• Song:

    Closer To The Light

  • Artist:

    Bruce Cockburn

  • Album:

    Dart To The Heart

Transcribed by Jared White 
Standard tuning, Capo 2
Slow: 4/4, MM=72
Notes: This songs has deceptively simple chords, but, as with
       many Cockburn tunes, it's not as easy as it first seems!
       Alternating bass, travis-style fingerpicking.
       Bracketed notes are optional.
       Full lyrics are at the end.
       Feedback appreciated.  Enjoy!

Key:   0**  in measure 6 = 0h1p0 (trill)
       3'** in measure 7 = 3(bend)p1p0
       n = downstroke (strum)
       v = upstroke (strum)
       > = accent (downstrum)
       } = arpeggiate chord


Intro:
  G                                 Am
1 ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------0-----|
|-3---------3-------3-----5p3-3-0-|-1-0---------------1-----1-------|
|-4-------------4-------0-4-------|-----2-------2---------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------2-----2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|


  G                                 Am
3 ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-3---------3-----5p3-3-3---1---0-|---------------0-------------0---|
|-0-----0-------------------------|-----------1-------------1-3-----|
|---------------0-5p4-4-4---2---2-|-------2---------------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|


  G                                 Am
5 ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------0-----------------|
|-3---------3-----3-------0-1-3p1-|-1---------1-------------0**---0-|
|-0-----0-------0-------0---------|-2-----2---------------2-----2---|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|


  G                                 Am  n v
7 ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-----------0-----0-------3'**----|-----1-1-------------------1-----|
|-------0-------0-------0-----2-0-|-----2-2---0---2-------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-----------|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3------(3)------|---------------------------------|
                                                            There you

Verse:
  G                                 Am
9 ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3---------3-----|-0h1p0-------------1-------1-----|
|*0-----0-------0-------0-------0-|-------2---------------2-------2-|
|*----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
  go           Swimming deeper into mystery                 Here I re-


  G                                 Am
11,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3---------3-----|-0h1p0-------------1-------1-----|
|-0-----0-------0-------0-------0-|-------2---------------2-------2-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 -main        Only seeing where you used to be      Stared at the cei-


  G                                 Am
13,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3---------3-----|-0h1p0-------------1-------1-----|
|-0-----0-------0-------0-------0-|-------2---------------2-------2-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 -ling  'Til my ears filled up with tears               Never got to


  G                                 Am                        cresc.
15,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3-------5p3-3-0-|-1p0-----------------------1-----|
|-0-----0-------0-------0(4)------|-----2-----0---2-------2-------2-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-----0-x-2-----2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
  know you      And suddenly you're out of here


Chorus:
                  C4   C         Em
  %   n v   v n v     n v     n v       n v n v n v     n v n v n v
17,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-0---0-0---0-0-0-----0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-1---1-1---1-1-1-----1-1-----1-1-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-0---0-0---0-0-0-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-----------------3-------2-------|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-2-------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|-0---------------0---------------|
  Gone       from mystery into      mystery


  F                                 G
      n v n v n v     n v n v n v       n v             >     v n
19,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-----1-1-1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----3-3---3---3-----3-----3-3---|
|-----1-1-1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----3-3---3---3-----3-----3-3---|
|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|-----0-0---0---0-----0-----0-0---|
|-----3-3-3-3-3-3-----3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----0-0-----0-------0-------0---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-1---------------1---------------|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|
  Gone       from daylight into     night                Another step


  Am                                F
21,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-----------5---0-----------0-----|-----------1---------------------|
|-----------------------1---------|---------------1------(0h1-0)----|
|-------2-------------------------|---2---0------------(2)-----(2)--|
|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----3-------3---------0h2-0-----|
|-0-------0-------0---------------|---------------------3-------3---|
|-------------------------3-------|-1-------1-------1---------------|
  deeper                      into  darkness


  C4/G                           C
23,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-----------------0---------0-----|-0-------------------------------|
|-----------1-----1---------1-----|-1---------1---------------3-----|
|-------0-------0-------0---0---0-|-0-----0---------------0--(0)-(0)|
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----2-------2h3-2---x-------0---|
|---------------------------------|-3-------3---------------2-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
  Clo -      -ser to          the   light.              (Another step)

 ________ _ _ _
| 1.
| Am                                F
| ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-0---------5---0-----------0-----|-----------1---------------------|
|-------1---------------1---------|---------------1-----------------|
|-2-------------------------------|---2---0-------------------------|
|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----3-------3---------0h2-0-----|
|-0-------0-------0---------------|---------------------3-------3---|
|-------------------------3-------|-1-------1-------1---------------|

                                                        _ _ _ ________
  C4/G                           C                                ||
27,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .    ||
|----------------}0-------0-------|-0--------------------------------||
|-----------1----}1-------1-------|-1---------1---------------3------||
|-------0--------}0-------0-----0-|-0-----0---------------0------(0)*||
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|(2)--2-------2h3-2---2-------0---*||
|---------------------------------|-3-------3---------------2--------||
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|----------------------------------||
                                                 Verse 2: Walked out-

 ________ _ _ _
| 2,3.
| Am                                F                             +
45,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-----------5---0-----------0-----|-----------1---------------------|
|-----------------------1---------|---------------1-------0h1-0-----|
|-------2-------------------------|---2---0-------------2-------2---|
|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----3-------3---------0h2-0-----|
|-0-------0-------0---------------|---------------------3-------3---|
|-------------------------3-------|-1-------1-------1---------------|
  deeper                      into  darkness                      +


  C4/G                           C
47,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-----------------0---------0-----|-0-------------------------------|
|-----------1-----1---------1-----|-1---------1---------------3-----|
|-------0-------0-------0---0---0-|-0-----0---------------0--(0)-(0)|
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----2-------2h3-2---x-------0---|
|---------------------------------|-3-------3---------------2-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
  Clo -      -ser to          the   light.


Middle 8:
  G                                 Am
49,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------0-----|
|-3---------3-------3-----5p3-3-0-|-1-0---------------1-----1-------|
|-4-------------4-------0-4-------|-----2---2-------------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------2-----2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|


  G                                 Am
51,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-3---------3-----5p3-3-3---1---1-|---0-----------0-------------0---|
|-0-----0-------------------------|-------1-----------------3p1-----|
|---------------0-5p4-4-4---2---2-|---2-------2-----------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|


  G                                 Am
53,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-----------------------------0---|---------------0-----------------|
|-3---------3-----3-----0-3p0--(0)|-1-0-------1-------------3p1-----|
|-0-----0-------0---0-------------|-----2---2-------------0-------0-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------2-----2-------2-------x---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|


  G                                 Am
55,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------||
|-0---------0-----0-------3'**----|-------1-------------------1-----||
|-------0-------0-------0-----2-0h|-2-----2---0---2-------2-------2-||
|-----0-------0-------0---------0h|(2)--2-------2-------2-------2---||
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------||
|-3-------3-------3------(3)------|---------------------------------||
                                                        ds% al coda+


+Coda
  C4/G       ritardando......    C
67,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|-----------------0---------0-----|-0-------------------------------||
|-----------1-----1---------1-----|-1-------------------------------||
|-------0-------0-------0---0-----|-0-------------------------------||
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-2-------------------------------||
|---------------------------------|-3-------------------------------||
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------||
  Clo -      -ser to          the   light.


Closer To The Light
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There you go
Swimming deeper into mystery
Here I remain
Only seeing where you used to be
Stared at the ceiling
'Til my ears filled up with tears
Never got to know you
And suddenly you're out of here

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light

Walked outside
Summer moon was nearly down
Mist on the fields
Holy stillness all around
Death's no stranger
No stranger than the life I've seen
Still I cried
Still I begged to get you back again

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light
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