Purple Rain

Words & Music:

Prince

[chord vamp for whole song is: Aadd2 F#m7addB Eadd9 Dadd2 (chord shapes). A simplified version is: A A/F# E D Dsus4 D. You can pick one for the entire song or switch between the two for variety.] The original was played in C (guitar tuned one whole step down to D G C F A D so it sounds in B). Harald Weidner provided the original tab bits below.

A F# E D

I never meant 2 cause you any sorrow. I never meant to cause you any pain.

A F#

I only wanted 2 one time see U laughing.

E A

I only wanted 2 see you laughing in the Purple Rain

CHORUS:

[n.c.] D A F# E

Purple Rain, Purple Rain, Purple Rain Purple Rain, Purple Rain, Purple Rain.

A [n.c.]

I only wanted 2 see U bathing in the Purple Rain

I never wanted 2 be your weekend lover. I only wanted 2 be some kind of friend.

Baby, I could never steal U from another. It's such a shame our friendship had 2 end.

CHORUS: [last line this time is:]

I only want 2 see u underneath the Purple Rain

Honey, I know I know I know times R changing.

It's time we all reach out 4 something new - that means U 2.

U say U want a leader, but U can't seem 2 make up your mind

I think U better close it and let me guide U 2 the Purple Rain

CHORUS: [different ending lines are:]

Whew, if U know what I'm singin' about help me and come on raise your hand

E A

Purple Rain, Purple Rain, I only want 2 see U, only want 2 see U In the Purple Rain

SOLO OUT OVER CHORD VAMP:

CHORDS:

Aadd2 = X 0 7 6 0 0

F#m7addB = 2 4 4 2 0 0

Eadd9 = 0 2 4 1 0 0

Dadd2 = X X 0 9 7 5

Harald Weidner's "Purple Rain" Tab:

New chords:

C major 9 [C9] = 0 3 0 0 1 0

A minor 7/4 [Am74] = 0 0 0 0 1 0

F major 9 [F9] = 1 3 4 1 1 1

C9 Am74 Am7 Am74 G

|--------|--------|-------0|-----0--|-------3|-----3--|

|1-------|--------|1---1--1|1-1--11-|-------0|-----0--|

|0-------|--------|0---0---|0-0---0-|0---0---|0-0---0-|

|0-------|--------|02--2---|2-2---0-|0---0---|0-0---0-|

|3-------|--------|0---0---|0-0---0-|2---2---|2-2---2-|

|--------|--------|--------|--------|03--3---|3-3---3-|

|_______________|

F9 F F4 F G C

|-------1|---1-1--|-------3|-------3|-------3|--------|

|1------1|1--1111-|-------0|-------0|-------0|1-------|

|0-------|02--2-2-|0---0-0-|0---0-0-|0---0-0-|0-------|

|3-------|3---3-3-|0---0-0-|0---0-0-|0---0-0-|2-------|

|3-------|3---3-3-|2-2-2---|2-2-2---|2-2-2---|3-------|

|--------|--------|3-3-3---|3-3-3---|3-3-3---|--------|

Refrain:

C F F4 F F C9

|--------|-------1|-----1--|--------|--------|-------0|-----0--|

|1-------|1---1--1|1-1--11-|1---1---|1---1---|1---1--1|1-1--11-|

|0-------|2---2---|3-3---3-|2---2---|2---2---|0---0---|0-0---0-|

|2-------|3---3---|3-3---3-|3---3---|3---3---|0---0---|0-0---0-|

|3-------|3---3---|--------|3---3---|3---3---|3---3---|3-3---3-|

|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|

{------3x-------}

Am7 G C

|-------0|-----0--||-------3|-----3--||--------|--------|--------|

|1---1--1|1-1--11-||-------0|-----0--||--------|1-------|--------|

|0---0---|0-0---0-||0---0---|0-0---0-||0---0---|0-------|--------|

|2---2---|2-2---2-||0---0---|0-0---0-||0---0---|2-------|--------|

|0---0---|0-0---0-||2---2---|2-2---2-||2---2---|3-------|--------|

|--------|--------||3---3---|3-3---3-||3---3---|--------|--------|

|_______________|