Song: Tears of a clown - acoustic session
Artist: Smokey Robinson
Music: Stevie Wonder & Hank Cosby
Lyrics: William 'Smokey' Robinson
Tabbed by: DJ 20th July 2014
Based on Smokey's acoustic session with Daryl Hall
Performed a whole tone and a half lower than the
original Tamla track
Video at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2tE4lJLnFo
Song starts at [1:26]
CAPO: 1st fret
(Will then sound in this live key of Bb)
I would recommend using the voicings in the text
column numbers below.
Regarding the CHORD BOX DIAGRAMS please follow the
information at the bottom of the tab.
Chord names & fret positions are relative to the capo
A = x02220 G = 320033 C#/F = xx3121
D = xx0232 E = 022100 F#m = xx4222 or 244222
Dmaj7 = xx0222
Please take a second to scroll down to the bottom of
the page and select a star rating for my tab, thanks
=====================================================
SEE NEAR BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR TABLATURE OF RIFF
Intro
A [Riff *] A [Riff *]
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Verse 1
[A] [D] [G] [D] [A] [D]
Oh, yeah, yeah - yeah!
[G] [D] [A] [D] [G]
Now, if there's a smile u - pon my face,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
It's only there trying to fool the public,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
But when it comes down to fooling you,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
Now, honey, that's quite a different subject,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
But don't let my glad ex - pression...
[D] [A] [D] [G]
Give you the wrong im - pression
Verse 2
[D] [A] [D] [G] [D]
Really, I'm sad--------, hoh, sadder than...
(Sad, sad, sad, sad!)
[A] [D] [G] [D]
...sad----, you're gone, and I'm hurting so...
(I ...hurt ...so ...bad!)
[A] [D] [G] [D]
...bad, like a clown I pre - tend to be...
(I pre - tend ...to be ...glad!)
[A] [D] [G] [D]
...glad!
(Sad, sad, sad, sad!)
Chorus
[D] [E] [C#/F]
Now, there's some sad things known to man,
[F#m] [Dmaj7]
But ain't too much sadder than the tears of a...
A [Riff *] A [Riff *]
Clown... when there's no one a - round, ...um - um!
[A] [D] [G] [D] [A] [D]
Oh, yeah, baby!
Verse 3
[G] [D] [A] [D] [G]
Now, if I ap - pear to be care - free,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
It's only to camou - flage my sadness,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
In order to shield my pride I've tried...
[D] [A] [D] [G]
...To cover this hurt with a show of gladness,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
But don't let my show con - vince you,
[D] [A] [D] [G]
That I've been happy since you...
Verse 4
[D] [A] [D] [G] [D]
De - cided to go-------- oh, I need you..
(Why ...did ...you ...go?)
[A] [D] [G] [D]
...So, I'm hurt, and I want you to..
(I ...need ...you ...so!)
[A] [D] [G] [D]
...Know, but for others I put on a...
(Want ...you ...to ...know...)
[A] [D] [G] [D]
...Show! Oo - oo, woh!
(...It's ...just ...a ...show!)
Chorus
[D] [E] [C#/F]
There's some sad things known to man,
[F#m] [Dmaj7]
But ain't too much sadder than the tears of a...
A [Riff *] A [Riff *]
Clown... when there's no one a - round, ...oh, yeah!
Verse 5
[A] [D] [G] [D]
Just like Pagli - acci did,
[A] [D] [G] [D]
I try to keep my sadness hid,
[A] [D] [G]
Smiling in the public eye,
[D] [A] [D] [G] [D]
But in my lonely room I cry... the tears of a...
[A] [Riff *] [A] [D]
Clown... when there's no one a - round------,
[G] [D] [A] [D]
Oh, yeah, baby!
Verse 6
[G] [D] [A] [D] [G]
Now, if there's a smile u - pon my face,
(Tears of a clown----------------!)
[D] [A] [D] [G]
Don't let my glad ex - pression,
(Doo - doo, doo - doo----------------------!)
[D] [A] [D] [G]
Give you the wrong im - pression,
(Tears of a clown----------------------!)
[D] [A] [D] [G]
Don't let this smile I wear,
(Doo - doo, doo - doo--------------------!)
[D] [A] [D] [G]
Make you think that I don't care,
(Tears of a clown-----------------------!)
[D] [A] [D] [G]
When really I'm sad----------,
(Doo - doo, doo - doo---------------!)
[D] [A] [D] [G] [D]
Hurting so bad-------!
(Tears of a clown--------------------!)
[Coda- Improvise vocal and repeat chord pattern]
[A] [D] [G] [D] [A]
||: / / / / | / / / / :|| / ||
=====================================================
[Riff *]
A (A4) (A) (A6) (A7)(A6)(A)(A4)(A)
e|---0-------0----0--h2---|--h3--2--0---------|
B|---2---3----------------|------------3--2---|
G|---2--------------------|-------------------| [x2]
D|---2--------------------|-------------------|
A|---0--------------------|-------------------|
E|------------------------|-------------------|
h = Hammer-on notes
=====================================================
For the GUITAR chord box diagrams to match my
suggested choices you need to manually select the
following choice of options by clicking on the
forward/backward arrows below three of the diagrams.
G C#/F# F#m
<2 of 27> <3 of 19> <3 of 14>
The remaining chord boxes can be the default first
option and don't need any reselecting. As long as you
are logged into your account, these choices will be
saved automatically for every time you view this tab
