By The Who
Written by Pete Townshend
From Odds and Sods
original transcription by Andy Dennis
C x35553
G/C xx5433
Fadd9/C xx3213
Fmaj7 x33555
F6 x33535
Dm6 xx3435
Dm/F xx3231
C/G 3×2013
|| C G/C | F9/C G/C ||
C G/C Fadd9/C G/C
There once was a note, pure and easy
C G/C Fadd9/C G/C C G/C Fadd9/C G/C C G/C Fadd9/C
G/C
Playing so free like a breath, rippling by
Fmaj7 Dm6[or Dm/F]
The note is eternal, I hear it, it sees me,
Fmaj7 Dm6 C G/C Fadd9/C G/C C G/C Fadd9/C G/C
Forever we blend as, forever we die
I listened and I heard music in a word,
——————————————
———————————-3——-
——————————–4———
————–3-5/7—-3—-3-5———–
–3——-3-5—————————–
——————————————
C Dm F G
and words when you played your guitar
Dm Em G Am
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
—————————————————————-
—————————————————————-
————————————————5–7/9–7——-
——————5-7/9————5——–5-7—————–
—-5——–5-7————————————————
—————————————————————-
G C/G G7 C/G
And a child flew past me riding in a star
—————–7——-8——8—–7—–7—–8—–7——-
————8——8——-8——8—–8—–8—–8—–8—–
————–7——7——-9——9—–7—–7—–9—–7—
—————————————————————-
Dsus4 D
As people assemble, civilization
G G7 C/G G G7 C/G G
Is trying to find a new way to die
Am Emsus4 E
But killing is really merely scene changer
Am Dm/F Am Dm/F Fmaj7/A Am
All men are bored with other men’s lives
Gas on the hillside, oil in the teacup
Watch all the chords of life lose their joy
Distortion becomes somehow pure in its wildness
The note that began all can also destroy.
Am C/A (Am7) Dm/F G/A
We all know success when we all find our own dream
And our love is enough to knock down any wall
And the future’s been seen as men try to realize
Am Am7/A Dm/F G/A
The simple secret of the note in us all
Am C F G
[solo] [chorus] [verse from demo] [Today is the day when sound curdles mountainsFlowing and blowing each man it its wake
Destroying itself in the end with vibration
There’s nothing on earth its challenge can take
Excepting one note]
There once was a note… listen
A A A/G G D/F#
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||———2~————-0–0————–||
||—-0—-0~——————————-||
||—————3^————–0–2—3^–||