G-F#)
(C/E)When in your (D)name will they (G)learn (G7/F)
That you (C/E)can't buy a (Am)soul
With his (Bm)silver and (G)gold?
And a (E4/C#)sway-backed old jackass was (D)all that you rode,
As the (Em)bells (C/E)still (D)peal(bass run, middle
strings D-F#-G-A-G-F#)
In the (C/E)great white ca(C/D,
hammer on E)thedrals
Of (C/D, hammer on E)people for(C/D,
hammer on E)getting (D)to (G)feel.
(C/E)(C/D)(C)(C/D)(bass
run B-G-A) (hold)
Was it (G)you all a(G/F#)long,
green (Em)meadow, (add
A-note on G-string, bend)
Were (C)you all a(Am)long my
true (G/D)home? (G7/F)
Your (C)grass sure was (Am7short)cool,
With your
(G)high mountain (Em)pools
But (E4/C#)out on the highway, I be(D)came like the (D7)fools
Saying (Em)burn, (C/E)child, (D)burn,(bass run, middle
strings D-F#-G-A-G-F#-E)
(C/E)When in the (D)world
will I (G)learn (G7/F)
That you (C/E)must stay a(Am)live?
In the (Bm)cities you (G)die.
And (E4/C#)old mother nature just (D)fights
to survive,
As the (Em)bells (C/E)still (D)peal(bass run, middle
strings D-F#-G-A-G-F#-E)
In the (C/E)great white ca(C/D,
hammer on E)thedrals
Of (C/D, hammer on E)people for(C/D,
hammer on E)getting (D)to (G)feel.
(highlight
bass notes G-B-D-middle E-D-C-D)
© John
Stewart, All Rights Reserved
While we
were working on it, Charlie wrote:
I looked, and it seems to me that it's in A capoed at
1
Needs the rich bass notes....
I think:
Drop D, capo 1
Intro:
E------------------------------------
B------------------------------------
G--2----2--2--2-----------------1-
D--2 h -4--2--0-2-----------0—0-
A--------------------4--0---0----2-
D--------------------------0------2-
However, I'm wondering if your key isn't more
playable?
Charlie
(It is, I said)
Art agreed: Could play it in Jan's G capo at 3rd fret
But for the accomplished players we added Charlie´s
intro.
janhauenstein@gmx.de, Charlie Woodward & Art Faller
December 2006