Chords for Bernard Butler Interview 7/7 on: How he wrote "Yes"...
Tempo:
194.35 bpm
Chords used:
Ab
G
A
E
F
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Oh, um, there is
I'm embarrassed to ask, but basically, I'm going to ask because my cousin asked me to ask this question which I apologise for in advance.
Am I married?
Yeah, are you married?
Would you like to be?
How did you ever write a song as good as Yes?
Blimey.
How did you write that?
That was really quick, really easy.
[B] How did [C] we write that?
Right place, right time.
I was a [A] miserable, [Eb] angsty young man [Bm] with a point [Ab] to prove and an axe, carrying an axe around and listening to loads of Scott Walker and Dusty Springfield and [B]
[Ab] just wanted to make the most [Bb] joyous, happy [Gb] record, [Ab]
but something exploded.
And I didn't really think, when you do that, [Gm] when you go out to do it, you don't really think you're going to be able to do it, but actually I [Ab] think as time's passed by, it has become for a lot of people a really lovely [E] record.
It's [Gm] definitely my favourite thing I've ever done, [G] just because, I don't know if it's the best record or the best song or anything like that, but [Ab] it's just, for people, it's the one thing that comes back on me all the time, where people just have [Bb]
a really [D] lovely memory of it.
People [G] just have a special place for it.
Because we weren't really a [F] group,
[Ab] me and David,
[G] the [Ab] whole point of it at the time for me was to [G] do something that had no group around [Ab] it, no marketing plan, there was going to be no album, it was just a great one-off piece of music that you just heard [A] and that's all that it meant.
[G] Even doing a [Ab] video and stuff, I resisted all those kind of things.
I was really, really resisting everything at the time and being very difficult about it.
But in some ways I'm really glad because it has remained a great four minutes of music that you don't have to have been to see the tour or bought the T-shirt or been a fan, you just [Fm] like the song when it comes [G] on.
I met [Eb] David, which is a very rewarding thing in my life, I love him, he's a great guy.
[A] [Ab] I think he's got the most underrated, [D]
[G] I don't know if he's underrated or not, but I think he's the best singer Britain's ever produced.
He's got a really unique voice.
[Ab] People talk about him technically, but I think [A] emotionally there's a really beautiful [Ab] emotional and human quality [G] that he's got.
Whenever I've worked with [Abm] him I always just tap into [Ab]
that.
And when we did Yes, it was exactly like that.
He had a point to prove about what was going on with him and I did.
I met him one [A] night [Ab] and I gave him Yes the next day, he came back two days later [E]
with a vocal idea.
He said, I've [G] only written one verse and we said, I'll just sing it twice.
And no one's ever noticed that, it's got one [Abm] verse and he just repeats it.
It's the funniest thing to get away [F] with.
To be a good song, that's not really a technical thing.
If you [G] said a great song, it's just got one verse and you repeat it.
It's [C] half a great song twice.
[Ab] Exactly, that's it.
So that's how I wrote it.
I got lucky, I was in the right place at the right time with a truly amazing [E] singer.
So you're not thinking about these things, you're just out in the
I was just on fire at the time, really exuberant.
[Ab] I made many mistakes at that time, many [Bm] mistakes through my life.
[N]
But there was something there which I got right.
Just because people always email me saying, I got married to that song.
I've had that so many times.
People played it the [Ab] first song after their wedding and stuff like that.
That means a lot to [G] me actually.
I went to [Ab] the fireworks about five years ago in Ali Pali with my kids.
[N] They have a big display in Ali Pali.
And they always play loads of classical music.
And when the final firework goes off at the end, they always just play something [G] amazing.
And it's always made amongst the best [Ab] fireworks.
And they played [G] classical music all night.
And then they played Yes, Just Happened as the finale.
And I [Gb] was just standing there with 5,000 [Ab] people just minding my own business and watching the [Dbm] fireworks.
And it was the most [G] beautiful moment.
I can't tell you what that feels like.
[Ab] Because I was just standing around people that didn't know [G] that I'd made that record or [Ab] had anything to do with it.
And people just, you know, someone had chosen to play something that would [G]
be fitting of the moment.
That's a really [F] proud thing.
So tell your cousin that.
And tell her [E] I am married.
But I'm free on Saturday night.
I'm embarrassed to ask, but basically, I'm going to ask because my cousin asked me to ask this question which I apologise for in advance.
Am I married?
Yeah, are you married?
Would you like to be?
How did you ever write a song as good as Yes?
Blimey.
How did you write that?
That was really quick, really easy.
[B] How did [C] we write that?
Right place, right time.
I was a [A] miserable, [Eb] angsty young man [Bm] with a point [Ab] to prove and an axe, carrying an axe around and listening to loads of Scott Walker and Dusty Springfield and [B]
[Ab] just wanted to make the most [Bb] joyous, happy [Gb] record, [Ab]
but something exploded.
And I didn't really think, when you do that, [Gm] when you go out to do it, you don't really think you're going to be able to do it, but actually I [Ab] think as time's passed by, it has become for a lot of people a really lovely [E] record.
It's [Gm] definitely my favourite thing I've ever done, [G] just because, I don't know if it's the best record or the best song or anything like that, but [Ab] it's just, for people, it's the one thing that comes back on me all the time, where people just have [Bb]
a really [D] lovely memory of it.
People [G] just have a special place for it.
Because we weren't really a [F] group,
[Ab] me and David,
[G] the [Ab] whole point of it at the time for me was to [G] do something that had no group around [Ab] it, no marketing plan, there was going to be no album, it was just a great one-off piece of music that you just heard [A] and that's all that it meant.
[G] Even doing a [Ab] video and stuff, I resisted all those kind of things.
I was really, really resisting everything at the time and being very difficult about it.
But in some ways I'm really glad because it has remained a great four minutes of music that you don't have to have been to see the tour or bought the T-shirt or been a fan, you just [Fm] like the song when it comes [G] on.
I met [Eb] David, which is a very rewarding thing in my life, I love him, he's a great guy.
[A] [Ab] I think he's got the most underrated, [D]
[G] I don't know if he's underrated or not, but I think he's the best singer Britain's ever produced.
He's got a really unique voice.
[Ab] People talk about him technically, but I think [A] emotionally there's a really beautiful [Ab] emotional and human quality [G] that he's got.
Whenever I've worked with [Abm] him I always just tap into [Ab]
that.
And when we did Yes, it was exactly like that.
He had a point to prove about what was going on with him and I did.
I met him one [A] night [Ab] and I gave him Yes the next day, he came back two days later [E]
with a vocal idea.
He said, I've [G] only written one verse and we said, I'll just sing it twice.
And no one's ever noticed that, it's got one [Abm] verse and he just repeats it.
It's the funniest thing to get away [F] with.
To be a good song, that's not really a technical thing.
If you [G] said a great song, it's just got one verse and you repeat it.
It's [C] half a great song twice.
[Ab] Exactly, that's it.
So that's how I wrote it.
I got lucky, I was in the right place at the right time with a truly amazing [E] singer.
So you're not thinking about these things, you're just out in the
I was just on fire at the time, really exuberant.
[Ab] I made many mistakes at that time, many [Bm] mistakes through my life.
[N]
But there was something there which I got right.
Just because people always email me saying, I got married to that song.
I've had that so many times.
People played it the [Ab] first song after their wedding and stuff like that.
That means a lot to [G] me actually.
I went to [Ab] the fireworks about five years ago in Ali Pali with my kids.
[N] They have a big display in Ali Pali.
And they always play loads of classical music.
And when the final firework goes off at the end, they always just play something [G] amazing.
And it's always made amongst the best [Ab] fireworks.
And they played [G] classical music all night.
And then they played Yes, Just Happened as the finale.
And I [Gb] was just standing there with 5,000 [Ab] people just minding my own business and watching the [Dbm] fireworks.
And it was the most [G] beautiful moment.
I can't tell you what that feels like.
[Ab] Because I was just standing around people that didn't know [G] that I'd made that record or [Ab] had anything to do with it.
And people just, you know, someone had chosen to play something that would [G]
be fitting of the moment.
That's a really [F] proud thing.
So tell your cousin that.
And tell her [E] I am married.
But I'm free on Saturday night.
Key:
Ab
G
A
E
F
Ab
G
A
Oh, um, there _ _ is_
_ _ I'm embarrassed to ask, but basically, I'm going to ask because my cousin _ asked me to ask this question which I apologise for in advance.
Am I married?
_ Yeah, are you married?
Would you like to be? _ _
How did you ever write a song as good as Yes? _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Blimey.
_ _ _ How did you write that?
_ _ _ That was really quick, _ really easy. _ _
_ _ [B] _ How _ _ _ did [C] _ we write that? _
Right place, right time.
_ I was a [A] miserable, [Eb] angsty young man [Bm] with a point [Ab] to prove and an axe, carrying an axe around and listening to loads of Scott Walker and Dusty Springfield _ and _ _ [B] _ _
_ [Ab] just _ wanted to make the most [Bb] joyous, happy [Gb] record, _ [Ab]
but something exploded.
_ And I didn't really think, when you do that, [Gm] when you go out to do it, you don't really think you're going to be able to do it, but actually I [Ab] think as time's passed by, _ it has become for a lot of people a really lovely [E] record.
_ _ It's [Gm] definitely my favourite thing I've ever done, [G] just because, _ I don't know if it's the best record or the best song or anything like that, but [Ab] _ _ _ it's just, for people, _ it's the one thing that comes back on me all the time, where people just have [Bb] _ _
a really [D] lovely memory of it.
_ People [G] _ just have a special place for it.
Because we weren't really a [F] group, _
_ [Ab] _ me and David, _
[G] _ the [Ab] whole point of it at the time for me was to [G] do something that had no group around [Ab] it, no marketing plan, there was going to be no album, it was just a great one-off piece of music that you just heard [A] and that's all that it meant. _
_ _ _ _ [G] Even doing a [Ab] video and stuff, I resisted all those kind of things.
I was really, really resisting everything at the time and being very difficult about it.
But _ in some ways I'm really glad because _ it has remained a great four minutes of music that _ _ _ you don't have to have been to see the tour _ or bought the T-shirt _ _ _ or been a fan, you just [Fm] like the song when it comes [G] on.
I met _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] David, which is a very rewarding thing in my life, I love him, he's a great guy.
[A] _ _ [Ab] _ I think he's got the most underrated, _ _ [D] _ _
_ [G] I don't know if he's underrated or not, but I think he's _ the best singer Britain's ever produced.
_ _ He's got a really _ unique voice. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Ab] People talk about him technically, but I think [A] emotionally there's a really beautiful [Ab] emotional and human quality [G] that he's got.
Whenever I've worked with [Abm] him I always just tap into [Ab] _
that.
And when we did Yes, it was exactly like that.
He _ had a point to prove _ _ _ about what was going on with him and I did.
_ _ _ I met him one [A] night _ _ _ _ [Ab] and I _ gave him Yes the next day, he came back two days later [E] _ _ _
_ _ _ with a vocal idea. _
_ _ _ _ He said, I've [G] only written one verse and we said, I'll just sing it twice.
And no one's ever noticed that, it's got one [Abm] verse and he just repeats it.
It's the funniest thing to get away [F] with.
To be a good song, that's not really a technical thing.
If you [G] said _ _ a great song, it's just got one verse and you repeat it.
It's [C] half a great song twice.
_ [Ab] _ Exactly, that's it.
_ So that's how I wrote it.
I got lucky, I was in the right place at the right time with a truly _ amazing [E] singer. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
So you're not thinking about these things, you're just out in the_
I was just on fire at the time, really exuberant.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] I made many mistakes at that time, many [Bm] mistakes through my life.
_ _ [N] _
But _ there was something there which _ I got right. _
_ _ Just because people always email me saying, _ _ I _ got married to that song.
_ _ I've had that so many times.
_ People played it the [Ab] first song after their wedding and stuff like that.
That means a lot to [G] me actually. _ _ _ _
I went to [Ab] the fireworks about five years ago in Ali Pali with my kids. _
[N] _ They have a big display in Ali Pali.
And they always play loads of classical music.
And when the final firework goes off at the end, they always just play _ something [G] amazing.
And it's always made amongst the best [Ab] fireworks.
And they played _ [G] classical music all night.
And then they played Yes, Just Happened as the finale.
And I [Gb] was just standing there _ with 5,000 [Ab] people just minding my own business and watching the [Dbm] fireworks.
And it was the most [G] beautiful moment.
I can't tell you what that feels like.
[Ab] _ Because I was just standing around people that didn't know [G] that I'd made that record or [Ab] had anything to do with it.
And people just, you know, someone had chosen to play something that _ _ _ would _ _ [G] _
_ _ be fitting of the moment. _
That's a really [F] proud thing.
So tell your cousin that.
And tell her [E] I am married. _
_ _ _ _ But I'm free on Saturday night. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ I'm embarrassed to ask, but basically, I'm going to ask because my cousin _ asked me to ask this question which I apologise for in advance.
Am I married?
_ Yeah, are you married?
Would you like to be? _ _
How did you ever write a song as good as Yes? _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Blimey.
_ _ _ How did you write that?
_ _ _ That was really quick, _ really easy. _ _
_ _ [B] _ How _ _ _ did [C] _ we write that? _
Right place, right time.
_ I was a [A] miserable, [Eb] angsty young man [Bm] with a point [Ab] to prove and an axe, carrying an axe around and listening to loads of Scott Walker and Dusty Springfield _ and _ _ [B] _ _
_ [Ab] just _ wanted to make the most [Bb] joyous, happy [Gb] record, _ [Ab]
but something exploded.
_ And I didn't really think, when you do that, [Gm] when you go out to do it, you don't really think you're going to be able to do it, but actually I [Ab] think as time's passed by, _ it has become for a lot of people a really lovely [E] record.
_ _ It's [Gm] definitely my favourite thing I've ever done, [G] just because, _ I don't know if it's the best record or the best song or anything like that, but [Ab] _ _ _ it's just, for people, _ it's the one thing that comes back on me all the time, where people just have [Bb] _ _
a really [D] lovely memory of it.
_ People [G] _ just have a special place for it.
Because we weren't really a [F] group, _
_ [Ab] _ me and David, _
[G] _ the [Ab] whole point of it at the time for me was to [G] do something that had no group around [Ab] it, no marketing plan, there was going to be no album, it was just a great one-off piece of music that you just heard [A] and that's all that it meant. _
_ _ _ _ [G] Even doing a [Ab] video and stuff, I resisted all those kind of things.
I was really, really resisting everything at the time and being very difficult about it.
But _ in some ways I'm really glad because _ it has remained a great four minutes of music that _ _ _ you don't have to have been to see the tour _ or bought the T-shirt _ _ _ or been a fan, you just [Fm] like the song when it comes [G] on.
I met _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] David, which is a very rewarding thing in my life, I love him, he's a great guy.
[A] _ _ [Ab] _ I think he's got the most underrated, _ _ [D] _ _
_ [G] I don't know if he's underrated or not, but I think he's _ the best singer Britain's ever produced.
_ _ He's got a really _ unique voice. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Ab] People talk about him technically, but I think [A] emotionally there's a really beautiful [Ab] emotional and human quality [G] that he's got.
Whenever I've worked with [Abm] him I always just tap into [Ab] _
that.
And when we did Yes, it was exactly like that.
He _ had a point to prove _ _ _ about what was going on with him and I did.
_ _ _ I met him one [A] night _ _ _ _ [Ab] and I _ gave him Yes the next day, he came back two days later [E] _ _ _
_ _ _ with a vocal idea. _
_ _ _ _ He said, I've [G] only written one verse and we said, I'll just sing it twice.
And no one's ever noticed that, it's got one [Abm] verse and he just repeats it.
It's the funniest thing to get away [F] with.
To be a good song, that's not really a technical thing.
If you [G] said _ _ a great song, it's just got one verse and you repeat it.
It's [C] half a great song twice.
_ [Ab] _ Exactly, that's it.
_ So that's how I wrote it.
I got lucky, I was in the right place at the right time with a truly _ amazing [E] singer. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
So you're not thinking about these things, you're just out in the_
I was just on fire at the time, really exuberant.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] I made many mistakes at that time, many [Bm] mistakes through my life.
_ _ [N] _
But _ there was something there which _ I got right. _
_ _ Just because people always email me saying, _ _ I _ got married to that song.
_ _ I've had that so many times.
_ People played it the [Ab] first song after their wedding and stuff like that.
That means a lot to [G] me actually. _ _ _ _
I went to [Ab] the fireworks about five years ago in Ali Pali with my kids. _
[N] _ They have a big display in Ali Pali.
And they always play loads of classical music.
And when the final firework goes off at the end, they always just play _ something [G] amazing.
And it's always made amongst the best [Ab] fireworks.
And they played _ [G] classical music all night.
And then they played Yes, Just Happened as the finale.
And I [Gb] was just standing there _ with 5,000 [Ab] people just minding my own business and watching the [Dbm] fireworks.
And it was the most [G] beautiful moment.
I can't tell you what that feels like.
[Ab] _ Because I was just standing around people that didn't know [G] that I'd made that record or [Ab] had anything to do with it.
And people just, you know, someone had chosen to play something that _ _ _ would _ _ [G] _
_ _ be fitting of the moment. _
That's a really [F] proud thing.
So tell your cousin that.
And tell her [E] I am married. _
_ _ _ _ But I'm free on Saturday night. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _