#--------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship or research.#
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Song title:      You Can Call Me Al
Original Album:  Graceland

Words and Music by Paul Simon
Copyright © 1986 Warner Brothers Music Inc.
Published by Warners Music Publishing.`

Transcribed by Gavin Chart (www.gartfrets.net)


NOTES:
Key of F but, for playability, I capo on 3.
Chords and tab are relative to capo. Timing is 4/4.



INTRO:
Notes:
Synth figure transcribed for guitar.

[play Guitar Figure 1]  [x6]

Guitar Figure 1
          D       A           Em7           D       A           D
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------3-------2---2-------0______-------3-------2---2-----2h3---|
|---------2-------2---2-------0______-------2-------2---2-----2__---|
|---------4-------2---2-------0______-------4-------2---2-----2h4---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |



VERSE1:
Notes:
Play Guitar Figure 2 for each verse line.

Chords:
D    xx0232    Asus4  x02230
Em7  020030    A      x02220


Guitar Figure 2
  D                                 Em7            Asus4    A
|-----2-----0---------------------|-----0---------------------------|
|-----3-----3-----3-------3-------|-----0-----3-----3---3---2---3---|
|-2---------------2-------2-------|-----------0-----2---2---2-------|
|-0-------------------------------|-----------------2---------------|
|---------------------------------|-2---------------0---------------|
|---------------------------------|-0-------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |
| D                                     | Em7         Asus4       A
    A man walks down the street, he says,   "Why am I soft in the middle now?

| D                                    | Em7           Asus4   A
    Why am I soft in the middle when the    rest of my life is so hard?"

| D                           | Em7        Asus4     A
    I need a photo-opportunity,   I want a shot at redemption

| D                                  | Em7        Asus4   A
  Don't want to end up a cartoon, in a    cartoon grave - yard



PRE-CHORUS1:
Chords:
D    xx0232
Em7  020030
A    x02220


| D                     | Em7         A
  Bonedigger, Bonedigger, dogs in the moonlight

| D         | Em7           A 
  Far away my well-lit door

  | D                   | Em7              A
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly, get these mutts away from me, 

        | D                      | Em7       A
You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore. 



CHORUS1:
Chords:
D    xx0232
A    x02220
Em7  022000


Guitar Figure 1
          D       A           Em7           D       A           D
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------3-------2---2-------0______-------3-------2---2-----2h3---|
|---------2-------2---2-------0______-------2-------2---2-----2__---|
|---------4-------2---2-------0______-------4-------2---2-----2h4---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |
|         D       A               | Em7              A          
  If you'll be my body - guard,     I   can be  your long lost  pal, 



[repeat Guitar Figure 1]


[then play:]

Guitar Figure 1
          D       A           Em7           D       A           D
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------3-------2---2-------0______-------3-------2---2-----2h3---|
|---------2-------2---2-------0______-------2-------2---2-----2__---|
|---------4-------2---2-------0______-------4-------2---2-----2h4---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |
|         D        A              | Em7             A
  I   can call you Betty,     and   Betty  when you call me, you can


              [Guitar Figure 1]
             | D  A  Em7 | D A D
  call me Al,



VERSE2:
Notes:
Play as for VERSE1.

Chords:
D    xx0232    Asus4  x02230
Em7  020030    A      x02220


Guitar Figure 2
  D                                 Em7            Asus4    A
|-----2-----0---------------------|-----0---------------------------|
|-----3-----3-----3-------3-------|-----0-----3-----3---3---2---3---|
|-2---------------2-------2-------|-----------0-----2---2---2-------|
|-0-------------------------------|-----------------2---------------|
|---------------------------------|-2---------------0---------------|
|---------------------------------|-0-------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |
| D                                     | Em7         Asus4     A
    A man walks down the street, he says,   "Why am I short of attention

    | D                                  | Em7         Asus4      A
Got a   short little span of attention and    whoa, my nights are so long 

| D                            | Em7         Asus4  A
    Where's my wife and family?    What if I die    here?

| D                        | Em7             Asus4  A
    Who'll be my role-model      Now that my role - model is...



PRE-CHORUS2:
Chords:
D    xx0232
Em7  020030
A    x02220


 | D
...gone, gone


 | Em7                  A             | D                | Em7           A
He ducked back down the alley with some   roly-poly little bat-faced girl 

   | D                    | Em7           A
All along along, there were incidents and accidents 

         | D                      | Em7  A
There were   hints and allegations 



CHORUS2:
Notes:
Play Guitar Figure 1 for each chorus line.

Guitar Figure 1
          D       A           Em7           D       A           D
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------3-------2---2-------0______-------3-------2---2-----2h3---|
|---------2-------2---2-------0______-------2-------2---2-----2__---|
|---------4-------2---2-------0______-------4-------2---2-----2h4---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |
| D               A                 Em7              A          D
  If you'll be my body  - guard,    I   can be  your long lost  pal, 



[repeat Guitar Figure 1]


[then play:]

Guitar Figure 1
          D       A           Em7           D       A           D
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------3-------2---2-------0______-------3-------2---2-----2h3---|
|---------2-------2---2-------0______-------2-------2---2-----2__---|
|---------4-------2---2-------0______-------4-------2---2-----2h4---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |
| D                A                Em7     D       A
  I   can call you Betty,     and   Betty  when you call me, you can


| D               A                 Em7     D        A
  call__________  me___________     Al                  Call    me

 [Guitar Figure 1]
| D  A  Em7 | D  A  D
  Al. 



[Pennywhistle INSTRUMENTAL over verse & pre-chorus chords]


[play: 4/4| D | Em7 Asus4 A |]  [x4]

[play: 4/4| D | Em7 A |]  [x4]



[INTERLUDE:]

           [Guitar Figure 1]
[play: 4/4| D A Em7 | D A D |]  [x3]



VERSE3:
Notes:
Play as for VERSE1.

Chords:
D    xx0232    Asus4  x02230
Em7  020030    A      x02220


Guitar Figure 2
  D                                 Em7            Asus4    A
|-----2-----0---------------------|-----0---------------------------|
|-----3-----3-----3-------3-------|-----0-----3-----3---3---2---3---|
|-2---------------2-------2-------|-----------0-----2---2---2-------|
|-0-------------------------------|-----------------2---------------|
|---------------------------------|-2---------------0---------------|
|---------------------------------|-0-------------------------------|

| 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - | 1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - |
| D                                   | Em7            Asus4   A
    A man walks down the street, it's a    street in a strange world 

| D                           | Em7               Asus4       A
    Maybe it's the Third World,    maybe it's his first time around 

| D                                 | Em7        Asus4  A
    He doesn't speak the language, he   holds no curren-cy

 | D                 | Em7         Asus4   A
He   is a foreign man,    he is surrounded by the...



PRE-CHORUS3:
Chords:
D    xx0232
Em7  020030
A    x02220


 | D
...sound, the sound...

| Em7              A          | D                          | Em7 A 
     Cattle in the marketplace, scatterlings and orphanages 

        | D                    | Em7           A
He looks around, around, he sees angels in the architecture,

| D                             | Em7       A
    Spinning in infinity. He says Amen! and Hallelujah! 



[repeat CHORUS2]



OUTRO (scat vocals over VERSE chords):
Chords:
D    xx0232    Asus4  x02230
Em7  020030    A      x02220


[play:]  [x4]

| D               | Em7     Asus4  A
    Na, na, na, na, na, na, na,    na...


[then play:]  [x4]

| D        | Em7  A
  Mmm, mmm



INSTRUMENTAL (over CHORUS chords):


[play: 4/4| D A | Em7 A |]  [x2]


[play Guitar Figure 1]  [x2]



OUT-CHORUS:
Chords:
D    xx0232
Em7  020030
A    x02220


| D               A          | Em7 A
  If you'll be my bodyguard...


[play: 4/4| D  A | Em7  A |]


| D                  A      | Em7 A
  I can call you you Betty...


[play: 4/4| D  A | Em7  A |]


[repeat to fade]