Paul Simon - Getting Ready For Christmas Day Tab

Paul Simon
Getting Ready For Christmas Day (2010)
(Paul Simon)
Now on: "So Beautiful Or So What" (2011)

A funny little tune: lots of speech samples running in the background, the
sparse playback (strummed acoustic guitar plus drum loop) slightly
phased/auto-volumed but Simon's voice mixed up front and floating pleasantly
above all the rumble. The lyrics are full of humour and wordplay. A very
enjoyable Christmas surprise.


The riff is played from beginning to end (might as well be a loop, too).
I'm not sure whether the bass on the A string is really there, it might
just be EQ-ed out.


Riff (all through the song)
  A                                                  D/A

  
e
                
                
                
                
  
B
2 0 2 0 3 2     
3   2   0   2   
2 0 2 0 3 2    /
7               
  
G
2 0 2 0 2 2     
2   2   0   2   
2 0 2 0 2 2    /
7               
  
D
2 0 2 0 2 2     
2   2   0   2   
2 0 2 0 2 2    /
7               
  
A
0 0 0 0 0 0     
0   0       0   
0 0 0 0 0 0     
0               
  
E
                
       (3)      
                
                

  A                                       D          A

  
e
                
2   0       0   
                
                
  
B
2 0 2 0 3 2     
3   2   3   2   
2 2   3 3       
2               
  
G
2 0 2 0 2 2     
2   2   2   2   
2 2   2 2       
2               
  
D
2 0 2 0 2 2     
2   2   2   2   
2 2   4 4       
2               
  
A
0 0 0 0 0 0     
0   0   0   0   
                
                
  
E
                
                
                
                

Outro turnaround
  A     D          A

  
e
                
                
  
B
2 2   3 3       
2               
  
G
2 2   2 2       
2               
  
D
2 2   4 4       
2               
  
A
                
                
  
E
                
                

A
From early in November

To the last week of December
                                D
I got money matters weighing me down
        A
Oh, the music may be merry

But it's only temporary
                         D         A
I'm no Santa Claus who's coming to town

       A
In the day I work my day job

In the night I work my night
                                       D
But it all comes down to working man's pay
        A
Gettin' ready, yeah, I'm getting' ready
          D         A
Ready for Christmas day

Riff (2x)
        A
I got a nephew in Iraq

It's his third time back
                                D
But it's ending up the way it began
         A
With the luck of a beginner

He'll be eating turkey dinner
                      D       A
On some mountain top in Pakistan

        A                            D
Gettin' ready, oh, we're getting' ready
        A
For the power and the glory
                 D         A
And the story of Christmas day

Riff (2x)
Riff (+ Solo)
        A                            D
Gettin' ready, oh, we're getting' ready
        A
For the power and the glory
                 D         A
And the story of Christmas day

Riff
(Yes, we're getting ready, ready)

        A
I could tell my mum and dad

That the things we never had
                                D
Didn't matter, we were always O.K.
         A
Getting' ready, oh, ready
         D          A
Ready for Christmas day

A                 D
Ready, gettin' ready
        A
For the power and the glory
                D          A
And the story of Christmas day

| A D | A | A D | A
(Outro turnaround)