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User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
Mike Robertson Tune Req: Canadee-i-o (Nic Jones) (31) Lyr Add: CANADEE-I-O (from Nic Jones) 22 Feb 00


Thanks Neil, for the mail (this will either work or generate vaat amounts of rubbish, but I have to try, it's a great song that more people should have a go at).

CANADEE-I-O
(Trad. arr. Nic Jones)

CAVEAT: This is not a note-for-note transcription, but will provide the basic riffs and chords for the piece, and you can then smooth out the rough parts yourself. Also, I haven't figured out the percussive effects, i.e., the rhythmic tapping. I don't know if he's tapping on the guitar body, strings, or floor. Maybe someone who's seen him play can answer that.

Note from Mike - it's on the strings...

I will say, however, that it is a very difficult piece to learn and play with any semblance to Nic's inimitable style.

Guitar tuned CGCGCD (low to high). (Note: on the recording, Nic actually tunes down to BbFBbFBbC, where `Bb' denotes B flat.)

Chords: (Note: I have no idea what the proper chord names are, so I mostly identify them by random labels. Perhaps someone can supply the correct names.)

002020 - A
005500 - B
050000 - C
054000 - D
075000 - E
097000 - F
0(10)0000 - G
0(10)9000 - H
00999(10) - I
077777 - J
00007(10) - K
055555 - L

Guitar Intro (This, or parts of it, repeat throughout the song).

Notes: 0^5 denotes slide from fret 0 to fret 5.

       C          E          F        H                                    A
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------------2--
C------------0----------0---------0----------0--------------------------0---2-0------
G--0-----------0----------0---------0----------0----------------------0---------0----
C---------4-----------5---------7----------9-------0-4---5-4--0-----0-------2--------
G----0^5---------5^7--------7^9-------9^10-------5-----5--------4-5-------5----------
C------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

J A B
D--3--5-----------------7--5---5----------------------------0------------2-3--5------
C-----------0--7-----7-------5-----0-2-4-5-4-2-2^0----0-------0--0----0--------------
G---------0--------7--------------------------------0----5---------------------------
C-------0--------7---------------0-----0-----2-----------5----------0----------------
G-----5--------7--------5------0---------------------------------5------------5------
C------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D------0------------7-9--10--10--10-5--0^2--------------------------2-3^5------------
C----0----7------7--------0----------------0------0--2^4^5^4--2---0-----------0--7---
G--0-----------7----------0--------------------0----------------------------0----7---
C------------7------------0------------0-----0----0-------------2---------0------7---
G---------7---------------0-----------------------------------0---------0--------7---
C------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D E K
D--------7-9-10-----10-10--5--0^2-----------------------------5--------7--------10---
C------7--------------------------0------2^4^5^4--2------0--4---4----5---5----7------
G----7------------0-------------------0--------------0------------0--------0---------
C--7------------0-------------------0-------------0----2----0--------0--------0------
G-------------0---------0-----0------------------------------------------------------
C------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

L
D-----------7^5---------5-------------------0---------------------0------------------
C---7----5------5----4-----4--2--0----0--------0--2--0-----0--0-----0--2------0------
G-----0-----------5----------------0--5--5--------0----0^2----5-5------0--0^2--------
C-----------------------------2-------5-----------2-----------5--------2-------------
G--------5-----------5--------0------------------------------------------------------
C------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C---------0--------0--------0---------0---------------------------0------------------
G-------0--------0--------0---------0---------------------------0--------------------
C-----4--------5--------7--------10----------4---4^5^4^0------0-----0^2--------------
G---5--------7--------9--------9---------0-5---5----------4-5-----------0------------
C------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's of a fair and handsome girl
And she's all in her tender years
She fell in love with a sailor boy
And it's true that she loved him well
For to go off to sea with him
Like she did not know how
She longed to see that seaport town called Canadee-i-o

So she bargained with a young sailor boy
And it's all for a piece of gold
Straightway then he lead her
All down into the hold
Saying, "I'll dress you up in sailor's clothes.
Your jacket shall be blue.
You'll see that seaport town called Canadee-i-o."

Now when the other sailors heard the news
Well, they fell into a rage
And with all the whole ship's company
They were willing to engage
Saying, "we'll tie her hands and feet me boys.
Overboard we'll throw her.
And she'll never see that seaport town called Canadee-i-o."

Now when the captain, he's heard the news
Well, he too fell in a rage
And with all of his whole ship's company
He was willing to engage
Saying, "she'll stay all in sailor's clothes.
Her collar shall be blue.
She'll see that seaport town called Canadee-i-o."

Now when they came down to Canada
Scarcely about half a year
She's married this bold captain
Who called her his dear
She's dressed in silks and satins now
And she cuts a gallant show
She's the finest of the ladies
Down in Canadee-i-o

Come all you fair and tender girls
Wheresoever you may be
I'd have you to follow your own true love
When he goes out on the sea
For if the sailors prove false to you
Well, the captain he might prove true
You see the honor that I have gained
By the wearing of the blue

Repeat intro (Note: instead of chord G, play chord I)


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