Chinese Envoy Chords

by John Cale
1,987 views, added to favorites 61 times
Difficulty: intermediate
Tuning: E A D G B E
Key: Am
Capo: no capo
Author tvolpert [a] 54. Last edit on Aug 13, 2022

Chords

Am
Amadd4
A5
G6
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
F
G

Strumming

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I've loved this song for a long time, so melancholy and mysterious.
With Music For A New Society being re-released today, it seemed like a good time to sit down and learn
it.
These chords are based on the original album version, not the remake on M:FANS. Haven't listened to
that one
enough to know if anything's different.
 
The little melody that plays in the intro and during the choruses may not be totally right here.
I play in Open Gm tuning, so with a capo on the 2nd fret, I can simply play the melody
(which is just four notes, basically: CC-D-EEE-D-C, CC-D-EEE-D-C-B) while droning an open Am chord.
Based on the sounds of the chords, I believe Mr Cale probably played the original in some sort of open
tuning.
This is my best attempt at the chord names that would approximate it in standard, but if anybody can
do better
please do!
 
 
[Intro]/[chorus] x2:
Am - Amadd4 - A5 - Amadd4 - Am
Am - Amadd4 - A5 - Amadd4 - Am G6
 
           Fmaj7                                Cmaj7
She was a princess, much lower than people thought
   Fmaj7                                              Cmaj7
A master of nothing, a mistress of something she thought
 
[Chorus] x2 (instrumental)
 
          Fmaj7
She could talk about things that never mattered ever
Cmaj7
From one person's miserable life after another
          F
She could talk to the French and Germans at will
Cmaj7                                G
They'd never listen.. They never will
 
[Chorus]
The chinese envoy was here, the chinese envoy was here but left
[Chorus]
The chinese envoy was here but left
 
Fmaj7                                               Cmaj7
Calling out her name you'd be surprised at what came
Fmaj7                                        Cmaj7
Galloping out of the darkness just like furniture
Fmaj7                                                                          Cmaj7
We'd have lost it all if it hadn't been for Cardinal Richelieu And all his courtiers
 
[Chorus]
The chinese envoy was here, the chinese envoy was here but left
[Chorus]
The chinese envoy was here but left
 
G                      F
in his broken hearted pagoda.
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2 comments
Der_Butt
Cool. Thank you for working with this wonderful song. I think it sounds good with an E at the very end.
+1
harryzoo
May try Cmai7 instead of C and G6 alternating with G
+1