Stevie Wonder – Happy Birthday tab

...HAPPY BIRTHDAY... by Stevie Wonder
--------------------.................

*from 'Hotter Than July' (1980)*


Intro:

C  F/C, C
Bb  Eb, Bb
Am  Em  Am,
G  F/G

(x2)

Verse 1:

            C                       F/C, C
You know it doesn't make much sense,
               Bb                Eb, Bb
There ought to be a law against;
    Am                    Em  Am
Any-one who takes offense,
   G         F/G
At a, day in your celebration.

        C                     F/C, C
'Cos we all know in our minds,
           Bb                 Eb, Bb
That there ought to be a time,
     Am                Em, Am
That we can set aside;
   G             F/G
To show just how much we love you.

Bridge 1:

        F
And I'm sure you would agree,
           G
What could fit more perfectly,
        F
Than to have a world party,
       F/G
On the day you came to be.

Chorus 1:

      C               F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
                      F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
      F     C
Happy birth-day.

      C               F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
                      F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
      F     C
Happy birth-day.

Verse 2:

       C                F/C, C
I just never understood,
      Bb                     Eb, Bb
How a man who died for good,
          Am                    Em, Am
Could not have a day that would,
   G                 F/G
Be set aside for his recognition.

        C                   F/C, C
Because it should never be,
        Bb                    Eb, Bb
Just be-cause some cannot see,
    Am                   Em, Am
The dream as clear as he.
     G
That they should make it,
   F/G
Be-come an illusion.

Bridge 2:

       F
And we all know everything,
        G
That he stood for, time will bring.
       F
For in peace our hearts will sing;
          F/G
Thanks to Martin Luther King.

Chorus 2:

      C               F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
                       F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
      F     C
Happy birth-day.

      C               F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
                      F/C, C
Happy birthday to you,
      F     C
Happy birth-day.

Middle 8:

Dm7                         Am7
 Why has there never been a holiday,
Dm7
 Where peace is celebrated,
G#           A#         C
 All through-out the wo-rld?

Verse 3:

    C               F/C, C
The time is overdue,
        Bb                   Eb, Bb
For pe-ople like me and you,
    Am                     Em, Am
Who know the way to truth;
   G                 F/G
Is love and unity to all God's children.

          C                F/C, C
It should be a great event,
        Bb                        Eb, Bb
And the whole day should be spent,
   Am               Em, Am
In full remembrance,
   G
Of those who lived and died,
        F/G
For the oneness of all people.

Bridge 3:

   F
So let us all begin,
   G
We know that love can win.
       F
Let it out; don't hold it in,
        F/G         F#/G#
Sing it loud as you can...

*KEY CHANGE*
------------

Chorus 3:

      C#              F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
                       F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
      F#    C#
Happy birth-day.

      C#              F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
                       F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
      F#    C#
Happy birth-day.

Chorus 4:

      C#              F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
                       F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
      F#    C#
Happy birth-day.

      C#              F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
                       F#/C#, C#
Happy birthday to you,
      F#    C#
Happy birth-day.

Coda:

C#           B
 Ha.....ppy, birthday.
      A#m
Happy birth-day,
      G#       F#/G#
Happy birth-da...y. (Ooh yeah).

C#           B
 Ha.....ppy, birthday.
      A#m
Happy birth-day,
      G#       F#/G#
Happy birth-da...y. (Ooh yeah).

(Spoken):

C#
 We know the key,
                B
To unity of all people,
Is in the dream that,
                A#m
You had so long ago,
That lives in all,
                        G#  F#/G#
Of the hearts of people,

                C#
That believe in unity.
B
 We'll make the dream,
Become a reality;
A#m
 I know we will,
G#                              F#/G#
 Because our hearts tell us so.

Outro:

C#           B
 Ha.....ppy, birthday.
      A#m
Happy birth-day,
      G#       F#/G#
Happy birth-da...y.

C#           B
 Ha.....ppy, birthday.
      A#m
Happy birth-day,
      G#       F#/G#
Happy birth-da...y.

(Repeat to Fade)


CHORD DIAGRAMS:
---------------

   C       F/C     Bb      Eb      Am      Em

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 x32010  x33211  x13331  x68886  x02210  022000

   G       F/G     F       Dm7     Am7     G#

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 320003  303210  133211  xx0211  x02013  466544

   A#     F#/G#    C#     F#/C#    B       A#m

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 x13331  4443xx  x46664  x44322  x24442  x13321


Tabbed by Joel from cLuMsY, Bristol, England, 2004
(clumsyband@hotmail.com)