As far as I'm concerned, although this song is in the key of D, an
acoustic guitar player MUST play it Capo 2 and in C. The general
picking pattern I use for the verses is (by strings) 5-4-3-4-2-3,
ignoring the 1st and 6th (e and E) strings until the chorus (You are
the sun; I am the moon...). A benefit of this picking pattern is
that the Csus4 and F2 chords are fingered the same, so it makes the
song even easier to play than it looks! I left out little flourishes
in the verses in order not to clutter up the notation even more than
it already is, but I think the average intermediate (and many
novices) will be able to figure these out.
Final note: the C/D and C/E "chords" are just approximations, since
they are shown just to let the performer know that the bass notes
are to be emphasized. I just alternate between these bass notes and
the 2nd string (playing a high C) and I think it sounds nice.
Oh, and let the notes ring out!
Capo 2
Intro: C Csus4 C Csus4 C Csus4 C Csus4 F F2 F
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/n/neil_diamond/play_me_crd_ver_4.html ]
C Csus4 C Csus4
She was morning and I was nighttime;
C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
I one day woke up to find her lyin' beside my bed.
C Csus4 C Csus4
I softly said, "Come take me."
C Csus4 C Csus4
For I've been lonely, in need of someone
C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
As though I'd done someone wrong somewhere, but I don't know where.
C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
I don't know where, come lately
F G
You are the sun; I am the moon.
F G C Csus4 C Csus4
You are the words; I am the tune; play me.
C Csus4 C Csus4
Song, she sang to me, song she brang to me,
C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
Words that rang in me, rhyme that sprang from me warmed the night,
C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
And what was right became me.
F G
You are the sun; I am the moon.
F G C Csus4 C Csus4
You are the words; I am the tune; play me.
C Csus4 C C2 C F2. . . C Csus4 C Csus4
C Csus4 C C2 C F2. . . F G
C Csus4 C Csus4
And so it was that I came to travel
C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
Upon a road that was thorned and narrow; another place,
C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
Another grace would save me.
F G
You are the sun; I am the moon.
F G C Csus4 C C/D C/E F2
You are the words; I am the tune; play me.
F G
You are the sun; I am the moon.
F G C C7 F F [ch]Am7/E[/ch] Dm7 C
You are the words; I am the tune; play me.
