Brad's Paul Simon Guitar Tablature Page (www.bradpriddy.com/paul_simon)

................................ Feuilles-O ..............................

From the Old Friends Simon and Garfunkel collection.

Transcribed by John McGann.

This is a fun song with a Carribean feel.  The song originally appeared on 
an Art Garfunkel album (Angel Clare, 1973 Columbia records).

I would like to thank everyone who has written me about this song including 
the brief discussion on the alt.music.paul-simon newsgroup in April 2000. 
It appears this song is in French-Creole and refers to a person taking his 
ill child to a voodoo healer.  See below for the probable translation.  

I suggest experimenting around with different voicings of the G chord such
as 320033 (or just xx0003).  For the D - Gm changes in the final 7 bars,
bar the first three strings only with the pad of your index finger -- bar
on the second fret for the D chord (middle or ring finger on the second
string, third fret), and bar on the third fret for the Gm chord (ring
finger on the fourth string, fifth fret).  Incidentally, this arrangement
could work on a ukulele, since only the first four strings are used.

% indicates a repeat of the previous measure.


Capo 4th fret    (see tuning info on main page)

     D                                   Em                D
e:|--2--------------|-----------------|--0--------------|--2--------------|
B:|--3--------------|-----------------|--0--------------|--3--------------|
G:|--2---(strum)----|--------%--------|--0----(strum)---|--2----(strum)---|
D:|--0--------------|-----------------|--2--------------|--0--------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

   Feuilles oh                   sauvez  la vie moi           dans mes yeux


     Em                A7                D
e:|--3--------------|--3--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
B:|--0--------------|--2--------------|--3--------------|-----------------|
G:|--0----(strum)---|--2----(strum)---|--2----(strum)---|--------%--------|
D:|--2--------------|--2--------------|--0--------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

               mouilles           oh


(Repeat the above eight measures one time.)

     D                                   D        A7       A7
e:|--2--------2-----|--2--2-----------|--2-----2--3-----|--3--------------|
B:|--3-----5--3-----|--3--3---5--5----|--3-----3--2-----|--2--------------|
G:|--2-----4--2-----|--2--2---4--4----|--2-----2--2-----|--2----(strum)---|
D:|--0-----5--0-----|--0--0---5--5----|--0-----0--2-----|--2--------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

 Pitie    moi malade        mon coeur caille gang-gang              si me 


     A7
e:|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|--2----(strum)---|--------%--------|--------%--------|--------%--------|
D:|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

    l'eau

     D                                   D        A7       A7
e:|--2--------2-----|--2-----2--------|--2-----2--3-----|--3--------------|
B:|--3-----5--3-----|--3-----3--5--5--|--3-----3--2-----|--2--------------|
G:|--2-----4--2-----|--2-----2--4--4--|--2-----2--2-----|--2----(strum)---|
D:|--0-----5--0-----|--0-----0--5--5--|--0-----0--2-----|--2--------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

 Pitie    moi malade        mon coeur  caille gang-gang              si lu


     G                 D                 G                 D
e:|--3--------------|--2--------------|--3--------------|--2--------------|
B:|--3--------------|--3--------------|--3--------------|--3--------------|
G:|--4----(strum)---|--2----(strum)---|--4----(strum)---|--2----(strum)---|
D:|--5--------------|--0--------------|--5--------------|--0--------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

    bon         gang-gang      Sauvez    la vie moi                dans mes 


     G                 A7                D
e:|--3--------------|--3--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
B:|--3--------------|--2--------------|--3--------------|-----------------|
G:|--4----(strum)---|--2----(strum)---|--2----(strum)---|--------%--------|
D:|--5--------------|--2--------------|--0--------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

   yeux           mouilles          oh


     D
e:|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|--------%--------|--------%--------|   (Repeat the entire song one time.)
D:|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|


Outro:

     D                                   Gm
e:|--------------2--|--------------2--|--------------3--|-----------------|
B:|----------3------|------3----------|------3----------|-----------------|
G:|------2----------|----------2------|----------3------|--------%--------|
D:|--0--------------|--0--------------|--5--------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|


     D                                   Gm
e:|----------2---2--|--------------2--|--------------3--|
B:|------3----------|------3----------|------3----------|
G:|-----------------|----------2------|----------3------|    (Fade)
D:|--0--------------|--0--------------|--5--------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|


Lyrics:

 
    Probable French-Creole lyrics as suggested by Neo from U.K.: 

	Feuilles oh, sauvez la vie moi, dans mes yeux mouilles oh.
	Feuilles oh, sauvez la vie moi, dans mes yeux mouilles oh.
	Pitie moi malade, mon coeur caille gang-gang, si me l'eau.
	Pitie moi malade, mon coeur caille gang-gang, si lu bon gang-gang, 
	Sauvez la vie moi, dans mes yeux mouilles oh.
 

    A fairly literal rendering of the French (by Wanda Sherratt): 

	Oh leaves, save my life, in my wet eyes. 
	Oh leaves, save my life, in my wet eyes. 
	Pity sick me, my heart is cold, doctor, like the water. 
	Pity sick me, my heart is cold, doctor, if you read me, good doctor,
	Save my life, in my wet eyes 


    Likely English translation of the French-Creole (from Youtube comments): 

	Oh, leaves, save my life, I'm in misery, Oh. 
	Oh, leaves, save my life, I'm in misery, Oh. 
	My child is sick; I hurry to the house of gangan* Similo (his name).
	My child is sick; I hurry to the house of the gangan, 
	If he is a good gangan, he will save my life.  I'm in misery, oh.

		* gangan -- a voodoo healer