2007 Song of the Day #4 – I Know It (Madonna)

This whole Song of the Day insanity began percolating a few weeks ago as a highly covert Madonna Cover Songs project.

Madge isn’t really known for being widely covered, but as I acquired more and more of her sheet music books I discovered just how many of her tunes made for compelling, fun guitar-based cover songs.

Perhaps 2007’s CK theme would be recording every Madonna song? No – that would get boring after a while. I might love her, but I don’t always love her every day.

The idea was briefly shelved and speedily resuscitated (unwittingly) by Glenn Case, an internet songwriter (and Songfighter) who is endeavoring to list his 10,000 favorite songs one day at a time. He’s currently on day 114.

The Madonna Cover Songs project and Glenn’s project fought in my head like dogs in a cage, and out came Song of the Day.

The upshot is that a vast quantity of songs of the day are going to be Madonna songs. Including this one – “I Know It” – a never-repeated obscurity from her debut. (By the way, this isn’t the song I skipped yesterday – that’s still en route.)

If you know this one you are a true Madonna fan. If you want chords, performance notes, and lyrics for “I Know It,” keep reading.

I never thought much of “You Know It” – the synthesizers made it sound like music from the Super Mario Gameboy game. However, it happens to be a favorite of my corporate BFF Elizabeth, who introduced me to the sort of rawness in the vocal delivery that didn’t become Madonna’s trademark until she came into her fuller voice on True Blue and Like a Prayer.

These chords were painstakingly figured out by ear against the recording – one of the few Madonna tunes with no available sheet music. I’m pretty damn sure they’re right.

Since not everyone will prefer the voicings I used in my chosen capo position I’ll list the chords as both actual and relative. Note that I play the song a major third higher than this set of chords – you’d have to capo at III and VI to follow me, respectively.

Actual Chords – Chord named by sounding pitch.
Verse: C Bb
Into Chorus: F D
Chorus: Gm Eb D
Bridge (from “cry”): D Bb E C F D
“Take your love” – Gm Eb Dsus4-to-D

Relative Chords – Capo III. Chords named relative to capo.
Verse: A G
Into Chorus: D B
Chorus: Em C (x35553) B (x24442)
Bridge (from “cry”): B G (355433) D# A (577455) D (x57775) B (x24442 or 799877)
“Take your love” – Em C Bsus4-to-B

I found the bridge a little daunting to remember at first. Sometimes you just have to ditch your music theory and be dumb like a fox – which is why I play it as barres. Notice the pattern:

A-based barre…
Add a fret and switch to E-based barre…
Add a fret and switch back to A-based barre…
Add a fret and switch back to E-based barre.
Stay there and play an A-based barre.
To make up for staying there, add two frets for your final E-based barre
(or, if it makes more sense to you this way – Go back to the start!)

Like I said, painstakingly.

Note that you can steal the simple harmony part in the chorus for the lead if you’re performing solo.

“I Know It” is a rare solo writing credit for Madonna! Can you imagine her sitting at her synthesizer banging this out solo?

I don’t know why I thought that you could make me happy
These tears I cry for you are so hopeless, yeah
I don’t know why I thought that we were going somewhere
But you grabbed your coat and you were out the door
And now I know you don’t care

I know you’re gonna take your love and run
I know you think I’m the foolish one
I know you’re gonna turn around and say goodbye

I used to think you were my pretty angel comin’ down
Well now you’ve just proven me wrong
What about the letters we have written
All the things we’ve said and done
I’ll just stand here while you count the battles you have won

(chorus)

But I’m not gonna cry for you
‘Cause that’s what you want me to do
No I’m not gonna cry for you anymore

(chorus)

Take your love and run from me
Is this the way love’s supposed to be
You don’t think that I can see
But you can’t fool me

But I’m not gonna cry for you
‘Cause that’s what you want me to do
No I’m not gonna cry for you anymore

(chorus)