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

........................ The Dangling Conversation .......................

Copyright © 1966 Paul Simon

From the Hollywood Bowl concert, August 23 1968, as heard on the "Voices
of Intelligent Dissent" recording.

Transcribed by John McGann.

(%) indicates a repeat of the previous TWO measures.


Capo 5th fret  (see tuning info on main page)

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


    Em      D         C
e:|---0-------2-----|-----------0-----|-------0---0-----|---0-------------|
B:|-------0-------0-|-----1---------1-|---1-----------1-|-------1-------0-|
G:|-----0-------2---|-------------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
D:|-----------------|-----2-----------|-2---------------|---------0h2-----|
A:|-2-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
E:|-----------------|-3-------3-------|---------3-------|-----------------|


    G                 G6                Gmaj7             G6
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------0-----|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|
G:|---------------0-|---------------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
D:|-----0-------0---|-------2-----2---|-----4-------4---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|

                                                                    It's a


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

   still .  water    color                          of a now late after -


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

   noon                         As the sun  . through  . curtain lace


    Am   bend       $ G                 G6                Gmaj7
e:|---0-------0-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-------3-------1-|-----------------|-----------0-----|---0-------0-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----------------|---------------0-|-------0-------0-|
D:|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----4-------4---|
A:|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|

                 and shadows wash  the room


    G6                Em               
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|---0-------0-----|-----------0-----|-----1-----1-----|---0-------0---0-|
G:|-------0-------0-|---------------0-|---------------0-|-------0---------|
D:|-----2-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-3-------2-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------2-------|

              And we sit and drink our coffee


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

                     Couched in our indifference like   shells   upon  the 


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

   shore         . . hear the ocean    roar                          in the


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

  dangling con - ver-sation                      and the super - ficial


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

   sighs                           the borders  of  our  lives


    G6                Gmaj7             G6
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
B:|---0-------0-----|-----------0-----|---0-------0-----||
G:|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-||
D:|-----2-------2---|-----4-------4---|-----2-------2---||
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
E:|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------||


Return to * and repeat for the second verse.

Third verse, "Yes we ...":

     C       E7        D
e:|--0-------0------|--2--------------|-----------------------------------|
B:|--1-------0------|--3--------------|-----------------------------------|
G:|--0-------1------|--2---(strum)----|----------------(%)----------------|
D:|--2-------0------|--0--------------|-----------------------------------|
A:|--3-------2------|--0--------------|-----------------------------------|
E:|----------0------|-----------------|-----------------------------------|

  speak of things that matter       with words that must be said    can an-


     C      E7        Am
e:|--0------0-------|-----------------|-------0---------|
B:|--1------0-------|-----------------|-----1---------1-|
G:|--0------1-------|-----2-------2---|-----2---------2-|
D:|--2------0-------|-----2---------2-|-----------------|
A:|--3------2-------|-0-------0-------|-0---------0-----|
E:|---------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|

     aly - sis  be worthwhile


For "Is the theater really dead" and the remainder of third verse, return
	to $ and repeat to double bars.

Repeat this section once:

    G                 G6                Gmaj7             G6
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|-----------0-----|---0-------0-----|
G:|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
D:|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----4-------4---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|


And end on G:

e:|-----------------|
B:|-----------------|
G:|-----------------|
D:|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|
E:|--3--------------|


Lyrics:

It's a still life water color,
Of a now late afternoon,
As the sun shines through the curtained lace,
And shadows wash the room.
And we sit and drink our coffee,
Couched in our indifference,
Like shells upon the shore.
You can hear the ocean roar, 
In the dangling conversation, 
And the superficial sighs.
The borders of our lives.

And you read your Emily Dickinson, 
And I my Robert Frost, 
And we note our place with bookmarkers,
That measure what we've lost.
Like a poem poorly written,
We are verses out of rhythm, 
Couplets out of rhyme, 
In syncopated time. 
And the dangling conversation,
And the superficial sighs,
Are the borders of our lives. 

Yes, we speak of things that matter,
With words that must be said. 
"Can analysis be worthwhile?" 
"Is the theater really dead?" 
And how the room is softly faded, 
And I only kiss your shadow. 
I cannot feel your hand. 
You're a stranger now unto me, 
Lost in the dangling conversation, 
And the superficial sighs, 
In the borders of our lives.