Steven Hull's Ozark Mountain Daredevils Site presents:

If I Only Knew
(Larry Lee / Steve Cash)
The Car Over The Lake Album, 1975

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Chords, Guitar Tablature & Lyrics
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I think that there is one electric guitar & two acoustic guitars playing in this song - it's hard to tell with all the keyboards playing. I'm going to show you the chords and a little thing that the electric guitar does. Please accept my apologies for not posting this thing earlier - but I had a lot of trouble deciperin' this (once again, I'll have to blame Larry Lee's complex writing skills). Be sure to visit my tab page in order to understand how I write tablature on the web.

Click here if you want only the lyrics.

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THE CHORDS:
 
 
Bm7/E E Bm7/E E Bm7/E
(INTRO)
 
E Bm7/E
if I only knew what wakes me
 
E Bm7/E
if I only knew
 
E Bm7/E
then I would be outside walkin'
 
E Cmaj7
through the morning dew with you
 
Dsus(w/9) Cmaj7
it shouldn't be too far
 
Dsus(w/9) Bm7/E E Bm7/E E Bm7/E
it shouldn't be far a-way, a-way, away
 
 
 
E Bm7/E
if I only knew which road went where
 
E Bm7/E
if I only knew
 
E Bm7/E
then I would be outside walkin'
 
E Cmaj7
through the morning air with you
 
Dsus(w/9) Cmaj7
it shouldn't be too hard
 
Dsus(w/9) Bm7/E E Bm7/E E
it shouldn't be hard to see, to see, to see
 
 
Bm7/E E
Bm7/E E
Bm7/E E
Bm7/E E
Cmaj7 Dsus(w/9)
Cmaj7 Dsus(w/9)
Bm7/E E
Bm7/E E
(SAX SOLO)
 
 
Em7/A Amaj7
hey you
 
Em7/A Amaj7
put some funny looking clothes on

Em7/A Amaj7
me too
 
Em7/A Amaj7 Bm7/E
then we can run around and show our happy glow
 
E Bm7/E E Bm7/E E Bm7/E E Bm7
(no lyrics)
 
E Bm7/E
if I only knew what it would take
 
E Bm7/E
if I only knew
 
E Bm7/E
then I wouldn't make the same mistakes
 
E Cmaj7
that I usually do with you
 
Dsus(w/9) Cmaj7
it shouldn't be too hard
 
Dsus(w/9) Bm7/E E Bm7/E E
it shouldn't be hard to do, to do, to do, to do
 
 
Bm7/E E Bm7/E E
Bm7/E E Bm7/E E
Bm7/E E Bm7/E E
(GUITAR SOLO)
(repeat & fade)
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THE TAB:

Bm7/E

1 -|| ----------1---------------------2
2 -|| -------------------2------------3
3 -|| ----------1---------------------2
4 -|| -----------------------3--------4
5 -|| ----------1---------------------2
6 -|| ----------0---------------------0

E

1 -|| ----0----------------------------0
2 -|| ----0----------------------------0
3 -|| ----------1----------------------1
4 -|| ----------------3----------------2
5 -|| ----------------2----------------2
6 -|| ----0----------------------------0

Cmaj7

1 -|| --------0-----------------------0
2 -|| --------0-----------------------0
3 -|| --------0-----------------------0
4 -|| ---------------2----------------2
5 -|| -----------------------3--------3
6 -|| ---------------------------------

Dsus(w/9)

1 -|| ---------------0----------------0
2 -|| -----------------------3--------3
3 -|| ---------------1----------------2
4 -|| --------0-----------------------0
5 -|| --------0-----------------------0
6 -|| ---------------------------------

the bold note is optional for an 'A' in the bass: Dsus(w/9)/A

 

Em7/A

1 -|| ----0----------------------------0
2 -|| ------------------4--------------3
3 -|| ----0----------------------------0
4 -|| -----------2---------------------2
5 -|| ----0----------------------------0
6 -|| ----------------------------------

Amaj7

1 -|| -----0--------------------------0
2 -|| ---------------3----------------2
3 -|| --------1-----------------------1
4 -|| ---------------2----------------2
5 -|| -----0--------------------------0
6 -|| ---------------------------------

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TIPS:

When playing the Bm7/E and E chords, strike the 6th string (E) softly - you don't want that string bangin' too loudly and it's very easy to do in this particular song.

Also, since there is a constant E in the bass, you could opt to play a constant E 'on top'. Play this version of the Bm7/E chord, keeping in mind that you don't want the 1st string to sound at all:

Bm7/E

1 -|| ------------------------------------
2 -|| -----------------------------4-----5
3 -|| ----------1------------------------2
4 -|| -----------------------3-----------4
5 -|| ----------1------------------------2
6 -|| ----------0------------------------0

Play the same E chord - first string ringing and all.

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When the bass and electric guitar come in right before the second verse, the electric guitar is playing something like the following in place of the Em/7 and E chords:

Bm7/E

1 -|| -----------------------------4-----12
2 -|| --------------1---------------------7
3 -|| ---------------------3--------------9
4 -|| ------------------------------------
5 -|| ------------------------------------
6 -|| ------------------------------------

E

1 -|| -----------------------------4-----12
2 -|| ---------------------3--------------9
3 -|| ---------------------3--------------9
4 -|| ------------------------------------
5 -|| ------------------------------------
6 -|| ------------------------------------

Play all three strings or just the top two - but try to keep the E (1st string, 12th fret) ringing....

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If you are really looking for an adventure and don't care to join the Navy today, try playing the Bm7/E and E chords like this:

Bm7/E

1 -|| -----------------------------4-----12
2 -|| --------------1---------------------7
3 -|| --------------1---------------------7
4 -|| --------------1---------------------7
5 -|| -----------------------3------------9
6 -|| ----0-------------------------------0

(press hard with that first finger!)

E

1 -|| -----------------------------4-----12
2 -|| ---------------------3--------------9
3 -|| ---------------------3--------------9
4 -|| ---------------------3--------------9
5 -|| --------------1---------------------7
6 -|| ----0-------------------------------0

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When the acoustic guitars are playing rhythm, it sounds like one guitar strums on first beat and holds it, while the second guitar plays on each beat while dampening the strings on the 'up' beat so that each strum is distinctive.

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I hope you enjoyed playing this piece.

Remember, that by learning this song, you are helping to preserve the music of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils!

Thanks for stopping by - steve

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Lyrics are copyright 1975, Larry Lee & Steve Cash

chords & music interpreted by steven hull

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Created 19 June 1997
Updated 14 January 2003
 


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