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Cat Stevens - Sad Lisa Chords

ChordsEm, D, C, G, A, B
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar B chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar B chord diagram


She [Em]hangs her head and [Em]cries on my [D]shirt. [C]
She [D]must be [Em]hurt very [D]bad[G]ly. [G]
Tell me [G]what’s [D]making you [Em]sad, [A]Li? [A]
[Em]Open your [A]door, don’t [D]hide in the [C]dark. [C]
You’re [D]lost in the [Em]dark, you can [D]trust [G]me. [G]
Cause you [G]know [D]that’s how it [Em]must [A]be. [A] [A]
[Em]Lisa Lisa, [A]sad [B]Lisa Lisa. [Em] [Em] [Em] [Em]


Her [Em]eyes like windows, [Em]trickle in [D]rain [C]
[D]Upon her [Em]pain getting [D]dee[G]per.
[G]Though my [G]love [D]wants to re[Em]lieve [A]her.
[A]She [Em]walks a[A]lone from [D]wall to [C]wall. [C] [
D]Lost in her [Em]hall, she can’t [D]hear [G]me.
Though I [G]know she [D]likes to be [Em]near [A]me.


[A] [A] [Em]Lisa Lisa, [A]sad [B]Lisa Lisa. [Em] [Em] [Em] [Em]
She [Em]sits in a corner [Em]by the [D]door.
[C]There [Em]must be [Em]more I can [C]tell [G]her. [G]
If she [G]really [D]wants me to [Em]help [A]her. [A] [B]
I’ll [Em]do what I [A]can to [D]show her the [C]way. [C]
And [D]maybe one [Em]day I will [D]free [G]her. [G]
Though I [G]know no [D]one can [Em]see [A]her. [A] [A]


[Em]Lisa Lisa, [A]sad [B]Lisa Lisa. [Em] [Em] [Em] [Em]

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AlbumTea for the Tillerman
GenresFolk, Pop
Year1971
KeyEm

How to play Sad Lisa on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Cat Stevens - Sad Lisa on guitar requires 6 chords and 9 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Sad Lisa uses these transitions most often: Em → A (12), D → Em (11), and Em → D (8). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Em - D chord transition.

1. Em → D chord transition

To move from Em to D;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on G string fret 2.
Em to D

2. D → C chord transition

To move from D to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
D to C

3. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
D to G

4. Em → A chord transition

To move from Em to A;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on D string fret 2.
Em to A

5. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.

6. A → B chord transition

To move from A to B;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 4.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 4.

7. B → Em chord transition

To move from B to Em;

  1. While playing B, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 4 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 4 to D string fret 2.

8. C → Em chord transition

To move from C to Em;

  1. While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

9. C → G chord transition

To move from C to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Sad Lisa.

  • Sad Lisa includes 72 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Sad Lisa contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Sad Lisa connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).
    • Em → C: 26%
    • Em → D: 17%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → Em: 17%