Gentle on My Mind - chords, tab and comments
Lyrics without distraction HERE
John Hartford (1937 - 2001, born John Cowan Harford), a bluegrass singer/songwriter, was obviously struck by God in 1966. At that time he was living in a trailer with his small family, and his nourishment was being a travelling disc jockey besides casual playing.One evening the family went to the cinema watching "Doctor Zhivago", and Hartford caught the story of hopeless love between Yuri and Lara. He brought this in his mind back home, and sat down writing the most thrilling tune in folk music ever: swapping the russian arena with USA, letting a hobo declare unaccomplished love to a woman far beyomd his reach. In his own words; the song was finished in less than half an hour, breaking all the rules of normal songwriting: no refrain, unequal lines and words just dropped out with sparse rhymes.
He didn't mean to record it himself. He made a demo for the publishing company Tompall & the Glaser Brothers, and it ended up with Chet Atkins on RCA. He smelled something, and told JH he'd better cut it humself. The single was released in April 1967, following an album. Atkins was also the one who suggested adding the "t" to the original Harford surname.
In June the same year, Glen Campbell captured it. Not no insult his millions of hardcore fans, I don't dare to call him a hit-grabbing coyote ... ooops, did I? ... but at least, that success granted Hartford a full time engagement as a singer/songwriter. At the time this is written, more than fifty years afterwards, there are more than 300 versions out there, and the song has become a crossover standard.
Thanks, John! ...and Geir Madsen, who brought me notes, harmonies and lyrics these days internet not even was intended ... and Steinar Fonn, who gave me the rare album All in the Name of Love (Flying Fish 1977) for Christmas many lost years ago.
C Cmaj7 C6 Cmaj7 Dm it's knowing that your door is always open and your path is free to walk Dm ... Dm/C# ... Dm/C ... Dm/C# Dm Faug Dm7 G7 C that makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag rolled up and stashed behind your couch C ... Cmaj7 ... C ... C C Cmaj7 C6 Cmaj7 and it's knowing I'm not shackled by forgotten words and bonds C Cmaj7 Dm and the ink stains that have dried upon some line Dm ... Dm/C# ... Dm/C ... Dm/C# Dm Faug Dm7 G7 that keeps you in the backroads by the rivers of my memory Dm G6 C that keeps you ever gentle on my mind
The blue chords may be omitted; they are suggested for clawhammer fingerpicking. John played it straight away. But if you want to score hell and make your hand crawl like a spider along the neck: keep the basic chords, and put all the sixth, seventh and augmented stuff into a bass line.
I do, and I've got arthritis
Sometimes I confuse people playing Lara's Theme first for people; short version - then I narrate this story, gradually sliding into this song. Some don't believe me, and I have to tell them THIS.
The musical world sure has odd connections ...
I do, and I've got arthritis
Sometimes I confuse people playing Lara's Theme first for people; short version - then I narrate this story, gradually sliding into this song. Some don't believe me, and I have to tell them THIS.
The musical world sure has odd connections ...
C
Cmaj7
C6
Dm
Dm7
Faug
G7
G6
