One time, one night

[AndyI]

These are just the chords and it's more or less what Cesar plays. The riffs would be hard to write out and are somewhat improvised anyway.

One Time, One Night
(David Hidalgo/Louie Pérez)

D                                            G
A wise man was telling stories to me
                A
About the places he had been to
             G                        D
And the things that he had seen
   D                                              G
A quiet voice is singing something to me
      A
An age old song about the home of the brave
          G                     D
In this land here of the free
                    A          D
One time one night in America

   D
A lady dressed in white with the man she loved
                                                      G
Standing along the side of their pickup truck
    D                          G
A shot rang out in the night
                D                         G
Just when everything seemed right
            D                      A                  D
Another headline written down in America

       D
The guy that lived next door in #305

Took the kids to the park and disappeared
                      G
About half past nine
D                  G
Who will ever know
       D                             G
How much she loved them so
D                    A                 D
That dark night alone in America

    D                                             G
A quiet voice is singing something to me
     A
An age old song about the home of the brave
         G                      D
In this land here of the free
                    A                  D
One time one night in America

D
Four small boys playing ball in a parking lot
                                                                   G
A preacher, a teacher, and the other became a cop
   D                          G
A car skidded into the rain
                D                   G
Making the last little one a saint
D                           A                D
One more light goes out in America

   D
A young girl tosses a coin in the wishing well
                                             
She hopes for a heaven while for her
                       G
There's just this hell
       D                  G
She gave away her life
         D                       G
To become somebody's wife
    D                 A                       D
Another wish unanswered in America

A             
People having so much faith
                           G                     D
Die too soon while all the rest come late
      A                                       
We write a song that no one sings

On a cold black stone
             G                              A     
Where a lasting peace will finally bring

       D                                             
The sunlight plays upon my windowpane
                                                 G
I wake up to a world that's still the same
     D                      G
My father said to be strong
                D                                  G
And that a good man could never do wrong
       D                    A                  D
In a dream I had last night in America

   D                                       G
A wise man was telling storie to me
               A
About the places he had been to
             G                        D
And the things that he had seen

    D                                             G
A quiet voice is singing something to me
     A                                                         
An age old song about the home of the brave
          G                     D
In this land here of the free
                    A                  D
One time one night in America

(c) 1986 Davince Music/No K.O. Music (BMI)

[Jason]

I've got this one in a tab book as well. Not sure how accurate it is, though it seems be pretty much on the money to my ears. Lots of fun to play!

Thanks, Andy.

[Denver Mauler]

Actually I read in GP Oct 96 interview that the recorded version is an open tuning (DADF#AD) but DH has since used a drop D tuning to play this tune live.

[AndyI]

That is absolutely right. We used to have to tune open D for that song (many years ago) the one day Dave said "don't worry about it, I figured it out with just a drop D" and he's been playing it that way ever since.
Andy

[jimbo11]

I would love the intro tabbed - does anyone have any idea what is going on? I heard it was in a drop d tuning ? I am having a tough time trying to play it mote for note. I realize it is probably improvised but can someone give me a heads up. Thanks.

[Steve J]

There's a tab out there in open D. I'll see if I can find it.

[jimbo11]

Allright I NEED someone to MAN - Up and TAB THe INTRO to One Time On Night. I don't know if its in Drop D because I have asked David on multiple occasions and he has never said that it was (he also never said that it wasn't) he just said "oh man I don't know" - but he tends to play it basically the same way all the time. Come on somebody wow me!

[El Chaparro]

Allright I NEED someone to MAN - Up and TAB THe INTRO to One Time On Night. I don't know if its in Drop D because I have asked David on multiple occasions and he has never said that it was (he also never said that it wasn't) he just said "oh man I don't know" - but he tends to play it basically the same way all the time. Come on somebody wow me!

Tune Your geetar to:

D A D F# A D

Signed,

Daves former geetar tech

[El Chaparro]

Allright I NEED someone to MAN - Up and TAB THe INTRO to One Time On Night. I don't know if its in Drop D because I have asked David on multiple occasions and he has never said that it was (he also never said that it wasn't) he just said "oh man I don't know" - but he tends to play it basically the same way all the time. Come on somebody wow me!

PS MAn up? I hate that saying.

[Denver Mauler]

Allright I NEED someone to MAN - Up and TAB THe INTRO to One Time On Night. I don't know if its in Drop D because I have asked David on multiple occasions and he has never said that it was (he also never said that it wasn't) he just said "oh man I don't know" - but he tends to play it basically the same way all the time. Come on somebody wow me!

I gave it a shot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZjik8VRYU0

Cheers from Denver, CO!

[EddieG]

Allright I NEED someone to MAN - Up and TAB THe INTRO to One Time On Night. I don't know if its in Drop D because I have asked David on multiple occasions and he has never said that it was (he also never said that it wasn't) he just said "oh man I don't know" - but he tends to play it basically the same way all the time. Come on somebody wow me!

I gave it a shot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZjik8VRYU0

Cheers from Denver, CO!

nice job!