Mystery Of Love Chords & Tabs

by Sufjan Stevens

[Content]
Standard tuning
Capo 7
REMARKS:
-The song is in 4/4 metre, at about ~107 BPM.
-Vertical lines denote a full metre.
-In principle, every beat is four dashes, i.e. each dash equals one sixteenth of a note. However, due to the
fact that some tabs (those larger than 9, i.e. 10 and up) take up two spaces, this principle is not
rigorously observed.
-For ease of reading and to save space, in most cases for the nylon guitar, shorthand notation has been
adopted (denoted by *): in this notation, every beat is two dashes, i.e. each dash equals one eighth note.
-From what I can hear, the song is played by (at least) two guitars, of which the first one has steel strings
while the second has nylon ones. I have labeled them accordingly as such (i.e. steel guitar & nylon guitar).

[Intro]
The steel guitar opens the song; the nylon guitar enters at the start of the steel guitar's first repeat.
(Steel guitar)
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1h3-1---1-|------1h3-1---1-|------0h3-0---0-|------0h3-0---0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------4---|----0-------4---|
D|3---------------|3---------------|5---------------|5---------------|
A                                                                       
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x2
e|--------0-------|--------0-------|----------------|----------------|	]
B|------1---1---1-|------1---1---1-|------0h3-0---0-|------0h3-0---0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------4---|----0-------4---|
D|2---------------|2---------------|5---------------|5---------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
(Nylon guitar)
e|------5-------5-|------5-------5-|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|
B|----6-----6-----|----6-----6-----|----5-----5-----|----5-----5-----|
G|5-----------5---|5-----------5---|4-----------4---|4-----------4---|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|------5---------|------5---------|------3-------3-|------3---------|
B|----5-----5---5-|----5-----5---5-|----5-----5-----|----5-----5-----|
G|------------5---|------------5---|4-----------4---|4-----------0h4-|
D|7---------------|7---------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

[Verse 1]
Both guitars play, nylon most prominently; the keyboard enters at exactly the halfway point.
(Steel guitar)
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1h3-1---1-|------1h3-1---1-|------0h3-0---0-|------0h3-0---0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------4---|----0-------4---|
D|3---------------|3---------------|5---------------|5---------------|
A                                                                       
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x4
e|--------0-------|--------0-------|----------------|----------------|	]
B|------1---1---1-|------1---1---1-|------0h3-0---0-|------0h3-0---0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------4---|----0-------4---|
D|2---------------|2---------------|5---------------|5---------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
(Nylon guitar)
e|------5-------5-|------5-------5-|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|
B|----6-----6-----|----6-----6-----|----5-----5-----|----5-----5-----|
G|5-----------5---|5-----------5---|4-----------4---|4-----------4---|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A                                                                       
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x2
e|------5---------|------5---------|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|	]
B|----5-----5---5-|----5-----5---5-|----5-----5-----|----5-----5-----|
G|------------5---|------------5---|4-----------4---|4-----------4---|
D|7---------------|7---------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|------5-------5-|------5-------5-|------3-----5p3-|------3-----5p3-|
B|----6-----6-----|----6-----6-----|----5-----5-----|----5-----5-----|
G|5-----------5---|5-----------5---|4---------------|4---------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A                                                                       
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x2
e|------5---------|------5---------|------3-----5p3-|------3-----5p3-|	]
B|----5-----5---5-|----5-----5---5-|----5-----5-----|----5-----5-----|
G|------------5---|------------5---|0---------------|4---------------|
D|7---------------|7---------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

[Chorus 1]
Steel guitar gains momentum and ventures into high registers. I personally fail to understand as to how Sufjan
manages to play this in this absurdly high octave with this high a capo, so I transposed it to one octave
lower. Also, since the chorus is dominated by the dreamy keyboard, most - if not all - of the tabs in this
section are conjectural. It seems the nylon guitar is reduced to mainly plucking chords.
(Steel guitar)
e|------------1---|------------1---|------------3---|----------------|
B|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|--------3-----3-|--------3-------|
G|----2---2-------|----2---2-------|----4h5---4-----|----4h5---4-----|
D|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|5-----------5---|5-----------5---|
A                                                                       
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x2
e|------0h3-0---0-|--------0-------|------0h3-0---0-|----------------|	]
B|----1-------1---|------1---1---1-|----1-------1---|--------3-------|
G|0---------------|----0-------0---|----------------|----4h5---4-----|
D|----------------|2---------------|2---------------|------------5---|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|5---------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
(Nylon guitar)*
e|------1-|---1----|--------|--------|--------|0---3---|0-------|--------|
B|3-------|3-----1-|0-----3-|--------|1---3---|1-------|1-------|3-------|
G|2-------|2-------|0-------|0-------|0---4---|0-------|0-------|0-------|
D|3-------|3-------|0-------|0-------|2---5---|2-------|--------|0-------|
A|0-------|0-------|--------|2-------|3---5---|--------|--------|--------|
E|--------|--------|3-------|3-------|--------|--------|--------|----3---|
e|1-------|1-------|--------|--------|--------|0---3---|0-------|3-------|
B|3-----3-|3----1--|0-----3-|0-------|1---3---|1-------|1-------|3-------|
G|2-------|2-------|0-------|0-------|0---4---|0-------|0-------|0-------|
D|--------|0-------|0-------|0-------|2---5---|2-------|--------|0-------|
A|0-------|--------|--------|2-------|3---5---|--------|--------|--------|
E|--------|--------|3-------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|

[Postchorus 1]
Nylon guitar dissappears into the background; I've included tabs for it, but they're conjectural at best.
Steel guitar leads.
(Steel guitar)
e|--------8---------8-|--------8---------8-|-------12---------12-|------7-------7-|
B|-----10--------10---|-----10--------10---|----13---------13----|----8-------8---|
G|10----------10------|10----------10------|9-----------12-------|7---------9-----|
D|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|
e|------5-------5-|------5-------5-|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|
B|----6-------6---|----6-------6---|----5-------5---|----3-------3---|
G|5---------5-----|5---------5-----|0---------5-----|0---------4-----|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|--------8---------8-|--------8---------8-|------7-------7-|------7-------7-|
B|-----10--------10---|-----10--------10---|----8-------8---|----8-------8---|
G|10----------10------|10----------10------|9---------9-----|9---------9-----|
D|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
e|-------8--------8-|-------8--------8-|------7-------7-|------7-------7-|
B|----10-------10---|----10-------10---|----8-------8---|----8-------8---|
G|9----------9------|9----------9------|9---------9-----|9---------9-----|
D|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
A|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
E|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
ALTERNATIVELY, if due to the capo you cannot reach these frets, transpose it down an octave (this also allows
you to throw in some decorative major 6ths, augmented 5ths and sustained 4ths on the B string in the second
part (frets 3, 1 and 3 respectively)):
e|----------------|----------------|------0-------0-|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|----1-------1---|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----------0-----|----0-------0---|
D|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|2---------------|0---------2-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B                                                                     
G|------2-------2-|------2-------2-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D|----3-------3---|----3-------3---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|
A|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|----------3-----|----------2-----|
E|----------------|----------------|3---------------|3---------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
D|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
D|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
(Nylon guitar)*
e|--------|0-------|--------|--------|1-------|0-------|0-------|0-------|
B|------1-|1---3---|------1-|--------|1-------|0-------|1-------|0-------|
G|2-----2-|0---4---|2-----2-|--------|2-------|0-------|2-------|0-------|
D|3-----3-|----5---|3-----3-|2---0---|3-------|2-------|2-------|0-------|
A|3-------|--------|3-------|3---2---|--------|--------|0-------|--------|
E|--------|--------|--------|3---3---|1-------|3-------|--------|3-------|

[Verse 2]
Steel guitar leads; nylon guitar plucks chords (I think, but it's been pushed pretty far into the background).
(Steel guitar)
e|--------8---------8-|--------8---------8-|------7-------7-|------7-------7-|
B|-----10--------10---|-----10--------10---|----8-------8---|----8-------8---|
G|10----------10------|10----------10------|9---------9-----|9---------9-----|
D|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
A                                                                               
E|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x4
e|-------8--------8-|-------8--------8-|------7-------7-|------7-------7-|	]
B|----10-------10---|----10-------10---|----8-------8---|----8-------8---|
G|9----------9------|9----------9------|9---------9-----|9---------9-----|
D|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
A|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
E|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
ALTERNATIVELY, same substitution can be done as in Postchorus 1 if frets prove hard to reach, again allowing
for decorations:
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
D|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|
A                                                                       
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x4
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
D|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
(Nylon guitar)*
e|1-------|0-------|0-------|0-------|
B|1-------|0-------|1-------|0-------|
G|2---2---|0---0---|2---2---|0---0---|	x4
D|3----3--|2----2--|2----2--|0----2--|
A|--------|--------|0-------|--------|
E|1-------|3-------|--------|3-------|

[Chorus 2]
Almost the same as Chorus 1, but louder. Similarly, all of these tabs are largely conjecture.
(Steel guitar)
e|----------------|----------------|------------3---|----------------|
B|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|--------3-----3-|--------3-------|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----4h5---4-----|----4h5---4-----|
D|0---------0-----|3---------3-----|5-----------5---|5-----------5---|
A|--------0-------|--------0-------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x2
e|------0h3-0---0-|--------0-------|------0h3-0---0-|----------------|	]
B|----1-------1---|------1---1---1-|----1-------1---|--------3-------|
G|0---------------|----0-------0---|----------------|----4h5---4-----|
D|----------------|2---------------|2---------------|------------5---|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|5---------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
(Nylon guitar)*
e|------1-|---1----|--------|--------|--------|0---3---|0-------|--------|
B|3-------|3-----1-|0-----3-|3-----3-|1---3---|1-------|1-------|3-------|
G|2-------|2-------|0-------|0-----0-|0---4---|0-------|0-------|0-------|
D|3-------|3-------|0-------|0-------|2---5---|2-------|--------|0-------|
A|0-------|0-------|--------|2-------|3---5---|--------|--------|--------|
E|--------|--------|3-------|------3-|--------|--------|--------|----3---|
e|1-------|1-------|--------|--------|--------|0---3---|0-------|3-------|
B|3-----3-|3----1--|0-----3-|3-----3-|1---3---|1-------|1-------|3-------|
G|2-------|2-------|0-------|0-----0-|0---4---|0-------|0-------|0-------|
D|--------|0-------|0-------|0-------|2---5---|2-------|--------|0-------|
A|0-------|--------|--------|2-------|3---5---|--------|--------|--------|
E|--------|--------|3-------|------3-|--------|--------|--------|--------|

[Postchorus 2]
Same as Postchorus 1, but twice as long.
(Steel guitar)
e|--------8---------8-|--------8---------8-|-------12---------12-|------7-------7-|
B|-----10--------10---|-----10--------10---|----13---------13----|----8-------8---|
G|10----------10------|10----------10------|9-----------12-------|7---------9-----|
D|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|
A                                                                                    
E|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|	]
x2
e|------5-------5-|------5-------5-|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|			]
B|----6-------6---|----6-------6---|----5-------5---|----3-------3---|
G|5---------5-----|5---------5-----|0---------5-----|0---------4-----|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|--------8---------8-|--------8---------8-|------7-------7-|------7-------7-|
B|-----10--------10---|-----10--------10---|----8-------8---|----8-------8---|
G|10----------10------|10----------10------|9---------9-----|9---------9-----|
D|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
e|-------8--------8-|-------8--------8-|------7-------7-|------7-------7-|
B|----10-------10---|----10-------10---|----8-------8---|----8-------8---|
G|9----------9------|9----------9------|9---------9-----|9---------9-----|
D|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
A|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
E|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
ALTERNATIVELY, if due to the capo you cannot reach these frets, transpose it down an octave (this also allows
you to throw in some decorative major 6ths, augmented 5ths and sustained 4ths on the B string in the second
part (frets 3, 1 and 3 respectively)):
e|----------------|----------------|------0-------0-|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|----1-------1---|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----------0-----|----0-------0---|
D|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|2---------------|0---------2-----|
A                                                                       
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
x2
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|	]
B                                                                     
G|------2-------2-|------2-------2-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D|----3-------3---|----3-------3---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|
A|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|----------3-----|----------2-----|
E|----------------|----------------|3---------------|3---------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
D|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
D|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
(Nylon guitar)*
e|--------|0-------|--------|--------|1-------|0-------|0-------|0-------|
B|------1-|1---3---|------1-|--------|1-------|0-------|1-------|0-------|
G|2-----2-|0---4---|2-----2-|--------|2-------|0-------|2-------|0-------|  x2
D|3-----3-|----5---|3-----3-|2---0---|3-------|2-------|2-------|0-------|
A|3-------|--------|3-------|3---2---|--------|--------|0-------|--------|
E|--------|--------|--------|3---3---|1-------|3-------|--------|3-------|

[Verse 3]
Steel guitar has been pushed to the background to such an extent that it is effectively gone, so I didn't
bother transcribing it. My patience has limits. Keyboard carries this section, but the nylon guitar can
continue plucking whole chords:
(Steel guitar)
N.C.
(Nylon guitar)*
e|0-------|0-------|0-------|0-------|
B|1-------|0-------|1-------|0-------|
G|2-------|0-------|2-------|0-------|  x4
D|3-------|2-------|2-------|0-------|
A|--------|--------|0-------|--------|
E|1-------|3-------|--------|3-------|

[Chorus 3]
See Verse 3. Practically no steel guitar present, keyboard continues, but nylon guitar can pluck whole chords:
(Steel guitar)
N.C.
(Nylon guitar)*
e|1-------|--------|----0-3-|0-------|
B|3-------|3-------|1-3-----|0---3---|
G|2-------|0-------|0-------|0-------|  x2
D|0-------|0-------|2-------|0-------|
A|--------|--------|3-------|--------|
E|--------|3-------|--------|3-------|

[Postchorus 3]
Steel guitar returns, nylon guitar resumes picking - I couldn't make out what exactly, so I created something
that sounded close.
(Steel guitar)
e|--------8---------8-|--------8------------|-------12---------12-|------7-------7-|
B|-----10-----10------|-----10--------10----|----13---------13----|----8-----8-----|
G|10-------------10---|10----------10----10-|9-----------12-------|9-----------9---|
D|--------------------|---------------------|---------------------|----------------|
A|--------------------|---------------------|---------------------|----------------|
E|--------------------|---------------------|---------------------|----------------|
e|------5-------5-|------5-------5-|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|
B|----6-----6-----|----6-----6-----|----5-----5-----|----3-----3-----|
G|7-----------7---|7-----------7---|0-----------5---|0-----------4---|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|--------8---------8-|--------8-----------|-------12-----------|------7-------7-|
B|-----10-----10------|-----10-----10------|----13------13------|----8-----8-----|
G|10-------------10---|10-------------10---|9--------------12---|9-------9---9---|
D|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|
e|------5-------5-|------5---------|------3-------3-|---------------|
B|----6-----6-----|----6-----6-----|----5-----5-----|----3----(3-3)-|
G|7-------7---7---|7-------7---7---|5-----------5---|0-----0--------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
ALTERNATIVELY, transposed down one octave as previously:
e|----------------|----------------|------0-------0-|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1---------|----1-------1---|------0-------0-|
G|----2-----2-----|----2-------2---|----------0-----|----0-----0-----|
D|3-----------3---|3---------3---3-|2---------------|2-----------2---|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B                                                                     
G|------2-------2-|------2-------2-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D|----3-----3-----|----3-----3-----|----2-----2-----|----0-----0-----|
A|5-----------5---|5-----------5---|------------3---|------------2---|
E|----------------|----------------|3---------------|3---------------|
e|----------------|----------------|------0---------|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1---------|----1-----1-----|------0-------0-|
G|----2-----2-----|----2-----2-----|------------0---|----0-----0-----|
D|3-----------3---|3-----------3---|2---------------|2-------2---2---|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B                                                                     
G|------2-------2-|------2---------|------0-------0-|----------------|
D|----3-----3-----|----3-----3-----|----2-----2-----|----0----(0-0)--|
A|5-------5---5---|5-------5---5---|3-----------3---|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|3-----3---------|
(Nylon guitar)
e|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|----------------|
B|----1-------1---|----1-------1---|----1-------1---|------3-------3-|
G|2---------2-----|2---------2-----|0---------0-----|----4-------4---|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|5---------5-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------1-------1-|------0-------0-|
G|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
D|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|2---------2-----|0---------0-----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B                                                                     
G|------2-------2-|------2-------2-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D|----3-------3---|----3-------3---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|
A|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|3---------3-----|2---------2-----|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B                                                                     
G|----------------|----------------|------------0---|0---------------|
D|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|------2---------|0---------------|
A|----3-------3---|----3-------3---|----3-----------|----------------|
E|5---------5-----|5---------5-----|3---------3-----|3---------------|
FADE OUT
************************************
LEGEND
| h   Hammer-on
| p   Pull-off
************************************