Chord/Tab song: Private Conversation

"Private Conversation"

Written by Lyle Lovett

Tabbed by Yancy Faulkner

Live @ the World Cafe Vol. 5

I have had a really hard time finding this tab anywhere, by any
artist, so I'm just going to tab it out and post it for everyone.

The chords for it are C, D and G repeated the whole song. Not hard if
you just strum it like a monkey, but you have to get the picking and
muting and volume right to make it sound good.

The intro is the C-D-G pattern, with just a loose, up-beat strum and
palm mute. You start with just playing the top of the chord quietly,
then slowly work the whole chord.

[C] [D] [G] [C] [D] [G] [C] [D] [G]

e|------------------------------------------2---3--|
B|-----------------------------3------------3---3--|
G|------------0------------2---0------------2---0--|
D|--------0---0------------0---0------------0---0--|
A|--2h3---0---2------2h3---0---2------2h3---0---2--|
E|--------2---3------------2---0------------2---3--|

Like I said, you build up in the strings you play, and also build up
in volume. The most important thing about playing this is the
stop-&-go up-beat rythym, matched with the palm muting.
It's fun and sounds great if you can play with an egg shaker in your
strumming hand, and/or if you tap the guitar on the pick guard with
your strumming hand.

Also to add to what your doing, do hammer-ons on the D and G chords.

[C] [D] [G]

e|------0h2---3--|
B|--------3---3--|
G|--------2---0--|
D|--------0---0--|
A|--2h3---0-0h2--|
E|--------2---3--|

When you get to the chorus go ahead and play the full chords.

[C] [D] [G]

e|--0---2---3--|
B|--1---3---3--|
G|--0---2---0--|
D|--2---0---0--|
A|--3---0---2--|
E|--0---2---3--|

That's it. Finally some more Lyle Lovett on the Internet. Here's the
song in it's completion, add the hammer-ons, shaker and guitar
tapping where you think they sound good.

[Verse 1]
And his [C]hand it [D]fell be[G]hind her
As his [C]arm it r[D]eached ar[G]ound
And she [C]looked [D]at the [G]window
And she [C]watched the [D]shade go d[G]own

[Chorus]
It was a [C]private [D]conver[G]sation
[C]No one [D]heard her [G]say
That the [C]man she [D]left be[G]hind her
Was two t[C]housand [D]miles a[G]way

Singing [C]boy pick [D]up that f[G]iddle
And p[C]lay that s[D]teel gu[G]itar
And f[C]ind yours[D]elf a l[G]ady
And [C]dance right [D]where you [G]are
Hey [C]heyyy[D].....[G].
Heyy[C]y...[D][G]

[Verse 2]
There was a lonely girl from nowhere
With a smile all sweet with pain
And she never stopped to wonder
If she'd see him again

[Chorus]
It was a private conversation
No one heard her say
That man that she was looking for
Was only twenty streets away

Singing boy pick up that fiddle
And play that steel guitar
And find yourself a lady
And dance right where you are

[Verse 3]
And the band it just kept playing
As she came walking in
And he never stopped to wonder
If he'd see her again

[Chorus]
It was a private conversation
No one heard him say
That girl he left behind him
Was two thousand miles away

He just sang boy pick up that fiddle
And play that steel guitar
And find yourself a lady
And dance right where you are

[Verse 4]
And the moral of this story
Is I guess it's easier said than done
To look at what you've been through
And to see what you've become
[Chorus]
It's a private conversation
No one hears you say
It's a private conversation
Hey...

-This last bit isn't in the Live at the World Cafe version but it's
in the others-

And his hand it fell behind her
As his arm it reached around
And she looked at the window
And she watched the shade go down

It was a private conversation
No one heard her say
It was a private conversation
No one heard him say
It was a private conversation
No one heard her say
It was a private conversation