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Quiet Night by Jobim Antonio Carlos

Chords with lyrics

Note: I have no clue how you want to file this. It was written by Jobim,
but he's not even on the recording from which it was taken.


Corcovado/Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars
by Antonio Carlos Jobim (English lyrics by Gene Lees)
Song taken from the version on _Getz/Gilberto #2_ (Verve).
Transcribed by: Jay Verkuilen, [email protected]


The fingering and arrangement are my own. I haven't figured out
exactly what Joao Gilberto is playing (he does a lot of little improvized
parts as far as I can tell).

Chords (all moveable forms):

D9: x-5-4-5-5-5
Abo: 4-x-3-4-3-x (optional, play the top string 4)
g7: 3-x-3-3-3-3
Gb7: 2-x-2-3-2-2
Fmaj7: x-x-3-5-5-5
f7: x-8-x-8-9-8
f6: x-8-x-7-9-8
e7: x-7-x-7-8-7
Chord diagramFF+7: x-8-7-6-8-x
d7: x-5-x-5-6-5
a7: 5-x-5-5-5-5
G(b9b13): 3-x-3-4-4-4
G13: 3-x-3-4-5-5
Bb9: 6-5-6-5-x-x
C: x-3-5-5-5-x (there had to be at least one easy one here! :)

There is a little guitar intro at the beginning, but I usually wing it.
It sounds like a circle of fifths progression down to D9.

The song structure is:

English Verses 1 and 2 (Astrud)
Portuguese Verses 1 and 2 (Joao)
Solo over Verses 1 and 2 (Stan--man could that guy solo!)
Portuguese Verses 1 and 2 (Joao)
English Verses 1 and 2 (Astrud)

I think they might collapse the last two times together, but can't recall
and only have the arrangement from _Elis and Tom_ (Verve) here, which is
substantially different. (_Elis and Tom_ is absolutely superlative, by
the way--get it if you can as there won't be any more pressings of it in the
US.)
Verse 1: (English lyrics shown with corresponding Portuguese lyrics
directly below--listen for the proper rhythm and phrasing, which is tough)

Part A:

Chord diagramD9D9
Quiet nights of quiet stars,
Um cantinho, um violao

Abo
Quiet chords from my guitar,
Esse amor uma cancao,

g7           Chord diagramGb7Gb7  Chord diagramFmaj7Fmaj7 (*)
Floating on the silence that surrounds me.
Pra fazer felice a quem se ama.


Part B:

f7
Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams,
Muita calma pra pensar,

e7          Chord diagramFF+7
Quiet walks by quiet streams,
Chord diagramE MajorE ter tempo pra sonhar,

Chord diagramD9D9               d7      Abo    (**)
And a window looking out on the mountains and the sea, how lovely!
Da janela ve-se a Corcovado o Redentor, que lindo!


Verse 2:

Part A:

Chord diagramD9D9
This is how I want to be,
Quero a vida sempres assim,

Abo
Here with you so close to me,
Com voce perto de mim,

g7           Chord diagramGb7Gb7    Chord diagramFmaj7Fmaj7
Until the final flicker of life's ember.
Ate a apagar da velha chama.


Part B:

f7       f6
I who was lost and lonely,
Chord diagramE MajorE eu que era triste,

e7         Chord diagramFF+7
Believing life was only,
Descrente desse mundo,

d7       G(b9b13)       e7  a7
Chord diagramA augmentedA bitter tragic joke have found with you,
Ao encontrar voce eu conheci,

d7       Chord diagramG13G13 G(b9b13)     Chord diagramC majorC Chord diagramBb9Bb9 Chord diagramFF+7 (**)
The meaning of existence, oh my love.
O que e felicidade, meu amor.

(*) They often improvise here playing around with a7, g7, and Fmaj7.
(**) Listen carefully here. The shifts are tough.


Jay Verkuilen                      [email protected]

"A human society without conflict would be a society not of friends, but of
ants." 	--Sir Karl Popper, _Unended Quest_

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