JoniMitchell.

com Transcription for Guitar

Cactus Tree
Author: Les Irvin DADF#AD, ‘Joni’ Tuning: x75435, Capo 4

This transcription is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship,
or research. Copyrighted material on this website is used in accordance with 'Fair Use'

Joni's playing on this song is quite intricate and challenging. She makes
extensive use of the low string as a drone and moves back and forth between 2 or
3 subtly different right-hand patterns.

Each dash of the tablature represents a 16th note. Above each staff I've written
the measure numbers and (on the next line) the eighth note counts to help
understand the highly syncopated rhythm. Best to listen carefully to the
recording a few times before attempting it.

Right hand fingering is important here, I would guess Joni primarily uses the
thumb on the 6th string, the index finger on the 5th string, and the middle and
ring fingers as pairs on the 4th/3rd and 2nd/1st strings.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

INTRO

1 2 3 4
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D ------------------------0---------------0---------------0-------
A ------------------------0---------------0---------------0-------
F# --3-----3---------1---------------3---------------1-------------
D --0-----0----0----0----------0----0----------0----0----------0--
A -----4-----4---4-----2-----2---2-----4-----4---4-----2-----2----
D 0-0---0---0---0-0-0---0---0---0-0-0---0---0---0-0-0---0---0---0-
There..
VERSE

5 6 7 8*
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D ------------------------0-----------------------4----4-------0--
A ------------------------0-----------------------0----0-------0--
F# 3----3--3----3--1----1-------1--3----3--1----1-----3---s---1----
D 0----0--0----0--0----0-------0--0----0--0----0----4---4s2-2-----
A ---4-------4-------2-------2-------4-------2--------------------
D --0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---------------0-
man.. sailing.. dreams.. schooner.. queen..

(* Measure 8 - shift your right hand, thumb and index finger play the two middle
strings now. Same thing in measures 17-19. 's' means to slide down, or up as in
measure 20.)
 9 10 11 12
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D ------------------------------------------------0---------------
A ------------------------------------------------0---------------
F# 3----3--1----1--3----3----1-----1---------1-------------1----1--
D 0----0--0----0--0----0----0-----0----0----0----------0--0----0--
A ---4-------2-------4---------2-----2---2-----2-----2-------2---2
D 0-0---0---0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0---0---0-0-0---0---0---0---0---0-
beads.. amber.. green.. called..

13 14 15 16
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D --------0-----------------------0-----------------------0-------
A --------0-----------------------0-----------------------0-------
F# --0----------0--1----1----0----------0--1----1----0----------0--
D --0----------0--0----0----0----------0--0----0----0----------0--
A -----0-----0-------2---------0-----0-------2---------0-----0----
D 0---0-0---0---0---0---0-0---0-0---0---0--0----0-0---0-0---0---0-
harbor.. kissed.. heard..

17 18 19 20
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D --------2----2--4----4--4----4--2----2--0----0------------------
A --------0----0--0----0--0----0--0----0--0----0------------------
F# 1----1-----1-------3-------3-------1-------1----s3---3--1----1--
D 0----0----2---2---4---4---4---4---2---2---2---2------0--0----0--
A ---2--------------------------------------------s4-4-------2----
D --0---0-------------------------------------------0---0---0---0-
breaking.. water.. she.. busy..

21* 22
1 + 2 + 3e+ 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D ------------------------0-------
A ------------------------0-------
F# --0-----01---1----0----------0-- Back to measure 5
D --0-----0----0----0----------0-- and start next verse
A -----0-----2---------0-----0----
D 0---0-0---0---0-0---0-0---0---0-
free..

(* Measure 21 - on the 3e beat, both the index and middle fingers hammer
onto the 3rd and 5th strings from their open positions. Easier done
than written... listen to the recording.)
There's a man who's been out sailing
In a decade full of dreams
And he takes her to a schooner
And he treats her like a queen
Bearing beads from California
With their amber stones and green
He has called her from the harbor
He has kissed her with his freedom
He has heard her off to starboard
In the breaking and the breathing
Of the water weeds
While she was busy being free

There's a man who's climbed a mountain

And he's calling out her name
He hope her heart can here
3000 miles he calls again
He can think her there beside him
He can miss her just the same
He has missed her in the forest
Where he showed her all the flowers
And the branches sang the chorus
As he climbed the scaley towers
Of the forest trees ...
While she was somewhere being free.

There's man who sent her letters

He is waiting for reply
He asks her of her travels
Since the day they said good-bye
He writes "Wish you were beside me,
We can make it if we try."
He has seen her in the office
With her name on all his papers
>From the sharing of the profits
He will find it hard to shake her
>From his memory ...
While she's so busy being free.

There's a lady in the city

And she thinks she loves them all
There's the one who thinking of her
There's the one who sometimes calls
There's the one who writes those letters
With his fact and figure scrawl
She has brought them to her senses
They have laughed inside her laughter
Now she rallies her defenses
'Cause she fears that one will ask her
For eternity ...
And she's much too busy being free.
There's a man who sends her medals
He is bleeding from the war
There's a jouster and a jester
And a man who owns a store
There's a drummer and a dreamer
And you know there could be more
She will love them when she sees them
They will lose her if they follow
And she only means to please them
And her heart is full and hollow
Like a cactus tree ...
And she's so busy being free.

Ending:
You know, once you've gotten this far through the song, the ending will be a
piece of cake for you. :-)

© 1966, renewed 1994 Crazy Crow Music (BMI)