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

............................. Slip Slidin' Away ...........................

Copyright © 1977 Paul Simon

From Paul's 1984 12-City Solo Acoustic Tour.

Transcribed by John McGann.

Although this tab is specifically from the Columbia, MD show (8/2/1984),
it should match any of the 1984 shows fairly closely since they were very
similar shows.  The song is played on a 12 string guitar in concert.

% indicates a repeat of the previous measure.


No capo, tuned down 1/2 step  (see tuning info on main page)

     G                                     Em
e:|--3--------------|-----------------|----0------------|-----------------|
B:|--0--------------|-----------------|----0------------|-----------------|
G:|--0---(strum)----|------%----------|----0--(strum)---|------%----------|
D:|--0--------------|-----------------|----2------------|-----------------|
A:|--2--------------|-----------------|----2------------|-----------------|
E:|--3--------------|-----------3-2-1-|-0--0------------|-----------1-2-3-|


     G                                   G
e:|--3--------------|-----------------|--3-3---------3--|-3-3-------------|
B:|--0--------------|-----------------|--3---1--0----3--|-3-3----0-------0|
G:|--0---(strum)----|--------%--------|--0---0--0--2----|-0-0----0--------|
D:|--0--------------|-----------------|--0---2--0--0----|-0-0--2---0-2-4--|
A:|--2--------------|-----------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
E:|--3--------------|-----------------|--3---3--3--3----|-3-3-------------|


    Em                                                    G
e:|-----------------|-------0-------0-|-------0---------|-3-3-3--3-3-3--3-|
B:|---0---0---0---0-|---0-0-----0-0---|---0-0----0------|-0-0-1--0-0-1--0-|
G:|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|-0-0-0--0-0-0--0-|
D:|-4---2---4---2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-----------|-0-0-2--0-0-2--0-|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-0---------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0--0h1h2|-3-3-3--3-3-3--3-|

                                                             Slip slidin' 


     G                  Em       Am       Em       Am       Em
e:|--3--------------|---0-------------|-----------------|---0-------------|
B:|--0--------------|---0--------1-1--|-----------------|---0-------------|
G:|--0--(strum)-----|---0-strum--2-2--|--------%--------|---0---(strum)---|
D:|--0------------0-|---2--------2-2--|-----------------|---2-------------|
A:|--2--------------|------------0-0--|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--3----------2---|-0---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|

   away                slip slidin' away                        you know .


    G       D         C       D         G                  G
e:|-3-------2-------|-0-------2-------|-3-3--3--3-3--3--|--3--------------|
B:|-0-------3-------|-1-------3-------|-0-0--1--0-0--1--|--0--------------|
G:|-0-strum-2-strum-|-0-strum-2-strum-|-0-0--0--0-0--0--|--0-(strum)------|
D:|-0-------0-------|-2-------0-------|-0-0--2--0-0--2--|--0--------------|
A:|-2---------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-3---------------|-----------------|-3-3--3--3-3--3--|--3--------3-2-1-|

 nearer . dest ...  more .. slip slidin' away                      I know a


  $ Em         Am Em   Em                G                 G
e:|-0-------------0-|--0--------------|--3--------------|-----------------|
B:|-0----------1--0-|--0--------------|--0---------(1)--|-----------------|
G:|-0--strum---2--0-|--0--strum-------|--0--strum--(0)--|--------%--------|
D:|-2----------2----|--2--------------|--0---------(2)--|-----------------|
A:|-2----------0----|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-0---------------|--0--------0-1-2-|--3--------------|-----------------|

   man                        he came . my home town            he wore his


    C       D          C        Csus    Csus    C          G
e:|---------2-------|-----------------|-----------------|--3--------------|
B:|-1-------3-------|--1--------1-1---|-1-------1-------|--0----------1-1-|
G:|-0-strum-2-strum-|--0-strum--0-0---|-0-strum-0-strum-|--0-strum----0-0-|
D:|-2-------0-------|--2--------3-3---|-3-------2-------|--0----------2-2-|
A:|-3---------------|--3--------3-3---|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--3----------3-3-|

  passion . woman . thorny crown                  He said Delores


     G                 Em          Am    Em               G       D
e:|-----------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|-3-------2-------|
B:|--1-1--0---------|--0-----------1--|--0--------------|-0-------3-------|
G:|--0-0--0---------|--0--(strum)--2--|--0---(strum)----|-0-strum-2-strum-|
D:|--2-2--0---------|--2-----------2--|--2--------------|-0-------0-------|
A:|-----------------|--2-----------0--|--2--------------|-----------------|
E:|--3-3--3---3-2-1-|--0--------------|--0--------------|-3---------------|

            I live in fear                    my love for you .. -powering


    C       D          G
e:|-0-------2-------|--3-3--3-3-3--3--|-----------------|
B:|-1-------3-------|--0-0--1-0-0--1--|--0--------------|
G:|-0-strum-2-strum-|--0-0--0-0-0--0--|--0------(strum)-|
D:|-2-------0-------|--0-0--2-0-0--2--|--0--------------|
A:|-3---------------|-----------------|--2--------------|
E:|-----------------|--3-3--3-3-3--3--|--3--------------|

 afraid .. might disappear                  slip slidin'


  *  G                 G                 Em         Am      Em
e:|--3-3--3--3-3--3-|--3--------------|--0--------------|---0-------------|
B:|--0-0--1--0-0--1-|--0--------------|--0----------1-1-|---0-------------|
G:|--0-0--0--0-0--0-|--0--(strum)-----|--0--strum---2-2-|---0---(strum)---|
D:|--0-0--2--0-0--2-|--0------------0-|--2----------2-2-|---2-------------|
A:|-----------------|--2--------------|--2----------0-0-|---2-------------|
E:|--3-3--3--3-3--3-|--3----------2---|--0--------------|-0---------------|

  away                    slip slidin' away                       you know


    G       D         C       D       # G
e:|-3-------2-------|-0-------2-------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-0-------3-------|-1-------3-----0-|-0-0-1---0-0-1-1-|--0--------------|
G:|-0-strum-2-strum-|-0-strum-2-str-0-|-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-|--0--(strum)-----|
D:|-0-------0-------|-2-------0-----0-|-0-0-2---0-0-2-2-|--0--------------|
A:|-2---------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-3---------------|-----------------|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|--3--------3-2-1-|

 . nearer . dest . the more . slidin' away



For the second verse, return to $ and play to #.  At #, jump to:

  #  G                F/A     C          G                F/C     C/G
e:|--3--------------|-1-------0-------|--3--------------|-1-------0-------|
B:|--0--------------|-1-------1-------|--0--------------|-1-------1-------|
G:|--0---(strum)----|-2-strum-0-strum-|--0---(strum)----|-2-strum-0-strum-|
D:|--0--------------|-3-------2-------|--0--------------|-3-------2-------|
A:|--2--------------|-0-------3-------|--2--------------|-3-------3-------|
E:|--3--------------|-----------------|--3--------------|---------3-------|

   away


     G                 G                C       D          G
e:|--3--------------|-----------------|-0-------2-------|--3--------------|
B:|--0--------------|-----------------|-1-------3-------|--0--------------|
G:|--0---(strum)----|------%----------|-0-strum-2-strum-|--0---(strum)----|
D:|--0--------------|-----------------|-2-------0-------|--0--------------|
A:|--2--------------|-------------0-2-|-3---------------|--2--------------|
E:|--3--------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|--3--------------|

                               I know a father who had a  son     He longed


    C       D          C          Csus     C               G          C/G
e:|-0-------2-------|--0--------------|----0------------|--3--------------|
B:|-1-------3-------|--1----------1-1-|-1--1------------|--0----------1-1-|
G:|-0-strum-2-strum-|--0--strum---0-0-|-0--0--(strum)---|--0--strum---0-0-|
D:|-2-------0-------|--2----------3-3-|-3--2------------|--0----------2-2-|
A:|-3---------------|--3----------3-3-|-3--3------------|--2--------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--3----------3-3-|

 to tell . reasons . things . done             He came a long way


    C/G    G           Em          Am    Em               G       D
e:|-----------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|-3-------2-------|
B:|-1-1-1--0--------|--0-----------1--|--0--------------|-0-------3-------|
G:|-0-0-0--0--------|--0--(strum)--2--|--0---(strum)----|-0-strum-2-strum-|
D:|-2-2-2--0--------|--2-----------2--|--2--------------|-0-------0-------|
A:|-----------------|--2-----------0--|--2--------------|-----------------|
E:|-3-3-3--3--3-2-1-|--0--------------|--0--------------|-3---------------|

            just to explain                   He kissed . boy  .. sleeping


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

   turned . headed . again                  slip slidin'



Return to * for the chorus, taking the # jump and continue on for the 
fourth verse.  Then return to * and play the chorus section twice.  Finally,
end with:

      C    G/B  Am     G
e:|---0-------------|--3--------------|
B:|---1----3----1---|--0--------------|
G:|---0----0----2---|--0--------------|
D:|---2----0----2---|--0--------------|
A:|---3----2----0---|--2--------------|
E:|-----------------|--3--------------|


Lyrics:

Slip slidin' away,
Slip slidin' away,
You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away.

I know a man, he came from my home town. 
He wore his passion for his woman like a thorny crown.
He said, "Delores, I live in fear.
My love for you is so overpowering, 
I'm afraid that I will disappear." 

Slip slidin' away,
Slip slidin' away,
You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away.

I know a woman, became a wife.
These are the very words she uses to describe her life:
She said "A good day ain't got no rain." 
She said "A bad day's when I lie in bed, 
And I think of things that might have been." 

Slip slidin' away,
Slip slidin' away,
You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away.

I know a father who had a son.
He longed to tell him all the reasons for the things he had done.
He came a long way just to explain.
He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping,
Then he turned around and he headed home again.

Slip slidin' away,
Slip slidin' away,
You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away.

God only knows.  God makes his plan.
The information's unavailable to the mortal man.
We're working our jobs, collect our pay,
Believe we're gliding down the highway,
When in fact we're slip slidin' away.

Slip slidin' away,
Slip slidin' away,
You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away.

Slip slidin' away,
Slip slidin' away,
You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away.