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, jayv@uiuc.edu
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------------------------------------------------:)
F+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:
[D9]
Quiet nights of quiet stars,
Um cantinho, um violao
[Abo]
Quiet chords from my guitar,
Esse amor uma cancao,
[G7] [Gb7] [Fmaj7] (*)
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 F+7
Quiet walks by quiet streams,
E ter tempo pra sonhar,
[D9] 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:
[D9]
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] [Gb7] [Fmaj7]
Until the final flicker of life's ember.
Ate a apagar da velha chama.
Part B:
[F7] [F6]
I who was lost and lonely,
E eu que era triste,
E7 F+7
Believing life was only,
Descrente desse mundo,
[D7] G(b9b13) [E7] [A7]
A bitter tragic joke have found with you,
Ao encontrar voce eu conheci,
D7 G13 G(b9b13) C Bb9 F+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.
