This is a great Pearl Jam rocker that is perhaps their catchiest pop tune. One “bad†thing about Pearl Jam songs is they always use at least two guitars, and on this song, they use three (Eddie Vedder picks up his telecaster to play with Stone and Mike). Since this is the easy song data base, this version is tabbed for just one guitar (and Mike's blistering solo at the end is omitted). Here are the various parts of the song:
INTRO RIFF
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
-----9---9------9---9--------9---9------9---9---
-7-7---7----7-7---7------0-0---0----------------
------------------------------------8-8---8-----
Pretty easy and instantly recognizable. Listen to the song for the rhythym. It is also used for the break and the outro.
RIFF 1 FOR VERSES
Three strokes of F, one stroke of E, and one stroke of G that you let ring out. I play it using barre chords, but you can use power chords just as easily. Both are tabbed below. I use a pattern of DUD/D/D for this riff. The riff is usually played 5 times.
-1-1-1-0------3---------------
-1-1-1-0------3---------------
-2-2-2-1------4---------------
-3-3-3-2------5--(ring)-------
-3-3-3-2------5---------------
-1-1-1-0------3---------------
OR
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-10-10-10-9---------------------
-10-10-10-9-----5---(ring)------
-8--8--8--7-----5---------------
----------------3---------------
CHORUS
Not sure of the precise chord names here, but they are all variants or slash chords of G and Cadd9 (B/G, C/G). I use all quick down strums. The little arpeggio at the end is only played on the 1st and 3rd time through the riff.
-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-----0--0-----
-3-3-3-3--3-3-3--3--3----3---
-0-0-0-0--0-0-0--2--0------0-
-0-0-0-0--0-0-0--2--0--------
-3-3-3-3--2-2-2--0--2--------
--------------------3--------
INTERLUDE:
Chords are B/G and either C/G or Cadd9 (both sound okay). I tabbed it below as C/G. Cadd9 is x320033. Not positive of the strumming pattern. I think I use D/D/DU/D/D/D/UU (don't have my guitar with me). The rhythm is more important than the actual pattern used.
-3-3-3-3-2--3-3-3-3-2- -3-3-3-3-2--3-3-3-3-2-
-3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3-3- -3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3-3-
-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0- -0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-
-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0- -0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-
-2-2-2-2-2--2-2-2-2-2- -3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3-3-
---------------------- ----------------------
Okay, so here is the song structure:
CORDUROY
INTRO - intro riff 4x
VERSE 1 – play Riff 1 5 times, where indicated:
(Riff1) The waiting (Riff1) drove me mad...you're finally (Riff1) here and I'm a mess I take your (Riff1) entrance back...can't let you (Riff1) roam inside my head
CHORUS 1 – riff played 4x
I don't want to take what you can give...
I would rather starve than eat your bread...
I would rather run but I can't walk...
Guess I'll lie alone just like before...
BREAK – same riff as intro, played 2x
VERSE 2 – play Riff 1 5 times, where indicated:
(Riff 1) I'll take the (Riff 1)varmint's path...oh, and I (Riff 1) must refuse your test…Push me and I (Riff 1) will resist...this behavior's (Riff 1) not unique
CHORUS 2 – played twice through, or riff 8x
I don't want to hear from those who know...
They can buy, but can't put on my clothes...
I don't want to limp for them to walk...
Never would have known of me before...
I don't want to be held in your debt...
I'll pay it off in blood, let I be wed...
I'm already cut up and half dead...
I'll end up alone like I began...
INTERLUDE: play the above tab 4x. Start sing after the second time through
Everything has chains...absolutely nothing's changed
Take my hand, not my picture, spill my tincture
CHORUS 3 – this time the riff is played 5x
i don't want to take what you can give...
i would rather starve than eat your breast...
all the things that others want for me...
can't buy what i want because it's free...
can't buy what i want because it's free...
can't be what you want because i'm...
VERSE 3 - play Riff 1 5 times, where indicated:
(Riff 1) why ain't it sposed to be (Riff 1) just fun oh, to live and (Riff 1) die, let it be done i figure (Riff 1) i'll be damned, all alone like (Riff 1) i began...
OUTRO – play the intro riff until you get sick of it.
Hope this works for you. Good luck and have fun.
AWESOME SONG>>>LOVE PEARL JAM :D
" Take what you can from your dreams and make them real as anything " - Dave Matthews.
Great job! This is in my top 3 favorite Pearl Jam songs (which is a rotating list consisting of "Hail, Hail", "Thumbing My Way", "Grievance" and "Release"). You nailed it exactly the way I play it. I use the power chords for riff 1 since I'm already down there playing the intro, but I use all downstrokes. I'll give your strumming pattern a try tonight.
No problem jwmartin. Hope it works out.
I've been enjoying Thumbing My Way, too. Beautiful song (Matt Cameron has said it is one of his favorite Vedder compositions). There's a posting for it in the ESD, too.