Long Ago and Far Away
James Taylor

James Taylor
Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
1971

This piece came to my mind when I saw it in a JT tab book.
Then I got the album and it's a pretty cool song, with
backing vocals by Joni Mitchell.  I think it is really
great that the early 70's Southern California superstars
all collaborated and appeared on each other's albums.
But that's just me...

Lyrics
Chords

Capo 2nd

This is the verse:

   Long   ago      a young man sits and plays his waiting game
   Bsus2   Bmaj7sus2 B7sus2  Esus2,4   Amaj7             A6/E
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----0---------0-|-------2---------|
B:---2-------2-----|---2-------0-----|-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2-----|
G:-4-----4-3-----3-|-2-----2-2-----2-|-----1-----1-----|---2-----2-----1-|
D:-----------------|-----------------|-------------2---|-2-----------0---|
A:-2-------2-------|-2---------------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|---------0-------|-----------------|-0---------------|


...things are not the same it seems as in such tender    dreams
   C#m     C#m(maj7) C#m7    F#        D                 D/E
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----4-------4---|-----4-------2---|-----2-----2-----|-----2-----2-----|
B:---5-------4-----|---5---------2---|-----3-----3-----|-----3-----3-----|
G:-6-----6-5-----5-|-4-----4---3-----|---2-----2-----2-|---2-----2-----2-|
D:-----------------|---------4-------|-0-----0-----0---|-------------0---|
A:-4-------4-------|-4---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|---------2-------|-----------------|-0-----0---------|

This is the chorus (repeats twice):

   Where do those golden rainbows end          why is this song so sad
   Amaj7             A6/E              Amaj7             A6/E
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----0-----0---0-|-----2-----2---2-|-----0-----0---0-|-----2-----2---2-|
B:-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2---2-|
G:---1-----1-------|---2-----2-------|---1-----1-------|---2-----2-------|
D:-----------------|-2-----2-----2---|-----------------|-2-----2-----2---|
A:-0-----0-----0---|-----------------|-0-----0-----0---|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

This is the ending (repeat 2x after last chorus):

   Asus2             A6/E
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----0-----0---0-|-----2-----2---2-|
B:-----0-----0---0-|-----2-----2---2-|
G:---2-----2-------|---2-----2-------|
D:-----------------|-2-----2-----2---|
A:-0-----0-----0---|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|

LYRICS:

Long ago a young man sits and plays his waiting game
But things are not the same it seems as in such tender dreams
Slowly passing sailing ships and Sunday afternoon
Like people on the moon I see are things not meant to be

CHORUS
Where do those golden rainbows end
Why is this song so sad
Dreaming the dreams I've dreamed my friend
Loving the love I love to


Love is just a word I've heard when things are being said
Stories my poor head has told me cannot stand the cold
And in between what might have been and what has come to pass
A misbegotten guess alas and bits of broken glass

CHORUS
Where do your golden rainbows end
Why is the song I sing so sad
Dreaming the dreams I dream my friend
Loving the love I love to love to love

play ending


CHORDS:

Bsus2		x24422
Bmaj7sus2	x24322
B7sus2		x24222
Esus2,4		0x2202
Amaj7		x02120
A6/E		022222
C#m		x46654
C#m(maj7)	x46644 (this is actually C#maj7sus2)
C#m7		x46454
D/E		0xx232
Asus2		x02200

To learn why these chords are named this way, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.