If You Could Read My Mind Chords & Guitar Lesson by Gordon Lightfoot

Welcome to my If You Could Read My Mind guitar lesson. This is a great song by Gordon Lightfoot. I actually heard it while I was driving in the car and said, this would make a great addition to my lessons.

Chord below will be played with a Capo on the 2nd fret.

IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND GUITAR CHORDS:

STRUMMING PATTERNS:

Strumming:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4+
D   D DU DU

Fingerpicking Options: 3 pattern variations over a G chord

We do not distribute printable chord and lyrics charts. These charts are here only to support online learning. We highly recommend buying music from Hal Leonard or a reputable online sheet music store.

IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND CHORD CHART: By Gordon Lightfoot Capo 2nd Fret

Intro: G G G G

Verse:
G                      G
   If you could read my mind love
F                               F
   What a tale my thoughts could tell
G                     G
   Just like an old time movie
F                                      F
   'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
G                   G7            C
   In a castle dark or a fortress strong
            D                     Em
With chains upon my feet
           C                          G
You know that ghost is me
       C               G/B
And I will never be set free
      Am7                D                             G   G
As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see

Verse:
G                 G            
   If I could read your mind love
F                                  F
   What a tale your thoughts could tell
G                   G
   Just like a paperback novel
F                           F
   The kind that drugstores sell
G                                   G7                       C
   When you reach the part where the heartaches come
         D                    Em
The hero would be me
        C                   G
But heroes often fail
         C                             G/B
And you won't read that book again
     Am7                         D                       G
Because the ending's just too hard to take

Instrumental:
G G F F
G G F F
 

Verse:
G                G7               C
  I'd walk away like a movie star
                  D                                   Em
Who gets burned in a three way script
C                      G
Enter number two
       C                    G/B
A movie queen to play the scene
       Am7                   D                          Em
Of bringing all the good things out in me
              C                         G/B
But for now love, let's be real
     C                              G/B
I never thought I could act this way *
               Am7                    D
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
C                                G/B
   I don't know where we went wrong
              Am7
But the feelin's gone
           D                        G    G
And I just can't get it back

Verse:
G                        G
   If you could read my mind love
F                               F
   What a tale my thoughts could tell
G                     G
   Just like an old time movie
F                                      F
   'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
G                    G7            C
   In a castle dark or a fortress strong
             D                     Em
With chains upon my feet
          C                    G
But stories always end
        C                   G/B
And if you read between the lines
            Am7                       D                     Em
You'll know that I'm just tryin' to understand
         C                       G/B
The feelin's that you lack
     C                              G/B
I never thought I could feel this way
              Am7                     D
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
C                               G/B
   I don't know where we went wrong
              Am7
But the feelin's gone
           D                        G    G F F G (hold)
And I just can't get it back

This file is the author’s own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It’s intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.

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