I Had a King Joni Mitchell

 
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 4 Verse:


 

 
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 I had a king in a tenement castle


 


 7 crescendo............


 

 
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 Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown


 


 10


 

 
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 He's taken the cur - tains down He's


 


 13 (emphasise melody notes!!.......)


 

 
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 Swept with the broom of contempt and the rooms have an empty ring


 


 [16]  

 
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 He's cleaned with the tears of an actor who fears for


 


 [19]  

 
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 the laughter's sting....


 


 Chorus:


 

 
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 I can't go back there any - more You know my keys won't


 


 [25]  

 
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 fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man


 


 28


 

 
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 They never can they never can


 


 31 Ending:


 

 
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 [34]  

 
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 37 ritardando.....................


 

 
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 (slow strum.....)


 


 Alternative measures:


 


 [11] [12]  

 
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 [19]  

 
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I Had a King

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{t:I Had a King}
 {st:Joni Mitchell}
 
 I Had A King - Joni Mitchell
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 from the album "Joni Mitchell"
 
 tabbed by Jared White
 with thanks to Howard Wright for the tuning
 
 For this song, it is important to let notes ring and to emphasise
 the melody notes, particularly in measures 13 through 20, where the
 melody is played on the 4th and 5th (ie bass A & D) strings - listen
 to the recording. Notes are all quavers; a * indicates a quaver rest.
 Bracketed notes are optional. Full lyrics are at the end. Comments,
 corections, suggestions, etc. *please* mail me. Enjoy!
 
 Tuning DADEAD, Capo 7. 4/4, quarter note = 108.
 
 Intro:
 
 {sot}
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 |-----3-------------------|-3-----------3----------|-------1----------------|
 |--------4-----------4----|----4-----------4-------|----------2--------2----|
 |-----------------------5-|----------5-----------0-|----3-----------------3-|
 |--0----------------------|------------------------|-0----------------------|
 {eot}
 
 4 Verse:
 
 {sot}
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 |--------0-----------0----|*---------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|
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 |-----2-----------2-------|*---------4--------4----|----4-----------4-------|
 |-----------3-----------0-|----5-----------------5-|----------5-----------0-|
 |-------------------------|-0----------------------|------------------------|
 {eot}
 I had a king in a tenement castle
 
 7 crescendo............
 
 {sot}
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 |--------1----------------|-1-----------1----------|----*--------0-----0----|
 |-----------2--------2----|----2-----------2-------|-------0-----0----------|
 |-----3-----------------3-|----------3-----------0-|-------0----------------|
 |--0----------------------|------------------------|-0--------0-----0-----0-|
 {eot}
 Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown
 
 10
 
 {sot}
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 |-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
 |-----0--------0--------0-|----0--------------0----|-------0-------------(0)|
 {eot}
 He's taken the cur - tains down He's
 
 13 (emphasise melody notes!!.......)
 
 {sot}
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 |--------0-----------0----|-0--------0-----------0-|-0--------------------0-|
 |--0----------------------|-3-----3-----------3----|-1-----1-----------1----|
 |-----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|
 |--------------0----------|-5-----------0----------|-3-----------0----------|
 |-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
 {eot}
 Swept with the broom of contempt and the rooms have an empty ring
 
 [16] 
 {sot}
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 |--0--------0-----0-------|-0-----0-----------0----|-0----------------------|
 |--0-----0-----------0----|-0----------------------|-3-----3-----------3----|
 |-----0-----------0-----0-|----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|
 |--2-----------0----------|-------------0----------|-5-----------0----------|
 |-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
 {eot}
 He's cleaned with the tears of an actor who fears for
 
 [19] 
 {sot}
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 |--0--------0--------0----|-0--------0-----0-----0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-|
 |--1-----1--1-----1--1----|-0-----0-----------0----|-------0----------------|
 |-----0-----------0-------|----0--------------0----|-------0-----------0----|
 |--3-----------0--------0-|-2-----------------2----|-------2-----------0----|
 |-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
 {eot}
 the laughter's sting....
 
 Chorus:
 
 {sot}
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 |-----------0--------0----|-0--------0--------0----|---------0--------0-----|
 |--3-----*--3--------3----|-------*----------------|-3----*--3--------3-----|
 |--0--------0-----0-------|----0--------0--------0-|-0-------0-----0--------|
 |-------------------------|-0--------0--------0----|-0----------------------|
 |--0--0--------0--------0-|------------------------|-0--0-------0---------0-|
 {eot}
 I can't go back there any - more You know my keys won't
 
 [25] 
 {sot}
 |--5--------4-----0-------|------------------(0)---|-5--------4-----0-------|
 |--0--------0--------0----|----------0--------0----|-0--------0--------0----|
 |--------*----------------|-3-----*--3--------3----|-------*----------------|
 |-----0--------0--------0-|-0--------0-----0-------|----0--------0--------0-|
 |--0--------0--------0----|-0----------------------|-0--------0--------0----|
 |-------------------------|-0--0--------0--------0-|------------------------|
 {eot}
 fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man
 
 28
 
 {sot}
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 |-(0)---------------------|------------------------|-0----------------------|
 {eot}
 They never can they never can
 
 31 Ending:
 
 {sot}
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 |-------------------------|-0----------------------|------------------------|
 {eot}
 
 [34] 
 {sot}
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 |--0----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
 {eot}
 
 37 ritardando.....................
 
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 {eot}
 (slow strum.....)
 
 Alternative measures:
 
 [11] [12] 
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 {eot}
 
 [15] [16] 
 {sot}
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 {eot}
 
 [19] 
 {sot}
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 {eot}
 
 I HAD A KING - JONI MITCHELL
 
 I had a king in a tenement castle
 Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown
 He's taken the curtains down
 He's swept with the broom of contempt
 And the rooms have an empty ring
 He's cleaned with the tears
 Of an actor who fears for the laughter's sting-
 
 Chorus:
 I can't go back there anymore
 You know my keys won't fit the door
 You know my thoughts don't fit the man
 They never can they never can
 
 I had a king dressed in drip-dry and paisley
 Lately he's taken to saying i'm crazy and blind
 He lives in another time
 Ladies in gingham still blush
 While he sings them of wars and wine
 But I in my leather and lace
 I can never become that kind-
 
 Chorus
 
 I had a king in a salt-rusted carriage
 Who carried me off to his country for marriage too soon
 Beware of the power of moons
 There's no one to blame
 No there's no one to name as a traitor here
 The king's on the road
 And the queen's in the grove 'till the end of the year-
 
 Chorus

I Had a King Joni Mitchell

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