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Chord Req: That Song About The Midway

29 Jan 07 - 05:17 PM (#1951630)
Subject: Chord Req: That Song About The Midway
From: GUEST,Marc

Can anyone help with Bonnie Raitt's version of the Joni Mitchell classic, That Song About The Midway? It sounds like an alternate tuning to me.


29 Jan 07 - 05:55 PM (#1951687)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: That Song About The Midway
From: alanabit

It almost certainly is. I read that Joni's polio as a child made it impossible for her to use normal chording. That forced her to find different ways to play the guitar. I guess that was lucky for all of us, who like her music. If you Google a bit, you should find a Joni Mitchell site with that song on it.


30 Jan 07 - 03:11 AM (#1952067)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Midway (Joni Mitchell)
From: Genie

FWIW, I believe the song title is "The Midway" (not sure about the "The").


30 Jan 07 - 08:03 AM (#1952257)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: That Song About The Midway
From: GUEST,Paul

I'm interested in the arrangement to Bonnie Raitt's version as well. I think it's in an open G tuning, but I can't quite figure the chords.


07 Nov 11 - 09:43 PM (#3252530)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: That Song About The Midway
From: GUEST,Bucky

Chord tunings absolutely nothing to do with Joni's polio. She uses many many tunings and can play in regular tuning as well as any other.

It is 'That Song About the Midway.' No 'The Midway' or 'Midway,' but 'That Song About the Midway.'

Bucky


24 May 13 - 01:38 PM (#3518875)
Subject: Lyr Add: THAT SONG ABOUT THE MIDWAY (from B Raitt)
From: Jim Dixon

I can't help with the chords, but I can provide the lyrics.


THAT SONG ABOUT THE MIDWAY
As sung by Bonnie Raitt on "Streetlights"

I met you on a midway at a fair last year,
And you stood out like a ruby in a black man's ear.
You were playin' on the horses, playin' on a guitar's strings.
You were playin' like a devil wearin' wings,
Wearin' wings—you looked so grand wearin' wings.
Do you tie them to your shoulders just to sing?
Can you fly? I heard you can. Can you fly,
Just like an eagle doin' his huntin' from the sky?

I followed through a sideshow to another town,
And I found you in a trailer on a camping ground.
You were bettin' on some lover, shootin' up the dice,
And I thought I saw you cheating once or twice,
Once or twice—I heard you did—once or twice.
Were you wondering: was the gamble worth the price?
Now you've packed it in—I heard you did—packed it in.
Was it so hard to fold a hand you knew could win?

Lately you've been hiding; it was somewhere in the news.
Well, I'm still at these races with my ticket stubs and my blues.
The man calls out the numbers; he sometimes mentions mine,
But I feel like I've been workin' overtime,
Overtime—I've lost my fire—over time,
Always playin' one more hand for one more dime.
Well, I'm slowin' down—I'm gettin' tired—slowin' down,
And I envy you the valley that you've found,
'Cause I'm midway down the midway, slowin' down,
Down.


[Joni Mitchell sings this song on "Clouds."]


24 May 13 - 03:41 PM (#3518911)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: That Song About The Midway
From: GUEST

http://jonimitchell.com/music/transcription.cfm?id=226


25 Aug 22 - 10:55 AM (#4150993)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: That Song About The Midway
From: GUEST,Kevin Kelleher

One of my favorites! With capo on 2nd fret, and the low E string turned down to a D for her finger picking, it's played like in D.
The intro is, based on 4 beats to a measure:
| D D D D | Bm Bm C Bm| D D D D |
Then when singing 1st & 2nd verses:
| A A Bm Bm | D D D D |

That's a start


05 May 24 - 03:00 PM (#4202081)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: That Song About The Midway
From: GUEST