matthewgruman.com

Photo source

This was playing on CBC Radio 2 this morning when I woke up, and I assumed it was a Leonard Cohen cover I hadn’t heard yet. Appropriately it’s his son, finally letting his father’s influence show.

Playing notes

Cohen switches things up a lot throughout the song. Don’t always play the high E string, and throw in some hammer-ons to get the sound right. The G/F#, G/B, and A7sus4 chords are transitional, so you can leave them out if you’re having trouble.

The chords

Capo VI

C: x32033
G: 320033
Em: 022033
D: xx0233
G/F#: 2x0033
G/B: x20033
A7sus4: xx2233

Intro:

C G

C                                    G
    I know what you look like in the morning
                         C
Your kisses are soft and warm
                            G
I can draw you with my eyes closed
                                     C
See you with nothing on but the radi-o
                                    G
I know how many years of French you took
                                    C
Your favourite movies, your favourite books
                            G
I know what really gets you going... glowing

  Em             D                      C
I know where you go with your beautiful friends
  Em            D          C
I know what you taste like when the night ends

G                                          Em
   I know the kind of thing that makes you laugh
                                      C
The way you tilt your head for a photograph
                              G       G/F#
What other guy knows you like that?

G                                        Em
   And I can name the first guy you ever kissed
                               C
I can name the perfume on your wrist
                              G       G/F#
What other guy knows you like that?

    C     G/B
Oh, Anne
    D     A7sus4
Oh, Anne

C                                      G
   I know what you want by what you're wearing
                            C
The kind of night you're preparing
                                      G
I know what your hands do when you're kissing
                                         C
Your number one and number two favourite positions
                     G
I know how your skin glistens... listen

  Em             D                      C
I know where you go with your beautiful friends
  Em            D          C
I know what you taste like when the night ends

G                                          Em
   I know the kind of thing that makes you laugh
                                      C
The way you tilt your head for a photograph
                              G       G/F#
What other guy knows you like that?

G                                        Em
   And I can name the first guy you ever kissed
                               C
I can name the perfume on your wrist
                              G       G/F#
What other guy knows you like that?

    C     G/B
Oh, Anne
    D     A7sus4
Oh, Anne
    C     G/B
Oh, Anne
    D     A7sus4
Oh, Anne

  Em             D                      C
I know where you go with your beautiful friends
  Em            D          C
I know what you taste like when the night ends

G                                          Em
   I know the kind of thing that makes you laugh
                                      C
The way you tilt your head for a photograph
                              G       G/F#
What other guy knows you like that?

G                                        Em
   And I can name the first guy you ever kissed
                               C
I can name the perfume on your wrist
                              G       G/F#
What other guy knows you like that?

    C     G/B
Oh, Anne
    D     A7sus4
Oh, Anne
    C     G/B
Oh, Anne
    D     A7sus4
Oh, Anne

The video

The tab

This one’s really simple, but one of my favourite bass riffs.

G|--4-----2-----------|
D|----5-----0---2-----|
A|--------------------|
E|-----------------0--|

-or-

G|--4-----------------|
D|----5---7-----------|
A|----------5---7-----|
E|-----------------0--|

The song

Listen here.

And I watched her through the rain coming through the ceiling and thought back to Salt Lake; and my father, Sid, who ran the Capitol Theatre. It was a movie house, but it had been an old vaudeville house, and he wanted to bring live performances back to the Capitol. In 1948, he invited Marian Anderson to come and sing there. And I remembered we went to the train station to pick her up and took her to the biggest hotel in town—the Hotel Utah—but they wouldn’t let her stay there because she was black. And I remember my father’s humiliation, and her humiliation, as I saw her singing there through the rain.

And I realized right then; I said “Brenden right then, I knew that it was all wrong; that it all had to change. And that that change had to start with me.”

Photo Credit: Radio Milwaukee

Playing Notes

I use the following positions for chords:

C: 332010
G: 320033
Bb: 113331
F: 133211

Power chords will sounds just fine, though.

The Chords

TV on the Radio
Golden Age

Verse riff:

A|--3-1-3-1--3-1-3--1-1-1--|

Chorus riff:

D|-----5--------3--|
A|--3--------1-----|

Heart beat sounding
Ricocheting in their cage
Thought I'd lose my balance
With the grounds bounce and sway
And all this violence
And all this goes away
And the vibes that rise like
Fireflies illuminate our play

Some light being
Pulled you up from night's party
Said clap your hands
If you think your soul is free
And the silence was astounding
'cept some "Oh Lord!! Mercy Me's"
And oh you can't stop what's comin' up
You're never gonna stop gonna live it up
And oh it's gonna drop gonna fill your cup
And oh it's gonna drop gonna fill your cup

           C        G        Bb       F
The age of miracles
           C        G        Bb       F
The age of sound
               C        G        Bb       F
Well there's a Golden Age
       C        G        Bb       F
Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

Give it up
'stead of grabbing for decay
What we viewed as gold
I believe pollutes this space
And its grace ascending
Like a snake up your tree
Up your happy ending understanding
All your s'pposed to be

Let it move right in
Let it kiss your face
Let it sow your skin
In perpetual embrace
Like I said "Love's Light is Laughter"
Like the sun spitting happiness into the hereafter
Oh here it comes like a natural disaster
Ah blowing up like a ghetto blaster
Ah here it comes, bring it faster
Ah here it comes, bring it faster

           C        G        Bb       F
The age of miracles
           C        G        Bb       F
The age of sound
               C        G        Bb       F
Well there's a Golden Age
       C        G        Bb       F
Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

C               F
Love, don't you falter
        C
Burning hearts
Dragged behind
             F
The horses dancing on the altar
                C
Hooves breaking Gods
           F
To diamond dust and stars
And there you are...

Now we're all allowed to breathe
Walls dissolve
With the hunger and the greed
Move your body
You've got all you need
And your arms in the air stir a sea of stars
And oh here it comes and it's not so far

All light beings
Come on now make haste
Clap your hands
If you think you're in the right place
Thunder all surrounding
Aw feel it quake with the joy resounding
Palm to the palm you can feel it pounding
Never give it up you can feel it mounting
Oh its gonna drop gonna fill your cup and
Oh its gonna drop gonna fill your cup

           C        G        Bb       F
The age of miracles
           C        G        Bb       F
The age of sound
               C        G        Bb       F
Well there's a Golden Age
       C        G        Bb       F
Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

           C        G        Bb       F
The age of miracles
           C        G        Bb       F
The age of sound
               C        G        Bb       F
Well there's a Golden Age
       C        G        Bb       F
Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

C        G        Bb       F

Tabbed by Matthew Gruman, matthewgruman.com

The Video

See the video here.

Photo Credit: Clothes Horse Records.

The Chords

soso – the first of a thousand goodbyes

Em Bm Am

I guess I thought his clothes and personal possessions
would somehow make me feel his presence.
But his mittens with mismatching thumbs are
dumb without his hands to animate them.

I guess in the same way i thought that if i lay myself down in this field something would be revealed
if i listen hard, i listen hard

Things are rarely as i expect
Echoing Hallmark card sentiments like
“Please accept our deepest sympathies”
and quotings with great regret

A lifetime of generating assets can be a real pain in the ass
Shifting through old boxes of shit in the garage
And when old people die there are no casserole and pies at the end of the rainbow
Just a lot of grown ups with wet eyes

Red faces and neck ties from ten years ago
On the last happy or sad occasion
And don' forget to get the good shirt laundered

I've squandered all my thoughtful words in the first third of my life
And i said i wasn't going to write anymore songs like this
I don't want to write anymore songs like this

I, I know
I know this the first of a thousand goodbyes
I, I know
I know this is the first of ten thousand goodbyes

The Song

Download an mp3 from Clothes Horse Records.

Photo Credit: Rugged Elegance.

The Intro

The intro part should be involve some sort of pick pattern to sound like the record. The notes in parenthesis (G# and Bb) are just individual notes to be played on the bass strings.

The Chords

Rent
You'll See (from the movie soundtrack)

C C/b Am (G#) (Bb)

ROGER
What Happened to Benny?
What Happened to his Heart
And the Ideals he Once Pursued?

BENNY
And the Owner of that lot Next Door
Has the Right to do with it as he Pleases

ROGER
Happy Birthday, Jesus

G

BENNY (spoken)
The Rent

MARK
You're wasting your time

ROGER (spoken)
We're broke

F

MARK
And you Broke your Word-This is Absurd

G

BENNY
There is One Way you Won't Have to Pay

F

ROGER
I Knew It

G

BENNY
Next Door
The Home of CyberArts
You see

F
And now that the Block is Rezoned
G
Our Dream can Become
F
A Reality

C                F
You'll See Boys
C                F
You'll See Boys

VERSE

(spoken)
A State of the Art
Digital
Virtual
Interactive Studio
I'll Forego your Rent

And on Paper Guarantee
That you can Stay here for Free

If You'll Do Me One Small Favor

MARK (spoken)
What?

BENNY (spoken)
Convince Maureen
To Cancel her Protest

MARK (spoken)
Why not get an Injunction
Or Call the Cops?

BENNY
(spoken)
I did, and They're on Stand By

G

But my Investors Would Rather
F
I Handle this Quietly

ROGER (spoken)
You can't Quietly Wipe Out
An Entire Tent City
Then Watch "It's Wonderful Life"
On T.V.

BENNY
You Wanna Produce Films
And Write Songs

You Need Somewhere to Do It
It's What we Used to Dream About
Think Twice Before You Poo Poo It

C         F
You'll See Boys
You'll See Boys

Eb                        C
You'll See the Beauty of a Studio
Eb
That Let's Us Do Our Work
         C
And Get Paid
Eb
With Condos on the Top
C
Who's Rent Keeps Open our Shop
Eb
Just Stop the Protest
                   D
And You'll Have It Made
        C
You'll See

Or You'll Pack

The Song

Photo Credit: LA Times

The Chords

Tim Fite
Big Mistake

Capo VI

C: x32010 -or- x32013
Em: 022000 -or- 022003
Am: x02210 -or- x02x15
F: 133211

The alternate chords, while a bit tricky to play, sound more like the record.

The entire song, save the "hold Am" parts, is:
C Em Am F

Show me the best that you got, and I'll show you one better
Show me your reddest rose, and I'll show you one redder
Tell me a dirty joke, and I'll laugh it off lightly
If I tell you a dirty joke, you might not like me 

Everyone gets to make one big mistake
And if you're waitin' on me
Well, I guess you're gonna have to wait (hold Am)

Ti-time-timing is everything if you've got nothin' but time
(I got nothin' but time)
And a lie don't mean nothin' if nobody knows when you're lying
(lie when you lie)
So lie when you do, lie when you don't
Lie when you didn't, lie till you lie, lie, lie, lie
They're wonderin' if anybody else is lying 

(end Am)

Everyone gets to make one big mistake
And if you're waitin' on me
Well, I guess you're gonna have to wait (hold Am)
'Cause I'm savin' mine up for a very, very special day
When I can fuck it all up in the most spectacular way  (hold Am)

Everyone gets to make one big mistake
And if you're waitin' on me
Well, I guess you're gonna have to wait
And wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait 

Everyone gets to make one big mistake
(mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake)
And if you're waitin' on me
Well, I guess you're gonna have to wait (you're gonna have to wait)
'Cause I'm savin' mine up for a very, very special day
(it doesn't even matter if it don't even matter)
When I can fuck it all up in the most spectacular way (hold Am)

Show me the best that you got, and I'll show you one better
Show me your reddest rose, and I'll show you one redder (hold Am)
Tell me a dirty joke, and I'll laugh it off lightly
If I tell you a dirty joke, you might not like me (hold Am)

Tabbed by Matthew Gruman, matthewgruman.com
Lyrics from http://www.onlylyrics.com/hits.php?grid=5&id=1024209

The Video

Photo source: Showclix.

Thirds

Citizen Cope/Clarence Greenwood has a very restrained playing style in that he rarely plays full chords. Most of the guitar work in this song is with thirds; you can try these chords:

• G: 320xxx
• C: x320xx
• A: 542xxx

The Chords

Citizen Cope
More Than it Seems

The entire song is: G C A G

Lyrics:

Your so Pure(ah)
Your heart is full of
All i ever need
And i cant take it
I cant speak
So i just sit here and stare

My adorer, let me tell you a story
About someone in me
Now its gunna be surrounding me

Break my silence

Yea its a little bit more than it seems
We can make outside my dreams
Yea its a little bit more than it seems
We can make outside my dreams

My adorer, they say i dont know ya
I sure do know
Sure do miss ya
I can't take it
I can't take it

My adorer, your heart is full of
All ill ever need
I cant take it
I cant speak

Break my silence

Yea its a little bit more than it seems
We can make outside my dreams
Yea its a little bit more than it seems
(We can make it) We can make outside my dreams
Yea its a little bit more than it seems
(We can make it) We can make outside my dreams
Yea its a little bit more than it seems
(We can make it) We can make outside my dreams
Outside my dreams

Tabbed by Matthew Gruman

http://matthewgruman.com

Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/citizen_cope_lyrics_9271/every_waking_moment_lyrics_31222/more_than_it_seems_lyrics_338473.html

Photo Source: Good and Reckless and True.

The Chords

Rilo Kiley
A Better Son/Daughter

The entire song is:
E A E A E B

Lyrics:
Sometimes in the morning I am petrified and can't move
Awake but cannot open my eyes
And the weight is crushing down on my lungs
I know I can't breathe
And hope someone will save me this time
And your mother's still calling you insane and high
Swearing it's different this time
And you tell her to give in to the demons that possess her
And that god never blessed her insides
Then you hang up the phone and feel badly for upsetting things
And crawl back into bed to dream of a time
When your heart was open wide and you love things just because
Like the sick and dying

And sometimes when you're on
You're really fucking on
And your friends they sing along
And they love you
But the lows are so extreme
That the good seems fucking cheap
And it teases you for weeks in its absence
But you'll fight and you'll make it through
You'll fake it if you have to
And you'll show up for work with a smile
And you'll be better
You'll be smarter
More grown up and a better daughter or son
And a real good friend
And you'll be awake
You'll be alert
You'll be positive though it hurts
And you'll laugh and embrace all of your friends
And you'll be a real good listener
You'll be honest
You'll be brave
You'll be handsome and you'll be beautiful
You'll be happy

Your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
To the cries and the wails of the valley below
Your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
And you'll fight it you'll go out fighting all of them

Tabbed by Matthew Gruman

http://matthewgruman.com

Lyrics from: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/A-Better-Son-Daughter-lyrics-Rilo-Kiley/A36AC8377594A6DA48256CB5002BA661

Music Video

Photo Source: LeftOfMainstream.

Covers

Dr. Dog has managed to do an incredible cover of an excellent song. I would definitely spend some time at Hype Machine if you’d like to hear a more laid-back version.

The Chords

Heart it Races
Architecture in Helsinki / Dr. Dog

Capo III

Intro:
G Em x2

Verse:
G                                              Em
And we're slow to acknowledge the knots in the laces
Heart it races
G                                           Em
And we go back to where we moved out to the places
Heart it races
  G
I bought it in a can and stirred it with my fingers singing
Em
Boom dah dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah
Threw it out the window
    G
And lately you been tanned, suspicious for the winter with your
Em
Boom dah dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah
Legs like little splinters

Chorus:
G        Em
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
G        Em
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Verse:
G                                              Em
And we're slow to acknowledge the knots in the laces
Heart it races
G                                           Em
And we go back to where we moved out to the places
Heart it races
  G
I sold it to a man and threw him out the window
He went
Em
Boom dah dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah
Made his wife a widow

Chorus:
G        Em
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
G        Em
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Outro:
G
Boom dah dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah
Em
Boom dah dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah dah
Boom dah dah dah dah

Tabbed by Matthew Gruman

http://matthewgruman.com

Lyrics from: http://www.onlylyrics.com/hits.php?grid=6&id=1008936

Music Video

I wish more bands would release their videos on quality websites like Vimeo.

Photo Source: Michigan Daily.

The Style

Most of the song is played very sparsely; just hitting a few notes here and there. If you watch the video below, you’ll see that he plays it without a capo. Replace the chords with these if you want to play it that way:

• Am -> Bm
• G -> A
• F -> G
• E -> F#

The Chords

Castanets
Three Days, Four Nights
Capo II

Am                 G
There's three days, and four nights to go

F                       E
And I won�t be with you anymore
Am               F
Four nights like this to
Am
go

Am                  G
In the trees like a freeway with that wind
F                E
A devil howling, silent again

Am                 F
And the chill of that sheet

           Am
On your skin

Am G F E Am F Am x2

Solo:
Played with a slide (or not), without a capo.

e|------------------------------------------------------|
b|--10/12-12-12--12--10/12-12-12--12~~~-----------------|

e|--14/15-15-15--14/15-15-15---14/15-15-15---\12--12/14-|
b|------------------------------------------------------|

e|--20---19---19/20-20-20---19/20-20-20----19-----------|
b|------------------------------------------------------|

The last note is up close to the bridge.

Am
We ain�t free my love
G
We are not our masters

F
Without side looks faster

E
Drowned and distanced
Am

Rest and listen

F
As I cross these miles

Am
I try to tell you �I love you�

Am

Am G F E Am F Am X2

Am

            F
The walk we take

                G
In the rain today

                  E
Your feet in your boots
                     Am
On the mud of the graves

         F              Am
The way we refuse to be saved
Am       F              Am
The way we refuse to be saved
Am           F            Am
The way we refuse to be saved

Am

Tabbed by Matthew Gruman

http://matthewgruman.com

Lyrics: http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858518610

Music Video