BIRD ON THE WIRE

As recorded by Leonard Cohen
(From the 1969 Album SONGS FROM A ROOM)

Words and Music by Leonard Cohen

Transcribed by Slowhand


Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Leonard Cohen - Acoustic Guitar (Nylon)'


1st - 3rd Verses
Q=110
$
$$
N.C. A E
3/4
Gtr I (Ac. Nylon Str. Gtr.)
W E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|--------||--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
|--------||o-2-----------|-2-------2---|-0-----------|---------0----|
|--------||------2---2---|-----2-------|-----1---1---|-----1--------|
|--------||----2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--|
|--------||o-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|--------------|
|--------||--------------|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0----|
H Q H Q H Q H Q


A D
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------|---------0---|-2-----------|-2-------2---|
|-2-------2---|-2-----------|-----3---3---|-----3-------|
|-----2-------|-----2-------|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q


A E
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-0-----------|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-----2---2---|---------2---|-0-----------|---------0---|
|---2---2---2-|-----2-------|-----1---1---|-----1-------|
|-------------|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
H Q H Q H Q H Q


1.
To Coda
A Asus4 A
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-2-------2----|-3-------3---|-2-------0---|-2-----------o||
|-----2--------|-----2-------|-----2-------|-----2---2----||
|---2---2---2--|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--||
|-0-------0----|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---o||
|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
H Q H Q H Q H Q


Bridge
2.,D.S.
D
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-----0---0---||--2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
|-2-----------||o-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
|-------2---2-||----2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|---2---------||--0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
|-0-------0---||o-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------||--------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q


A
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-2-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-------0---|
|-----3---3---|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2-------|
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q


1.
Bm A
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-----------|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|-----2---2---|
|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|---2---2---2-|
|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|-------------|
|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-0-------0---|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q


E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-------0----||
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2-------o||
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--||
|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---o||
|-------------|-------------|--------------||
H Q H Q H Q


2.
D.S.
D.S.
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-0-----------|-----0-------|-----0-------|---------0----||
|-----1---1---|-2-------2---|-1-------1---|-----1--------||
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0----||
H Q H Q H Q H Q


H.=H
&
D A
H. H. +H.
|-^2-------|-^0-------|-(0)----*|
|-^3-------|-^2-------|-(2)----*|
|-^2-------|-^2-------|-(2)----*|
|-^0-------|-^2-------|-(2)----*|
|----------|-^0-------|-(0)----*|
|----------|----------|--------*|


Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff

Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash

Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths