(Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
Written by Greg Lake ( lyrics by Peter Sinfield ) in the key of Dm in 4/4 time and 3/4 time
Released on the Album: Works Volume I (1977)
Released as a single in 1977 (Atlantic)
C'est La Vie on Wikipedia | Lyrics
Fingerstyle version for single acoustic guitar in Drop D tuning
thumb: x Hammer on: h Bend up: V Play or don't: ()
index: a Pull off: p Bend down: Λ Break: b
dirty: b Slide up: / Fret but don't pick: ! Downward stroke: ↑
ring: c Slide down: \ Staccato: : Upward stroke: ↓
pinky: d Arpeggio: ~~~ Mute: m
Red colored exclamation marks offer additional fretting information
Click on < x > to do the switcheroo
Greg is flatpicking this song on a 12 string acoustic guitar in Drop D tuning.
You'll have to cope with lots of 5-string arpeggios.
For fingerstyle guitar, I suggest the following picking pattern: x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
INTRO
... C'est la ...
Dm(add9)
e---------------------------0--------------------|---↑0------| picking pattern:
b--------------------6b----------6b--------------|---↑6b-----| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
g--------------7d----------------------7d--------|---↑7d-----| a~~~
D--------7c---------------------------------7c---|---↑7c-----|
A------------------------------------------------|---↑5a-----|
D---0--------------------------------------------|-----------|
4/4
1ST VERSE
||:
1... vie ... have your ...
2... love ... and then ...
Dm(add9)
e----------------------0------------------|-----------------------0----------------------| picking pattern:
b-----------------6b-------6b-------------|------------------6b-------6b-----------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g------------7d-----------------7d--------|-------------7d-----------------7d--------\---|
D-------7c---------------------------7c---|--------7c---------------------------7c---\---|
A-----------------------------------------|---5a-----------------------------------------|
D---0-------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
1... leaves all turned to brown ... will you ...
2... how am I to know ... if you ...
Csus2
e-----------------------3a------------------|-----------------------3a----------------------| picking pattern:
b------------------3a--------3a-------------|------------------3a--------3a-----------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g-------------5d------------------5d--------|-------------5d------------------5d------------|
D--------5c----------------------------5c---|--------5c----------------------------5c---\---|
A---3a--------------------------------------|---3a--------------------------------------\---|
D-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
<--------------------------------- 5/6 barré ----------------------------------->
1... scatter them around you ...
2... don't let your love show for me ...
Gm13/Bb C9
e----------------------0-----------------|----------------------0-----------------| picking pattern:
b-----------------3d-------3d------------|-----------------3c-------3c------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g-------------0-----------------0--------|-------------0-----------------0--------|
D--------3c-------------------------3c---|--------2a-------------------------2a---|
A---1a-----------------------------------|---3b-----------------------------------|
D----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| < x >
1... c'est la vie ... Do you ...
Dm
e-------------------------0h1ap0--------------|---↑0h1a-----| picking pattern:
b-------------------3d-------------3d---------|---↑3d-------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - a~~~
g-------------2b-------------------------2b---|---↑2b-------|
D--------0------------------------------------|---↑0--------|
A---------------------------------------------|-------------|
D---0-----------------------------------------|-------------|
1/4 4/4
2... c'est la vie ...
Dm(add9)
e----------------------0------------------|-----------------------0------------------| picking pattern:
b-----------------6b-------6b-------------|------------------6b-------6b-------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g------------7d-----------------7d--------|-------------7d-----------------7d--------|
D-------7c---------------------------7c---|--------7c---------------------------7c---|
A-----------------------------------------|---5a-------------------------------------|
D---0-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
:||
CHORUS
||:
1... Oh, oh, c'est la ...
2... Oh, oh, c'est la ...
Gsus2
e-----------------------5a------------------|------------------------5a------------------| picking pattern:
b------------------8d--------3a-------------|-------------------8d--------8d-------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g-------------7c------------------7c--------|--------------7c------------------7c--------|
D--------5a----------------------------5a---|--------5a-----------------------------5a---|
A-------------------------------------------|---5a---------------------------------------|
D---5a--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| info
<----------------------------------- full barré --------------------------------->
1... vie ...
2... vie ... who ...
Dm(add9)
e----------------------0------------------|-----------------------0------------------| picking pattern:
b-----------------6b-------6b-------------|------------------6b-------6b-------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g------------7d-----------------7d--------|-------------7d-----------------7d--------|
D-------7c---------------------------7c---|--------7c---------------------------7c---|
A-----------------------------------------|---5a-------------------------------------|
D---0-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
:||
... knows, who cares for ...
?? ??
e-----------------------0----------------------|------------------------0------------------| picking pattern:
b------------------6b-------6b-----------------|-------------------6b-------6b-------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g-------------7d-----------------7d------------|--------------7d-----------------7d--------|
D--------5a---------------------------5a---/---|---------6a---------------------------6a---|
A---5a-------------------------------------/---|---!7c-------------------------------------|
D----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
... me ... c'est la ...
Asus4 A
e------------------------5a---------------------|------------------------5a-----| picking pattern:
b-------------------5a---------5a---------------|-------------------5a----------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
g-------------7d--------------------7d---------|---------------6b---------------| x - x - a - b - c
D--------7c--------------------------------7c---|--------7c---------------------|
A---0-------------------------------------------|---0---------------------------|
D-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
1/2
... vie ... In the ...
Dm
e-------------------------0h1ap0--------------|---↑0h1a-----| picking pattern:
b-------------------3d-------------3d---------|---↑3d-------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a
g-------------2b-------------------------2b---|---↑2b-------| a~~~
D--------0------------------------------------|---↑0--------|
A---------------------------------------------|-------------|
D---0-----------------------------------------|-------------|
1/4 4/4
2ND VERSE (same teb as 1st verse)
... night ... do you ...
... light a lover's fire ... do the ...
... ashes of desire for you ... re- ...
... main ... Like the ...
... sea ... there's a ...
... love too deep to show ... took a ...
... storm before my love flowed for you ...
... c'est la vie ...
CHORUS (same tab)
... Oh, oh, c'est la ...
... vie ...
... oh, oh, c'est la ...
... vie ... who ...
... knows, who cares for ...
... me ... c'est la ...
... vie ...
INTERLUDE
An instrumental part follows, where Keith Emerson plays Musette on an accordion, accompanied by Lake on guitar.
The song changes from 4/4 time to 3/4 time.
Greg Lake plays some chords on the upper frets that are hard to analyse, but who cares.
You can achieve the same results on the lower frets as well, maybe even better.
The following tab is the best solution I have found, as yet.
||:
Dsus2 Dsus2/Db
e---------------------0---------------|----------------------0---------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3c---------3c---------|----------------3c---------3c---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------2a---------------------2a---|----------2a---------------------2a---|
D---0---------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|---4d---------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
Dsus2/C Em7
e---------------------0-------------------|-------------------0---------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3c--------3c----------\---|------------!3d---------3d---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------2a--------------------2a--------|--------0----------------------0---|
D-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A---3b--------------------------------\---|---2b------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Gm6/Bb Am7
e---------------------0---------------|-------------------0---------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3d---------3d---------|-------------1a---------1a---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------0----------------------0----|--------0----------------------0---|
D-------------------------------------|--------!--------------------------|
A---1a--------------------------------|---0-------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
1. Dsus2
e---------------------0---------------|----------------------0---------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3c---------3c---------|----------------3c---------3c---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------2a---------------------2a---|----------2a---------------------2a---|
D---0---------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|---0----------------------------------|
2. Dsus2
e---------------------0---------------|----------------------0-------------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3c---------3c---------|----------------3b---------3b-------------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------2a---------------------2a---|----------2a---------------------2a---/---|
D---0---------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|---0--------------------------------------| info
:||
||:
Gm Gm
e---------------------3a--------------|---------------------3a--------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3a---------3a---------|---------------3a---------3a---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------3a---------------------3a---|---------3a---------------------3a---|
D---5d--------------------------------|---!---------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|---5c--------------------------------|
<--------------------------- half barré --------------------------------
Gm Gm
e---------------------3a--------------|---------------------3a--------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3a---------3a---------|---------------3a---------3a---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------3a---------------------3a---|---------3a---------------------3a---|
D---5d--------------------------------|---!---------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D---!---------------------------------|---5c--------------------------------|
------------------------------- half barré ---------------------------->
Dsus2
e---------------------0---------------|----------------------0---------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3b---------3b---------|----------------3b---------3b---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------2a---------------------2a---|----------2a---------------------2a---|
D---0---------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|---0----------------------------------| repeat tab 1x
:||
Gm Gm
e---------------------3a--------------|---------------------3a------------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3a---------3a---------|---------------3a---------3a-------------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------3a---------------------3a---|---------3a---------------------3a---\---|
D---5d--------------------------------|---!-------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|---5c------------------------------------|
<--------------------------- half barré ---------------------------->
E7
e---------------------0---------------|---------------------0---------------| picking pattern:
b---------------3d---------3d---------|---------------3d---------3d---------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g---------1a---------------------1a---|---------1a---------------------1a---|
D-------------------------------------|---2c--------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D---2b--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
A7sus4
e-------------------0-------------|------------------0-------------| picking pattern:
b-------------3d--------3d--------|------------3d--------3d--------| x - a - b - c - b - a (2x)
g--------0--------------------0---|--------0-------------------0---|
D---------------------------------|---2a---------------------------|
A---0-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
D---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
... Like a ...
A
e-------------------0--------------|----------|-----------| picking pattern:
b-------------2b--------2b---------|----------|-----------| x - a - b - c - b - a
g--------2a-------------------2a---|----------|-----b-----| x
D----------------------------------|----2a----|-----------|
A---0------------------------------|----------|-----------|
D----------------------------------|----------|-----------| ritardando
3/4 <-- info -->
3RD VERSE (same tab as 1st verse)
... song ... out of ...
... tune and out of time ... all I ...
... needed was a rhyme for you ...
... c'est la vie ... Do you ...
... give ... do you ...
... live from day to day ... is there ...
... no song I can play for you ...
... c'est la vie ...
CHORUS (same tab)
... Oh, oh, c'est la ...
... vie ...
... oh, oh, c'est la ...
... vie ... who ...
... knows, who cares for ...
... me ... c'est la ...
... vie ...