If You Could Read My Mind Chords & Guitar Lesson
Welcome to my If You Could Read My Mind guitar lesson. This is a great song by Gordon Lightfoot. I actually heard it while I was driving in the car and said, this would make a great addition to my lessons!
The chords below will be played with a capo on the 2nd fret.
Return to All SongsJump to:
If You Could Read My Mind Guitar Chords:
If You Could Read My Mind Strumming Patterns:
This song definitely sounds better fingerpicked BUT….
Strumming:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4+
D D D U DU
Fingerpicking Options: Below are 3 pattern variations over a G chord that would work nicely.
If You Could Read My Mind Guitar Lesson:
Find this website helpful? Click the button to show your support.
If You Could Read My Mind Chord Chart:
Capo at the 2nd Fret
Intro: G G G G
Verse:
G G
If you could read my mind love
F F
What a tale my thoughts could tell
G G
Just like an old time movie
F F
'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
G G7 C
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
D Em
With chains upon my feet
C G
You know that ghost is me
C G/B
And I will never be set free
Am7 D G G
As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see
Verse:
G G
If I could read your mind love
F F
What a tale your thoughts could tell
G G
Just like a paperback novel
F F
The kind that drugstores sell
G G7 C
When you reach the part where the heartaches come
D Em
The hero would be me
C G
But heroes often fail
C G/B
And you won't read that book again
Am7 D G
Because the ending's just too hard to take
Instrumental:
G G F F
G G F F
Verse:
G G7 C
I'd walk away like a movie star
D Em
Who gets burned in a three way script
C G
Enter number two
C G/B
A movie queen to play the scene
Am7 D Em
Of bringing all the good things out in me
C G/B
But for now love, let's be real
C G/B
I never thought I could act this way
Am7 D
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
C G/B
I don't know where we went wrong
Am7
But the feelin's gone
D G G
And I just can't get it back
Verse:
G G
If you could read my mind love
F F
What a tale my thoughts could tell
G G
Just like an old time movie
F F
'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
G G7 C
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
D Em
With chains upon my feet
C G
But stories always end
C G/B
And if you read between the lines
Am7 D Em
You'll know that I'm just tryin' to understand
C G/B
The feelin's that you lack
C G/B
I never thought I could feel this way
Am7 D
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
C G/B
I don't know where we went wrong
Am7
But the feelin's gone
D G G F F G (hold)
And I just can't get it back
This file is the author’s own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It’s intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
We do not distribute printable chord and lyrics charts. These charts are here only to support online learning. We highly recommend buying music from Hal Leonard or a reputable online sheet music store.