Lucero Tabs

Sometimes

2012-01-21T13:31:00.001-05:00

If you're on this site you probably already know that yesterday the boys and their ATO overlords released a free download of this song. But just in case you missed it, here's the download link:

http://mp3.rollingstone.com/download/Sometimes.mp3

Anyhow, I figured I should get the tab up. I haven't done Brian's parts yet, but I'll circle back for them when I get a chance.

The riff is nice and easy. Note that the G sting is open on the Cadd9 and G parts. Also, that Bm is probably a B5 power chord when Ben plays it.

D riff
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|---3-----3-----3-----3---|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
|-----0h2---2-----0h2---2-|-----0h2---2-----0h2---2-|
|-0-----------0-----------|-0-----------0-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

Asus riff
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|---3-----3-----3-----3---|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
|-----0h2---2-----0h2---2-|-----0h2---2-----0h2---2-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-0-----------0-----------|-0-----------0-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

G riff
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|---3-----3-----3-----3---|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
|-----0h2---0-----0h2---0-|-----0h2---0-----0h2---0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-3-----------3-----------|-3-----------3-----------|

Cadd9 riff
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|---3-----3-----3-----3---|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
|-----0h2---0-----0h2---0-|-----0h2---0-----0h2---0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-3-----------3-----------|-3-----------3-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

D riff x 2

D riff
Sometimes it's quiet in the middle of the night
D riff
Sometimes it's lonely, sometimes it's alright
Asus Riff
But tonight the silence is louder than a train
G Riff
Sounding like my father's voice calling out my name

D riff x 2

D riff
Boy you just don't realize what you really spend
D riff
Running up and down those tracks to hell and back again
Asus riff
All you got is family, all you got is time
G riff
I hear it in the quiet middle of the night
Cadd9 riff
And the ghosts down those empty roads
G riff
They all know my name

D riff

Em7______________G__________________D______________Asus
The road to Tennessee it shakes and rattles to the bone
____Em7__________G____________________D_________________Asus
The hills of Arkansas are filled with haunted lakes and ghosts
_______G____________D__________________Asus
Oh but sometimes, I hear them on those lonesome nights
____G______________D_______________Asus________________D
And sometimes they come out of the woods and up to the house

D riff x2

D riff
Whispers in the forest carried through the fields
D riff
Buried in the same dirt they worked all those years
Asus riff
All the sons and fathers, all that went before
G riff
I hear it when it's quiet right outside my door
Cadd9 riff
And the ghosts down those empty roads
G riff
They all know my name

D riff

Em7______________G__________________D______________Asus
The road to Tennessee it shakes and rattles to the bone
____Em7__________G____________________D_________________Asus
The hills of Arkansas are filled with haunted lakes and ghosts
_______G____________D__________________Asus
Oh but sometimes, I hear them on those lonesome nights
____G___________D_________________Asus
And sometimes I hear them call to me
Bm___________A_____________G
Boy you must find your own way
Bm__________A__________G
No man goes beyond his day
Bm___________A______________G____________D
You and your brothers watch out for each other
A_______G
Alllllllways

D riff

D riff
Sometimes it's quiet in the middle of the night
D riff
Sometimes it's lonely, sometimes it's alright
Asus riff
But tonight the silence is louder than a train
G riff
Sounding like my father's voice calling out my name
Cadd9 riff
And the ghosts down those empty roads
G riff
Yes they know my name

Em7______________G__________________D______________Asus
The road to Tennessee it shakes and rattles to the bone
____Em7__________G____________________D_________________Asus
The hills of Arkansas are filled with haunted lakes and ghosts
_______G____________D__________________Asus
Oh but sometimes, I hear them on those lonesome nights
____G___________D_________________Asus
And sometimes I hear them call to me
_______G___________D__________________Asus
Oh and sometimes I hear them on those lonesome nights
____G_______________D________________Asus
And sometimes I can hear my father's voice say
Bm___________A______________G____________D
You and your brothers watch out for each other
A________D riff x2
Allllllllways

Women & Work Index

2012-01-21T13:20:00.003-05:00

Except for Sometimes, these tabs are based off of live versions. I'll go back and fix them up to match the record when it comes out, but in the meantime I wanted to get the tabs I have so far in one place.

On My Way Downtown

2011-11-24T12:55:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Lucero fans. I'm celebrating by tabbing one of the new songs they've been playing live. I love the way this song is shaping up. There are live videos here and here. I think the first one is a little more useful for figuring out how to play it.
Most of the song follows a basicc AAED pattern, but the details take some explaining. First of all it starts with a riff over the first two verses that never appears again. Here's how that goes. You'll want to wrap your thumb to get the D bass note. (The x indicates a muted pick that happens right on the beat.)

A
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|----------9-9h11-9------9-|----------9-9h11-9--------|
|---9h11-x----------9h11---|---9h11-x----------9h11---|
|-0------------------------|-0------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|

E
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|----------9-9h11-9------9-|
|---9h11-x----------9h11---|
|--------------------------|
|-0------------------------|

D
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
|-----------9-9h11-9--------|
|----9h11-x----------9h11---|
|---------------------------|
|-10------------------------|

A
On my way downtown
A
Thought you might be around
E
Come on out tonight
D
Come on out tonight

A
I know the last time we drank
A
I was a little less than behaved
E
Come on out out tonight
D
Aw, I'll be good tonight

The next part is a variation on that riff that comes up often throughout the rest of the song. Let's call it Riff 2.

A x2
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|----------9----------9----------9-9h11-9------9-|
|-----9h11-------9h11-------9h11----------9h11---|
|-0-0--------0-0--------0-0----------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|

E
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|----------9----------9----------9-9h11-9------9-|
|-----9h11-------9h11-------9h11----------9h11---|
|------------------------------------------------|
|-0-0--------0-0--------0-0----------------------|

D
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------9------------9------------9-9h11-9------9-|
|-------9h11---------9h11---------9h11----------9h11---|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|-10-10--------10-10--------10-10----------------------|

Riff 2

For the rest of the verses the chords continue to follow that AAED
pattern, but he plays a little shuffle sort of like Devil and Maggie. Basically the third beat of every four gets the shuffle so it looks like this. Use your pinky to get the shuffle on the D part.

A x8
|---------|
|---------|
|-2-2-4-2-|
|-2-2-4-2-|
|-0-0-0-0-|
|---------|

E x4
|---------|
|---------|
|---------|
|-2-2-4-2-|
|-2-2-4-2-|
|-0-0-0-0-|

D x4
|-0-0-0-0-|
|-3-3-3-3-|
|-2-2-4-2-|
|-0-0-0-0-|
|---------|
|---------|

A shuffle
On my way downtown thought you might be around
A shuffle
Come on out have a drink. Have a round it's on me
E shuffle
And I said that I would, so yes, ma'am, I'll be good
D shuffle
I'll make up for those days that we lost 'round the way
A shuffle
Come on baby don't you wanna go, wanna go
A shuffle
Come on baby please say it's so, say it's so
E shuffle
I ain't looking for forever, I ain't askin' for your hand
D shuffle
I'm just on my way to town and I thought I'd take a chance
A_______E_________________D
Come on down for just one drink
A____________E__________________D
When you're around I'm more the man that I should be
E
Come on now baby can't you see
D
Can't you see that you're good for me, you know that you're good for me

Riff 2

A shuffle
On my way downtown thought you might be around
A shuffle
Come on out have a drink. Have a round it's on me
E shuffle
Come on baby don't you wanna go, wanna go
D shuffle
Come on baby please say it's so, say it's so
A_______E_________________D
Come on down for just one drink
A____________E__________________D
When you're around I'm more the man that I should be
E
Come on now baby can't you see
D
Can't you see that you're good for me, you know that you're good for me
A_____________E____________________D
On my way downtown just waitin for you

A B D A
Come on out out tonight
A B D D
Don't you wanna go, wanna go
A B D A
Come on out out tonight
G
I'll be waitin' for you downtown
D
So why don't you come on down, why don't you come around

Riff 2

A shuffle
Come on baby don't you wanna go, wanna go
A shuffle
Come on baby please say it's so, say it's so
E shuffle
I ain't looking for forever, I ain't askin' for your hand
D shuffle
I'm just on my way to town and I thought I'd take a chance
A_______E_________________D
Come on down for just one drink
A____________E__________________D
When you're around I'm more the man that I should be
E
Come on now baby can't you see
D
Can't you see that you're good for me, you know that you're good for me
E

D
Can't you see that you're good for me, you know that you're good for me
A_____________E____________________D
On my way downtown just waitin for you

When I Was Young

2011-11-12T11:50:00.002-05:00

Here's another new song. There's a video of Ben playing it here. If anyone has the chorus lyrics figured out, please let me know.

This song is pretty much straight chords, but I figure some folks might be helped by seeing the hammering laid out. On the triplets your strumming pattern is down-up-down. The G parts go like this. For each line of the lyrics, repeat the pattern twice.

|-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----0-0-0h2--2-0-0-|
|-2-----2-2-0h2--2-2-2----0-0-2-|
|-3-----3-3-3----3-3-3----3-3-3-|

The Em7 bits are essentially the same.

|-0-----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----0-0-0-|
|-2-----2-2-2----2-2-0h2--2-2-2-|
|-2-----2-2-0h2--2-2-2----2-2-2-|
|-0-----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0-|

The Em7/C picking for the bridge goes like this.

|-------------------------|
|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|
|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|
|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|

|-------------------------|
|---1-----1-----1-----1---|
|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|
|-------------------------|
|-3-----3-----3-----3-----|
|-------------------------|

G
When I was young at night I'd call your name
G
When I was young I fell in love every other day
Em7
When I was young, lord when I was young

G
All of what I've done and all I've seen
G
Place it brought me to, place I thought I'd be
Em7
When I was young, lord when I was young

C_____________________D_Em7
Now ??? that highway ???
D_______________________________Em7_________C____________________G
Just because you know where you are doesn't mean that you're not lost

G
Now working never did agree with me
G
Maybe I never stuck around long enough to see
Em7
When I was young, lord when I was young

C_____________________D_Em7
Now ??? that highway ???
D_______________________________Em7_________C____________________G
Just because you know where you are doesn't mean that you're not lost

Em7_____________________________________________C
All those long lonely nights with you next to me
Em7________________________________C
I let those years slip by so easily
_________C__D____G
So easily

G
I spent all my days trying to be
G
Something you can't own, something close to free
Em7
But I ain't young, lord knows that I'm not young

C_____________________D_Em7
Now ??? that highway ???
D_______________________________Em7_________C____________________G
Just because you know where you are doesn't mean that you're not lost
D_______________________________Em7_________C____________________G
Just because you know where you are doesn't mean that you're not lost

If Only You Were Lonely

2011-08-23T15:04:00.003-04:00

There's a chord in this song that I'm not sure what to call. It's x20030 which makes is B-D-G-D-E and I don't think that's anything. Anyhow, I just called it B*

G B* Cadd9 Asus G D G

G
Well, I walked out of work
__________B*
And I was tired as hell
Cadd9________________Asus
Another day come and gone and oh well
G___________________D_____________________G
Somewhere there's a drink with my name on it

G_____________________________B*
Well, I ordered a Scotch as I bust through them doors
________Cadd9
Spilled half on my jeans
__________Asus
The other half on the floor
G______________D______________________G
When I saw you standing by that video game

G
Well, I ain't very good
__________B*
But I get practice by myself
Cadd9
Forgot my one line
__________Asus
So I just said what I felt

Cadd9____________B*_____Cadd9__D
If only you were lonely,
Cadd9____________B*_____Cadd9__D
If only you was lonely too,
Cadd9____________B*_____Cadd9__D
If only you was lonely
Cadd9____________B*_____Cadd9__D__G
I'd go home with you

Twenty push-ups this morning, that was half my goal
Tonight I'll be doin' pull-ups
On the toilet bowl
And somewhere there's somebody a-throwin up

Well, I broke the seal on my door
And I poured myself to bed
The whirlpool spinning around in my head
Around in my head
There was liquor on my breath
You were on my mind

B*
And I'll be dreamin of that smile
__________Cadd9_______Asus
Without a care in the world
Cadd9____________B*_____Cadd9__D
If only you were lonely,
Cadd9____________B*_____Cadd9__D
If only you was lonely too,
Cadd9____________B*_____Cadd9__D__G
If only you was lonely

I walked out of the kitchen
I was tired as hell
Another day's here... oh well
Somewhere there's a smile with my name on it.

It May Be Too Late

2011-08-06T11:32:00.001-04:00

Here's the fourth new song to emerge from the next album. You can see a cool video of it here.

As is often the case with Ben, the key implies that the B chords are minor, but he plays them as B5 (power chords). Point is, if you're going to play the full chord, it sounds better minor.

Verses/intro riff:

|-------------|-------------|
|-------7-----|-------7-----|
|---7-----7---|-5---5---5---|
|-0---0-----0-|---0-------0-|
|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|

|-------------|-------------|
|-------3-----|-------------|
|-----0---0---|-------2-----|
|---0-------0-|---2-----2---|
|-------------|-0---0-----0-|
|-3-----------|-------------|

Riff
Well it's Saturday night, out here on my own

Riff
Been downtown, don't know how long

Riff
Been waiting on a freind of mine, been saving her a seat

Riff
Bar's about to close, she's yet to be seen

G
Now in the past I've gone astray

D
Yes, I'm the one to blame

G
Come on now call me back, darlin please call me

A
I'm So down hearted

D____________A_______B______________G
It may be to late to save me little girl

D__________________________A_______________G
Called your phone `til the number wouldn't dial

D_________________A_______B______________G
Yes it may be too late to save me little girl

D_______________________A___________D
Show me a sign it might save me somehow

Riff
Now I could get better, or I could get drunk

Riff
Doubles for the road, reckon I'm done

Riff
Gonna pay up my tab, make it back accross town

Riff
Call one more time, see if she'd come near the house

G
Now in the past I've gone astray

D
Yes, I'm the one to blame

G
Come on now call me back, darlin please call me

A
I'm So down hearted

D____________A_______B______________G
It may be to late to save me little girl

D__________________________A_______________G
Called your phone `til the number wouldn't dial

D_________________A_______B______________G
Yes it may be too late to save me little girl

D_______________________A___________D
Show me a sign it might save me somehow

E_____________A
I know you're busy girl

D_____________G
I know you're working hard

E_____A___________________D
Every day just to make it through

E_________A
Maybe the best way to

D______________G
save me little girl

D____________________A________________D
Is by letting me, by letting me, save you

G
Now in the past I've gone astray

D
Yes, I'm the one to blame

G
Come on now call me back, darlin please call me

A
I'm So down hearted

D____________A_______B______________G
It may be to late to save me little girl

D__________________________A_______________G
Called your phone `til the number wouldn't dial

D_________________A_______B______________G
Yes it may be too late to save me little girl

D_______________________A___________D____A
Show me a sign it might save me somehow

D_________________A_______B______________G
Yes it may be too late to save me little girl

D_______________________A___________D____A
Show me a sign it might save me somehow

D_______________________A___________D
Show me a sign it might save me somehow

Like Lightning

2011-07-09T14:29:00.006-04:00

This is the third new song to have worked its way into the live sets. For anyone who hasn't heard it yet there are a couple versions on YouTube like the 37:20 mark of this and this. I haven't had a chance to tab out Brian's lead yet, and it seems like it's still evolving because it's quite a bit different in the two versions, but I got the chords worked out. The Es are minor, maybe Em7, and I haven't figured out if Ben is playing the Cs as Cadd9, yet. Brian's playing barre chords.

G

G D G G
Now she's got a kiss that hits like a thunder bolt
E D C C
Legend is that it shocked me to the bone
G D E C
Then I turned my back, she was gone in flash, now I gotta find her, been working on that
G D G G
I know when I catch her I ain't gonna let her go

C C G G
Gonna make my way on back up down the road
C C D D
Gonna tell her that I need her, gonna tell her I love her soul, Lord where did she go?
E C G G
Don't go wasting lightning
E C D D
Don't go wasting time
E C G D G
Cause that girl down the road, she ain't the waiting kind

G D G G
Now she ain't dancing on the bar at the Buccaneer
E D C C
She ain't drinking with the boys underneath the pier
G D E C
She ain't at her sisters, she ain't at the track, but I'm gonna find her, gonna bring her back
G D G G
I know when I catch her I ain't gonna let her go

C C G G
Gonna make my way on back up down the road
C C D D
Gonna tell her that I need her, gonna tell her I love her soul, Lord where did she go?
E C G G
Don't go wasting lightning
E C D D
Don't go wasting time
E C G D G
Cause that girl down the road, she ain't the waiting kind

A C G D
Now she was on fire, I remember the kiss in the car outside, sparks from her lips
A C G D
And the way that she looked, like a storm on the horizon, Wind in her hair, rain in her eyes
A C A C
I remember soul, like a thunderbolt
A C D D
And the fire in her kiss and the sparks from her lips and the look in her eye like a storm on the horizon

C C G G
Gonna make my way on back up down the road
C C D D
Gonna tell her that I need her, gonna tell her I love her soul, Lord where did she go?
E C G G
Don't go wasting lightning
E C D D
Don't go wasting time
E C G D G
Cause that girl down the road, she ain't the waiting kind

Women and Work

2011-04-28T14:39:00.004-04:00

Hell yeah. It's that time again, folks. New Lucero songs are starting to trickle out into the world. There has to be at least seven of them in the chute. And despite being encumbered by inconveniences like a new job and a full load of grad work, I am determined to keep up with the tabs.

The latest one is called Women and Work. Here's a nice video of it. It's a bouncy working man's blues that reminds me of both The Devil & Maggie and Sounds of the City. The main part of the song is an A shuffle like this:

|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-2-4-2---2-4-2---2-4-2---2-4-2---|
|-2-4-2---2-4-2---2-4-2---2-4-2---|
|-0-0-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---|
|---------------------------------|

The strumming pattern there sounds like up-down-up-rest. All the chords are power chords except the typical Lucero Dsus (xx0230).

Verses:

A shuffle
Now it's one shot of women, one shot of work
A shuffle
One shot's sweeter but they both can hurt
D__________________________A shuffle
Just let it go. Kid, just let it go.
E
Raise up your glass. Let's make a toast
D
It hurts in the morning but you still need `em both

A shuffle

Choruses:

B__________________E
A honky tonk and a jack knife
A_________________D
A tomahawk and an ex-wife
A_________________E_____________A shuffle
Come on kid let's drink `em down

Now I'm playing too fast, thinking too slow
Women and the work and a kid don't you know
Let it go. Kid just let it go.
Come on in, get out of the cold
Women and work got you froze to the bone

A honky tonk and a jack knife
A tomahawk and an ex-wife
Come on kid let's drink `em down

Bridge:

B__________________________E
Women and the work and the booze in between
________A_____________________D
Got you puking in the alleys, smashing TVs
A_________E__________________D
Kid don't let it get you down

Now it's one shot of women, one shot of work
Don't try to sip `em cause they'll only taste worse
Let it go. Kid, just let it go.
Raise up your glass. Let's make a toast
You can't win `em all, but you still need `em both

A honky tonk and a jack knife
A tomahawk and an ex-wife
Come on kid let's drink `em down

A honky tonk and a jack knife
A tomahawk and an ex-wife
Come on kid let's drink `em down

Can't Stand to Leave You

2011-01-25T14:24:00.003-05:00

Alright, for anyone who hasn't heard it yet, Ben's been playing a new song, and you can check out a video of it here.

It's pretty simple. The verses and the chorus actually use the same AAGF riff. I labeled the first half of the A riff A(1) and the second half A(2).

Then there's a simple bridge riff and an instrumental break that both follow an AGFF patern. (I assume Brian will do a solo over the instrumental break.)

One quick note about the tab for the break: It repeats the AGFF cycle 4 times, two one way, and then two slightly different. The difference is actually only one note, specifically whether the G parts finish on open G or open D. Otherwise it's the same riff four times.

Capo on the 3rd fret

Verses/Chorus Riff:

A(1)
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|---------------------0h2---2~-|
|--------0h2---2~--------------|
|-0--0-0-----0----0-0-----0----|
|------------------------------|

A(2)
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|---------------------0h2---0--|
|--------0h2---2~--------------|
|-0--0-0-----0----0-0-----0----|
|------------------------------|

G
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|---------------------0h2---0--|
|--------0h2---2~--------------|
|------------------------------|
|-3--3-3-----3----3-3-----3----|

F
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|---------------------0h2---2~-|
|--------0h2---2~--------------|
|------------------------------|
|-1--1-1-----1----1-1-----1----|

Bridge Riff:

A
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|---2---2---2---2-|
|-0---0---0---0---|
|-----------------|

G
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|---2---2---2---0-|
|-----------------|
|-3---3---3---3---|

F
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|---2---2---2---0-|---2---2---2---2-|
|-1---1---1---1---|-1---1---1---1---|

Instrumental break/solo

First 2x:
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------------0-|-----------------|
|---------0h2-----|---------0h2---0-|
|-0--0-0------0---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3--3-3------3---|

|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|---------------0-|
|---------0h2---2~|---------0h2-----|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1--1-1------1---|----1-1------1---|

Second 2x:
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------------0-|---------------0-|
|---------0h2-----|---------0h2-----|
|-0--0-0------0---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3--3-3------3---|

|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|---------------0-|
|---------0h2---2~|---------0h2-----|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1--1-1------1---|----1-1------1---|

A(1)________________A(2)
I see your face when I close my eyes
G_________________________F
I hear your name when the wind's just right
A(1)______________A(2)
The setting sun's gone once more
G___________________________F
Each night's worse than the night before
A(1)
Now I can't stand to leave you
________A(2)________________________________G_______F
I can't take the weight of this world on my own
A(1)
I don't know what I'll do
________A(2)____________________G__________F
I don't think I can make it all alone

A(1)______________A(2)
They say all will mend with time
G_______________________F
That don't mean much to me tonight
A(1)_______________A(2)
Like city streets, your eyes shine
G__________________________F
And I'm out here, with the losing kind
A(1)
Now I can't stand to leave you
________A(2)________________________________G_______F
I can't take the weight of this world on my own
A(1)
I don't know what I'll do
________A(2)____________________G__________F
I don't think I can make it all alone

Bridge:

A_______________________G___________F
And yes, I've felt this kind of pain
A_______________G_______________F
A hole straight through my chest
A___________G_______________F
It's always there, never far away
A______________G____________F
Seems now it's all that's left

Instrumental break/solo

A(1)______________A(2)
Every song I hear your voice sing
G_________________________F
The words are clear. Come back to me
A(1)_______________A(2)
Come back to me my only one
G_______________________F
And hold me close. Your work is done.
A(1)
Now I can't stand to leave you
________A(2)________________________________G_______F
I can't take the weight of this world on my own
A(1)
I don't know what I'll do
________A(2)____________________G__________F
I don't think I can make it all alone

New Song

2011-01-13T08:06:00.002-05:00

For the past year, I just haven't had any time to devote to posting here. So none of the old tabs have gotten the improvements I'd like to make, but at least there hadven't been any new songs to worry about tabbing. That is, there haven't been any new songs until now.

Check out this video of Ben doing a new song at an Arkansas record store:

Not bad, right? I'll try to work out how to play it in the next week or so.

Gone to the Sea

2010-01-11T15:08:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure about some of this one. The CD sounds like a warped piece of vinyl, and as far as I can tell, there are no recordings of them doing it live. In any event, a couple people have asked me to give it a try, and I think this is pretty close. Feel free to suggest corrections.
Main Riff:

|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-----0------0------0-----------|
|---2------2------0-------------|
|-0------3------2------3s5-3-2--|
|-------------------------------|

G D Em7 Cadd9

Riff
She's beautiful and deep blue
Riff
But she's cold and tragic too
Riff
There ain't nothing to say, or to do

G_D_Em7_______Cadd9
_____Been landlocked and alone
G_D_Em7_______Cadd9
_____With the Siren song
G_D_Em7__Cadd9
_____Now my heart is
G_________D__________Em7
gone with her to the sea

Riff
I can hear her from the shore
Riff
So I dare not to sail anymore
Riff
A voice a would gladly drown for

G_D_Em7_______Cadd9
_____Been landlocked and alone
G_D_Em7_______Cadd9
_____With the Siren song
G_D_Em7__Cadd9
_____Now my heart is
G_________D__________Em7
gone with her to the sea

Em7_D_G
______Been landlocked and alone
Em7_D_G
______With the Siren song
Em7_D_G
______Now my heart is
Em7_______D__________Cadd9
gone with her to the sea

Riff x 4

G_D_Em7________Cadd9
_____Still landlocked and alone
G_D_Em7_______Cadd9
_____With the Siren song
G_D_Em7__Cadd9
_____Now my heart is
G_________D__________Em7
gone with her to the sea

Lucero Gets Their Own Dinosaur

2010-01-06T16:55:00.004-05:00

Well, more of a bird, actually. Nevertheless, it's pretty damn cool. In one fell swoop someone proved the existence of both an ancient bird and a really cool paleontologist. Who knew?

Check it out: Link

Happy 1372 Overton Park Day

2009-10-06T08:28:00.003-04:00

Today's the official release date for the new record, so I figured it was time for an update. If you haven't bought it yet, you should. In fact, you should buy it directly from the band.

I met my goal of getting a tab up for every song by the release date, you can find them all on the record's tab index page. I've got leads and solos for almost everything, but it's gonna take some time before I work through Brian's whole lead on Sixes and Sevens. That might even get split into its own post.

After that, it'll probably be quiet here for a while. I'm always revisiting old tabs to look for mistakes and/or add solos. As I get better, the old tabs seem to get worse. So there's always something to improve. Somehow I never posted Brian's leads from Bikeriders. I'll fix that soon. I'm also working on the terrific solo from The Last Song (probably Ben's best solo). That'll get posted pretty soon, too.

I'd love to do another interview, but now that they're doing "real" publicity to support the release, it's gonna be hard to get on their schedule. That may have to wait.

Can't Feel a Thing

2009-10-03T12:33:00.004-04:00

There are no straight chords in the song, so I'm going to number each section and pair numbers with the lyrics instead of chords. It's kind of a classic Ben Nichols song where he picks around a chord while changing the bass note.

The picking pattern for the verses is something like this:

(1)
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---4----4----4-----4-|
|---4-----------4-----|
|-2-2--2----2-----2---|
|---------------------|

(2)
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---4----4----4-----4-|
|---4-----------4-----|
|-0-0--0----0-----0---|
|---------------------|

(3)
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|----4-----4-------4-----4-|
|------4-------------4-----|
|--------------------------|
|-0------0------2------2---|

(4)
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---4----4----4-----4-|
|---4-----------4-----|
|-2-2--2----2-----2---|
|---------------------|

Brian's lead over the verses is easy. It goes like this:

(1)
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-4---4-6-4-|
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-----------|

(2)
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-4---4-6-4-|
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-----------|

(3)
|---------|
|---------|
|---------|
|-6---6s8-|
|---------|
|---------|

(4)
|----|
|----|
|----|
|-9--|
|----|
|----|

It's hard to tell precisely what Ben is playing for the choruses. I think this is right, but he's buried way low in the mix. You can clearly hear that he's going back and forth between the B and G stings on the fourth fret, and I'm pretty sure he's getting these bass notes. Lucero Message Board member, Cory Williams posted a video from the October show in Cambridge that helps to see what he's doing.

(5)
|------------------------|--------------------------|
|---4------4------4------|-4------4------4------4---|
|-----4------4------4----|---4------4------4------4-|
|------------------------|--------------------------|
|-2--------------------2-|------2------2------2-----|
|--------0------2--------|--------------------------|

(6)
|------------------------|--------------------------|
|---4------4------4------|-4------4------4------4---|
|-----4------4------4----|---4------4------4------4-|
|------------------------|--------------------------|
|-2--------------------2-|------2------2------2-----|
|--------0------2--------|--------------------------|

(7)
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|---4------4------4------4---|---4------4------4------4---|
|-----4------4------4------4-|-----4------4------4------4-|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-0------0------0------0-----|-0------0------0------0-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|

(8)
|------------------------|--------------------------|
|---4------4------4------|-4------4------4------4---|
|-----4------4------4----|---4------4------4------4-|
|------------------------|--------------------------|
|----------------------2-|------2------2------2-----|
|-0------0------2--------|--------------------------|

Brian's chorus riff is very similar to what he plays over the verses. It goes like this:

(5)
|-----------|
|---------7-|
|-4-4s6-8---|
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-----------|

(6)
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-4-4s6-8---|
|---------9-|
|-----------|
|-----------|

(7)
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-4-4s6-6s8-|
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-----------|

(8)
|------------|
|------------|
|-4-4s6-8----|
|---------9--|
|------------|
|------------|

That leaves us with the bridges (it's alright...)

Ben's part goes like this:

(9)
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|-----4-----4------4-----4-|
|-------4------------4-----|
|--------------------------|
|-0-0-----0----2-2-----2---|

(10)
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|-----4-----4------4-----4-|
|-------4------------4-----|
|--------------------------|
|-4-4-----4----2-2-----2---|

(11)
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|---4------4------4------4---|
|-----4------4------4------4-|
|-2------2------2------2-----|
|----------------------------|

Brian's part goes like this:

(9)
|--------------|
|---5-4----5-4-|
|-4------4-----|
|--------------|
|--------------|
|--------------|

(10)
|---------------|
|---5-4--7-5-4--|
|-4-------------|
|---------------|
|---------------|
|---------------|

(1)
A bastard from the start, but a charming one at that
(2)
Bad reputation but I really ain't that bad
(3)_________________________(4)
It's alright, I can't feel a thing

(1)
Beauty from the city, dolled up in a dress of gold
(2)
I like them high heels but she won't wear them no more
(3)_________________________(4)
It's alright, I can't feel a thing

(5)
Nothing short of perfect as she's falling to the ground
(6)
Nothing short of Armageddon's gonna slow her down
(7)
Nothing short of dying's gonna bring me any peace
(8)
Well, I ain't really worried 'cause I can't feel a thing

(1-2-3-4)

(1)
So much to tell her but the words seem to get lost
(2)
The bottle's empty and I can't complete the call
(3)_________________________(4)
It's alright, I can't feel a thing

(1)
She ain't on the phone, she ain't on the way
(2)
All the messages keep going up in flames
(3)_________________________(4)
It's alright, I can't feel a thing

(5)
Nothing short of Vegas and a bar that's never closed
(6)
Nothing short of lying down and waking up alone
(7)
Nothing short of dying's gonna bring me any peace
(8)
Well, I ain't really worried 'cause I can't feel a thing

(1-2-3-4)

(9)________(10)_______________(9)_____________(10)
________It's alright...well it's alright ...a little less pain every time we fall
(9)________________(10)_________________(9)____________________________________(10)
It's alright...it's alright...until you get so tired you can't feel nothin' at all
_______________(11)
Nothin' at all

(1)
She asked me if I loved her and I showed the tattoo
(2)
I weren't no answer but for then it had to do
(3)_________________________(4)
It's alright, I can't feel a thing

(1)
I listened to a band in a bar outside downtown
(2)
There ain't enough girls wearing high heels in this crowd
(3)_________________________(4)
It's alright, I can't feel a thing

(1-2-3-4)

(5)
Nothing short of perfect as she's falling to the ground
(6)
Nothing short of Armageddon's gonna slow her down
(7)
Nothing short of dying's gonna bring me any peace
(8)
Well, I ain't really worried 'cause I can't feel a thing

(9)_________________(10)__________________(9)_____________(10)
Can't feel anything.......Lord, can't feel anything
_______________(11)
Can't feel a thing

What Are You Willing to Lose?

2009-09-27T18:12:00.000-04:00

There's not much to the guitar for this song. As on most of this record, Ben's playing power chords. The E chords are (0799xx). Brian is mostly mirroring the same chords. He has one lead when it gets to the "What are you willing to lose" parts, and even that is buried in the mix. It goes like this:

----------------------------
----------------------------
-12b^-bvp11-9----9-11-12b^--
--------------11------------
----------------------------
----------------------------

C#_______________________________B_________E
So what if all my heroes are the losing kind?
C#___________________________B_________E
Ended up with nothing but we put up a fight
C#_____________________________B
Most of it was choices that we never asked to choose
A_____________________________________________________E
The rest of it was luck and now we've run outa that too
B________________________A
What are you willing to lose?
A___________________________E
What are you willing to lose?

C#___________________________B_________________E
I spent every dollar just to try to earn a dime
C#___________________________B__________________E
I'd make you hate me just to try to make you mine
C#______________________________B
It doesn't really matter if I'm telling you the truth
A_________________________________________________________E
What you see is all that's left the rest is up to you
B________________________A__________E
What are you willing to lose?
B____________________________A
What are you willing to lose?

E________________B
We're so, so far gone
C#
In these losing fights, I'm just the losing kind
______A
Can't say its right or wrong
E_______________B
And so, we keep on
C#
No one else to blame, I'm going down in flames
____A
Saw it coming all along

E

C#_______________________________B__________E
So what if all my heroes are the losing kind?
C#__________________________________B_________________E
Not a chance in hell but still they lay it on the line
C#_____________________________B
Would you give it all away for what you want to do
A_______________________________________________________________E
Would you keep on going if you couldn't make it through now?
B________________________A__________E
What are you willing to lose?
B____________________________A
What are you willing to lose?

E________________B
We're so, so far gone
C#
In these losing fights, I'm just the losing kind
______A
Can't say its right or wrong
E_______________B
And so, we keep on
C#
No one else to blame, I'm going down in flames
____A
Saw it coming all along

C#_______B___________________________A____________E
Don't be so shy girl, I've seen your tendencies before.
C#___________B_________________A_______________F#
Woke up next morning with them scattered on my floor
E_________________________________B
Come on little darling, can't you cut us all some slack
C#________________________________________________________A
Cause the winners they all took off, babe, and they ain't never coming back
A
Now they're never coming back

E________________B
We're so, so far gone
C#
In these losing fights, I'm just the losing kind
______A
Can't say its right or wrong
E_______________B
And so, we keep on
C#
No one else to blame, I'm going down in flames
____A
Saw it coming all along

E________________B
We're so, so far gone
C#_______________A
We're so, so far gone
E_______________B
And so, we keep on
C#
No one else to blame, I'm going down in flames
A
Saw it coming all along
A
Saw it coming all along
A
Saw it coming all along

Halfway Wrong

2009-09-25T14:34:00.002-04:00

This is a pretty simple song. Ben chugs along playing chords shapes reminiscent of She's Just That Kind of Girl. Brian has a fun riff and plays his chords as power chords, or at least barre chords. Where you see C in parentheses it just means it's a transitional chord. You'll hear what I mean on the record.

G (3x0033) G variation thrown in on the bridge (3x0233)
C (x3x033)
D (xx0230)

Main Riff

----------------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------
-----------------------3~~--
-------3-5---------3-5------
-3-3-6-------3-3-6----------

G_____________________________________________(C)
I hate to think that I been wasting anybody's time
G______________________________________________________(C)
But I don't know no other way. It's hard to say what's right
D______________________________________(C)
I never meant to cause you any kind of pain
G______________________________________(C)
I wish I coulda made it work some other way

G__________________________________________(C)
I gotta say I think about you baby all the time
G___________________________________________________(C)
It ain't true that out of sight always means out of mind
D__________________________________________(C)
But you were hurting and it wasn't fair to stay
G______________________________________(C)
Now it takes all I got to try and stay away

C_______G____D___________G
We both know how this'll probably turn out
C________________G
But another shot and another song
D_______________________________(C)________G
You and me and all of this is only halfway wrong

G_______________________________________________(C)
Now I ain't saying that I want it like it was before
G________________________________________________(C)
Too many nights of fighting, it ain't worth it anymore
D________________________________________(C)
Too many nights of chasing you around downtown
G____________________________________(C)
Too many nights of me not even being around

G________________________________________________(C)
But them drunken nights of kissing running in the street
G_______________________________________________(C)
And for a moment kid the world was all it had to be
D_____________________________________(C)
I don't wanna, but I gotta let you go
G_____________________________________________(C)
I shouldn't say it, but I thought I'd let you know

C_______G____D___________G
We both know how this'll probably turn out
C________________G
But another shot and another song
D_______________________________(C)________G
You and me and all of this is only halfway wrong

C_______________________________________________G
It's just another shot, it's just another song
C__________________________________________D________(C)
You and me and all of this is only halfway wrong

G_______________________________________________(C)
Now I ain't saying that I want it like it was before
G________________________________________________(C)
Too many nights of fighting, it ain't worth it anymore
D________________________________________(C)
Too many nights of chasing you around downtown
G____________________________________(C)
Too many nights of me not even being around

C_______G____D___________G
We both know how this'll probably turn out
C________________G
But another shot and another song
D_______________________________(C)________G
You and me and all of this is only halfway wrong

C_______G____D___________G
We both know how this'll probably turn out
C________________G
But another shot and another song
D_______________________________(C)________G
You and me and all of this is only halfway wrong
D_______________________________(C)________G
You and me and all of this is only halfway wrong

1372 Overton Park Update

2009-09-23T17:58:00.010-04:00

Here are a couple quick updates on the new record.

First, a pre-order of the record on limited edition blue vinyl is now available in the LuceroMusic.com store. Better still, this edition comes with an instant digital download of the entire album. Which means now you can hear the whole thing without resorting to unauthorized file sharing, which also means I'll be getting the last couple tabs up soon.

As for those of us who already pre-ordered CDs and just got the 6 song digital sampler, well, I'm told that those ship on 10/28, so we'll probably start getting them in a week.

Darken My Door

2009-09-19T15:36:00.000-04:00

Now that the band has released a video of the studio version, I figured it was time to update this post with Brian's parts.

Brian has three leads, but they're really similar. Once you learn one, it's mostly just about picking what parts to play in which order for the others. The tabs of the are at the bottom of the post.

For whatever it's worth, I think Ben probably plays power chords (F#5 and C#5) instead of actual minor chords, but the minors are implied by the key, so that's the way I listed them.

A C#m D F#m E A

A__________________C#m
Why don't you stop wasting time
__________D
Come back down the line
____F#m_____________E_________A
I'm right where you left me before
A________________C#m
I can't say I've been behaved
_____________________D
You'd not believe me anyway
________F#m________E________D
There's been other women of course
D__________A________F#m
Hold me to this one
D________________A____F#m_________D
I won't make the same mistakes anymore
D________F#m__________E_________A
Oh now darling please darken my door

A C#m D F#m E A

With me is where you belong
So bring your self on home
We'll tear this town down to the ground

White Water Tavern nights
Old songs and jugs of wine
There's no finer mess to be found

We'll hold to this one
I can still hear your footsteps crossing the floor
Come on now darling please darken my door

_____E____________________D_____________A
Your barefeet on hardwood barely make a sound
_________E___________________________D______________A
From the kitchen to the bedroom with all the lights down
___________F#m______E________D_____________A
A glass of water, a whiskey, smoke in your hair
______C#m___________B___________D
All I taste is that perfume you wear, that perfume you wear

I don't suspect that you'll stay
Gone are the good old days
But then weren't we sure something else

I've caused enough trouble here
So girl get it in high gear
And come save me from myself

We'll hold to this one
I can still smell that godawful perfume you wore
Come on now darling please darken my door

Intro Riff:

-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-----------------9s11-9--------------
-7-7s9-9s11--12---------9s11-9-s7-7--
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------

Chorus Riff:

------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
-9s11-9-----------------------------------
--------9s11-9-9s7---7s9-9s11-11-11-9s7-7-
------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------

-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-9s11-9------------------------
--------9s11-9-9s7-7-9-11-9s11-
-------------------------------
-------------------------------

-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-----------------9s11-9--------------
-7-7s9-9s11--12---------9s11-9-s7-7--
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------

Solo:

-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-----------------9s11-9--------------
-7-7s9-9s11--12---------9s11-9-s7-7--
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------

--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-----------9s11--7s6s4-4s2-2-2--
-7s9-9s11-----------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------

New Record Pre-Order & Download

2009-09-12T10:51:00.000-04:00

(Originally posted 7/29)

Happy days are here again! The new Lucero record, 1371 Overton Park, is available for pre-order on the splash page of the band's website.

Pre-orders come with an instant download of six of the record's twelve songs. (You can also choose between four different package options that include various combinations of a patch, some t-shirts, a hoodie, and a bunch of posters.) But let's face it the main thing is the music, and the new songs sound great. So what are you waiting for? Go order it, download the songs, pour yourself a stiff one, plug in your headphones, and soak it all in.

Also, I added a tabs index for the new record. Some of the songs already have tabs, and I'll get the others up as fast as I can.

Dog Day Nights

2009-09-07T13:06:00.002-04:00

Happy Labor Day!

The main riff is pretty simple. It starts by bending up half a step. At different times he plays different parts of it, but that's easy to pick out. Just listen to the record and you'll hear what I mean.

Main riff:

--------------------------
--------------------------
-5^-5^-5-3--------------3-
-----------5-3-5--5-3-5---
--------------------------
--------------------------

--------------------------
--------------------------
-5^-5^-5-3----------------
-----------5-3-5--5-3-5---
--------------------------
--------------------------

On the G chords I think he's he's playing regular two finger G5 power chords (355xxx) but he's reaching down with his pinky to get some A#s (655xxx). That's what produces the churning effect. You could also fudge sort of the same thing playing open chords by playing (3x0033) and (3x0333), but on the record I'm pretty sure the A# is in the bass of the chord.

G
Hey bartender watch the line
G
Broke as hell, but feeling fine
G
Drink `em down dog day nights
G
Pay the tab some other time

Riff

G
Shots of whiskey chase the heat
G
Broken hearts, drunken feet
G
it was over `fore I turned around
G
Where was Jodie when the lights went out

Riff

G (No A#s)
Take that shot in front of you
F
Give the devil his due
C
Drink `em down dog day nights

That's all there is to the song. If anybody else can make out the rest of the lyrics, I'll add them in.

Mom

2009-08-31T17:05:00.003-04:00

For those who haven't heard it yet, there's a live version of this song up on YouTube. (Thanks Scott!)

Note: All these chords are power chords (C#5, A5, E5, etc.), and he slides into most of the C# chords from E.

C#_______________________A____________E
Mama your boys, we might make some mistakes
C#__________________________________A________________E
But we know where we're from and we know how we were raised
B______________________________A
So don't you think twice about where we are tonight
B_________A____________F#
No matter how far from home
______________A
We'll be back along
______________________E
It's just a matter of time

A__________________________C#
Now home might scatter and fade
_____B_____________________A
With time, all things must change
________C#______________________A
And the road might take its own course
___________B_________________________E
But at its end Mama we're still your boys

C#___________________________A____________E
Mama theres times that we'll make some mistakes
C#_______________________________A_______________E
We know how you've worked and we know how you've prayed
B_________________________________A
Don't you think twice about where we are tonight
B______________A__________F#
No matter what becomes of us
____________A
You gave us enough
________________E
Know that we've tried

A__________________________C#
And home might scatter and fade
_____B_____________________A
With time, all things must change
________C#______________________A
And the road might take its own course
___________B_________________________E
But at its end Mama we're still your boys

A____________________________________E___________________B
Now your mother was sixteen when she married the man she loved
A________________________E_______________________B_______________E
She gave you everything, you gave it all back to us

C#_____________________A____________E
Mama you know we might make some mistakes
C#____________________________A____________E
Now if we should falter, it's us should be blamed
B___________________________A
Don't you think twice about what's wrong or right
B_________________A_________F#
We learned that a long time ago
_______________A
And we keep it close
_________________E
You're with us tonight

A__________________________C#
And home might scatter and fade
_____B_____________________A
With time, all things must change
________C#______________________A
And the road might take its own course
___________B_________________________E
But at its end Mama we're still your boys

Miss Patsy Cline

2009-08-07T11:15:00.002-04:00

Having spent a bunch of time working on brand new Lucero tabs, I think it's time to go in the exact opposite direction.

This is one of my all time favorite Lucero songs. Legend has it that Ben doesn't want release it because he thinks it's too dorky. Well, he needs to get over it, because this song kicks a lot of ass. If you don't know it, once in a blue moon someone posts a live version on the message board, so try searching there.

I think the main riff only goes low on the second part of every cycle.

Main riff:

----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
-7^-5---5--7^-5------7^-5---5--7^-5---5-
------7---------7-5-------7---------7---
----------------------------------------

G
Well she knows my sins, she knows my heart
G______________________________C____________________G
Knows my evil ways, Miss Pasty Cline Kills me every time

G
With a voice like an angel that cuts like a knife
G_______________________________C_________________G
Ain't nothing that I can hide tonight, Miss Pasty Cline
F
She knows my heart and I can feel it
C
Every time she falls to pieces

G
It ain't so crazy, ain't so strange
G__________________________________C_________________G
Always puts me in my place, that's right, Miss Pasty Cline
F
She knows my heart and I can feel it
C
Every time she falls to pieces

C G C G C G

Solo:

-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-12--11-12--11-12--10----------10-11^p10--------------10-10^V----
----------------------13-10-13-----------13-10--10-13---------13-
-----------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-12-11-12-11-12-10-------
-------------------13-10-
-------------------------

___________D_________________________C
Miss Pasty Cline, she kills me every time

G
Well she knows my sins, she knows my heart
G______________________________C____________________G
Knows my evil ways, Miss Pasty Cline Kills me every time
F
She knows my heart and I can feel it
C
Every time she falls to pieces

C G C G C G

___________D_________________________C
Miss Pasty Cline, she kills me every time

Smoke

2009-08-06T11:22:00.007-04:00

I updated this tab because I think it makes sense to point out the accents you can pick out while Ben's playing chords. Brian plays straight barre chords throughout. Basically, they're both just chugging along playing 16th notes on the top of the chord and then Ben accents the bottom, but it follows a pretty distinct pattern, so I think it deserves to be tabbed.

Two things to keep in mind: First, like I said, the chords are 16th notes, I didn't tab the top of each chord 14 times because it's pretty easy to hear what's going on. In short, between each bar is 16 beats. The first 13 or 14 of those are the top of the chord. Got it? Good. Second, in general, the accents are up strokes. The exception is when there are three parts to the accent, then it's up-down-up.

Intro:
G|G|G|G|G|C|C|G

|--------|--------|--------|--------|----------0-|--------|
|------3-|--------|------3-|--------|----3-3-0-1-|----1-1-|
|----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--------3-|-3------|
|-3------|-3------|-3------|-3------|-3----------|--------|

|----------3-|--------|
|----1-1-0-3-|--------|
|-0--0-0-0-0-|----0-0-|
|-2--2-2-0-0-|-0--0-0-|
|-3--------2-|-2------|
|----------3-|-3------|

Verses:
G|G|G|C|C|G|G|C|C|Am

|--------|--------|----------0-|--------|----------3-|
|------3-|--------|----3-3-0-1-|----1-1-|----1-1-0-3-|
|----0-0-|----0-0-|----0-0-0-0-|-0--0-0-|-0--0-0-0-0-|
|-0--0---|-0--0-0-|-0--0-0-0-2-|-2--2-2-|-2--2-2-0-0-|
|-2------|-2------|-2--------3-|-3------|-3--------2-|
|-3------|-3------|-3----------|--------|----------3-|

|--------|----------0-|--------|----------0-|
|--------|----3-3-0-1-|----1-1-|----1-1-0-1-|
|----0-0-|----0-0-0-0-|-0--0-0-|-0--0-0-0-2-|
|-0--0-0-|-0--0-0-0-2-|-2--2-2-|-2--2-2-0-2-|
|-2------|-2--------3-|-3------|-3--------0-|
|-3------|-3----------|--------|------------|

G C G C G

G
The Bike was on the street outside a midtown bar
C
He went looking for a drink, wasn't looking very hard
G
She was sitting on his seat when he came out the door
C
She said run away with me He'd heard the line before
Am___________________________________C
He said better men than me have been all but left behind
_______________G____________D______________C____D_______G
She said we're doing pretty good if we can just get out alive

Em
She wrapped her arms around his waist
D
Nowhere to run to anyways
G____________________________________________C
They bolted out into the streets unknown and beautiful
____________G
Unknown and beautiful
____________C
Unknown and beautiful
____________G
Unknown and beautiful
____________C__________________G
Unknown and beautiful into the streets

G
Too many nights alone, too many days gone by
C
With nothing much to show, she was running out of time
G
He was all she'd ever need if they could just outrun the past
C
She said run away with me, she tried but couldn't laugh
Am______________________________C
He said lesser men than me have put up better fights
_______________G____________D______________C____D_______G
She said we're doing pretty good if we can just get out alive

Em
She wrapped her arms around his waist
D
Nowhere to run to anyways
G____________________________________________C
They bolted out into the streets unknown and beautiful
____________G
Unknown and beautiful
____________C
Unknown and beautiful
____________G
Unknown and beautiful
____________C
Unknown and beautiful

Am
Freedom was all that she owned
C
She moved faster all on her own
________G____________________________________________C
But the freedom had left her, left her drifting like smoke
Left her drifting like smoke

Tab of helacious shredding solo with chords in parenthesis:

(Am)
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-5s12-12-12s10-10-10-10s8|-8-8-8s5-5-5-5-|
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-------------------------|---------------|

(C)
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-5s12-12-12s10-10-10-10s8|-8-8-8s5-5-5-5-|
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-------------------------|---------------|
|-------------------------|---------------|

(G D C D G)
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|---------------------------7-7-|
|---------------5--7-5--7s9-----|
|----------5--7-----------------|
|-3-3s5--7----------------------|

(G D C D G)
|----------------------------------------------------|
|-8-8-8s10--10-10-10s12--12-12-15-12-10s8-8----------|
|--------------------------------------------7-7-7s9-|
|----------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------|

(C D Em)
|--------------------|
|-8-10-10^---v--8-8--|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|

(D C D G)
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|-7s9-9-9-7---7-7----------------|
|-----------------9---7-7s5-5-5--|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|

G
Heat coming off the road, on his shoulder laid her cheek
C
The bitter taste of smoke, the bike between her knees
G
The engine running loud, couldn't hear her if he tried
G
She spoke into the wind, run away with me tonight
G
Run away with me tonight
Run away with me tonight
Run away with me tonight
Run away with me tonight
Run away with me tonight
Run away with me tonight

Sixes and Sevens

2009-08-03T08:50:00.003-04:00

Alright. This felt like the War and Peace of Lucero tabs, and I didn't even start tabbing the wailing banshee G2 parts. The sucker just goes on and on, but it's a really fun song, so I think it's worth the effort.

The intro/chorus riffs takes some practice, but it's not actually very complicated. Apart from the changing bass notes, there are only two diferent parts to the riff. For instance, I've broken the intro into 7 parts, but 1,2,4,5, and 7 are basically the same, and so are 3 and 6.

(Intro)

_______________________A Riff
I can't say I mind you dancing
____________________________________E Riff
It's quite impressive in those shoes
________________________________A Riff
And I don't need no complications
__________________________B
But those are complicated moves

______________E_________________________A
Hell it's all sixes and sevens to me now
________________E
For all I can remember
_____________________B________________________A
I just took my money out and thrown it on the ground
______________________E
Just thrown it on the ground

Drinking women, chasing whiskey
Like there's nothing left to lose
Now if she'd only kiss me
I'd be a little less confused

(See the bridge riff below)

Six it tells me to believe
Seven kicks me in the teeth
Six won't let my heart a-roam
Seven split for Mexico

Figure the more time I spend sleeping
When we hit New Orleans
The more chance I might break even
That didn't sound like fun to me

Intro Riff:

E
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-----------2h4-------2h4-
-0-0---------------------

E
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-----------2h4-------2h4-
-0-0---------------------

A
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2-----2-----
-0-0-------2h4---2h4---2h4-
---------------------------

A
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-0-0-------2h4-------2h4-
-------------------------

E
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-----------2h4-------2h4-
-0-0---------------------

B
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2-----2-----
-2-2-------2h4---2h4---2h4-
---------------------------

E
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----2-
-----------2h4-------2h4-2-
-0-0---------------------0-

Main verses riff parts:

(Check the lyrics for where each part goes)

A Riff
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
---------2~--2h4-2----------2~-2h4-2-
-0-0-2h4------------0-0-2h4----------
-------------------------------------

E Riff
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
---------2~--2h4-2----------2~-2h4-2-
-----2h4----------------2h4----------
-0-0----------------0-0--------------

Chorus Riff:

(This is the same as the intro riff until you get to the B part)

E
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-----------2h4-------2h4-
-0-0---------------------

E
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-----------2h4-------2h4-
-0-0---------------------

A
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2-----2-----
-0-0-------2h4---2h4---2h4-
---------------------------

A
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-0-0-------2h4-------2h4-
-------------------------

E
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-----------2h4-------2h4-
-0-0---------------------

E
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----
-----------2h4-------2h4-
-0-0---------------------

B
-------------------------
-------------------------
-4----4------------------
-4----4--------2h4p2-----
-2----2----2h4-------2h4-
-------------------------

A
-------------------------
-------------------------
-2----2------------------
-2----2--------2h4p2-----
-0----0----2h4-------2h4-
-------------------------

E
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
-----2h4-2-----2h4p2-----2-
-----------2h4-------2h4-2-
-0-0---------------------0-

Bridge Riff:

(Play this eight times)

--------------------
--------------------
--------------------
------------------2-
--------------2h4---
-0-0-0-0----0-------

(Then play this twice)

---------------------
---------------------
---------------------
-------2-------2h4-2-
---2h4---0---0-------
-0-------------------

1372 Overton Park Index

2009-07-29T11:50:00.013-04:00

The Devil & Maggie Chascarillo

2009-07-25T16:18:00.001-04:00

Ben's Alma Mater, Hendrix College, posted a terrific video of him playing this song solo. It should clear up any confusion about the tab.

A couple notes on the rhythm guitar parts:
First, most of the song is power chords (A5, E5, and F#5). The D chords are Dsus (xx0230) except for the staccato ones during the "Love and Rockets" parts. Those are D5 (x577xx).
Second, the A shuffle is simple. Just drop in some quick hammers/pulls between your normal A5 (x022xx) and (x044xx).

Intro:

A shuffle____D__E

Verses:

A shuffle___________________________________________D__E
Cops shut down a show at Mad Dog's last Friday night
A shuffle__________________________________________D__E
Maggie snuck Daphne out the alley door just in time
A shuffle___________________________________________________________D__E
Flagged a ride in Doyle's truck. Ray was drivin what a piece of luck
A shuffle________________________________________________D__E
Back to the apartment put on Pleased to Meet Me Valentine

Choruses:

D__________________________A
Love and Rockets won't you please
D_____________________________________________E
Maggie and the devil in the California streets
D________________A_________________E_________________F#
Now Maggie the mechanic, punk rock girl, lonely saint
D_______________________A___________________E
Who ever thought it was gonna turn out this way?

Verse 2 (same as before)
Izzy was a widdow long before she went down to Mexico
Hopey was the other half, and there were things that Ray didn't know
Tear it up Miss Terry Downe
Doyle's asleep by the railroad tracks
It gets so tough when the past and the present's so close

Chorus 2 (same as before)
Love and Rockets won't you please
Maggie and the devil, California streets
Now Maggie the mechanic, punk rock girl, lonely saint
Who ever thought it was gonna turn out this way?

Extra long chorus:

D_____________________A_________________E_________________F#
Now Maggie says don't mind me, I'm just another graveyard ghost
D_____________A_________________E
Aw Maggie, aw Maggie, don't you know

Bridge:

D______________________E_____________A
I was just a kid and a long way from home
D_______________________E_________A
Looking for something I felt all along
D_______________________E_____________A
Some kids are grown up, some kids are gone
E____________________D
Maggie just needed a song

Instrumental break (D A E F# D A E) x3

Final Chorus (same as before)
Love and Rockets won't you please
Maggie and the devil, California streets
Now Maggie the mechanic, punk rock girl, lonely saint
Who ever thought it was gonna turn out this way?
Now Maggie says don't mind me,
I'm just another graveyard ghost
Aw Maggie, aw Maggie, don't you know

Lead Guitar Parts:

I broke the lead riff for the verses into two parts (A & B). Each verse goes A-B-A-B-A

Part A:

---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
-----------------------------------7---
---------------------------7-7-9-7---9-
-5-5-7-5--5-5-7-5--7-5-7s9-------------

Part B:

------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
-----7~-----7---7~-----7---7s9-7-7-9-7---7-9-7~-
-9-9----9-9---9----9-9---9-------------9--------
------------------------------------------------

Bridge Riff:

---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
-----------4-7------------4-7------------4-7-7s9-7-
-------4-7------------4-7------------4-7-----------
-5-5s7----------5-5s7----------5-5s7---------------

Solo:

-----------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------10-10----10-12-10----10----
-----7-7---7-9-9-7---7-9-7-9s11-------11----------11----11-
-7s9-----9---------9---------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------
-12^-v12--10----10--12^-v12--10----10-12-12s14-14s17-
-------------11-----------------11-------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-11-11-11-11-11-11-9-7-6-----------------6-9-9-
-------------------------7-7s9-9-9-9-9-9-------
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------
-12^-v12--10----10--12^-v12--10----10-12-12s14-14s17-
-------------11-----------------11-------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------

San Francisco

2009-07-24T12:32:00.000-04:00

This has been updated to correct the main riff (thanks Richard!) and add the solo.

Main Riff:

--------------------
--------------------
-3p2p0--------------
-------0h2p0-----0--
-------------0h2----
--------------------

After each time through the riff play chords (G G G G C)

Verses:

G
first time I saw it half asleep and broken hearted
C
they strapped half stacks to roof racks and drove to the parties
Am
nothing like home with the cold summer nights
F________________________________________C
they played songs for the girls and they drank til daylight

G____________________C_____________Riff
sunk my heart at the bottom of the bay
G____________________C_______________Riff
gonna wash up on the black rocks one day
G_________________________C____________Riff
like unlucky sailors just swept out to sea
D
I think all the girls I've loved walked through your streets
C
but the waves and the fog always took 'em from me

the Oakland apartments with the bars underneath 'em
the girlfriends and sweethearts and the bay in between 'em
I buried my heart at the bottom of the hill
if the girlfriends don't get you the sweethearts sure will

Solo

------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------7s9-9-9-7-7-7-7-7-
-7s9--9s7-7-5-7-5-------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------

--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-----------------7s9-9-9--------
-7s9-9-7-5-5-7-5---------7~-7~--
--------------------------------
--------------------------------

----------------------------------------
-10^v-8-10^v-8----10^v-8-10^v-8---------
---------------9----------------9-9s12--
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------

The last bit of the solo also appears at the very end of the song.

only nineteen, so easy to forget
do you wake up every morning and thank god for those legs
north to Santa Rosa and south to Santa Cruz
the humboldt house, the boardwalk, and the homemade tattoos

New Record Title, etc.

2009-07-17T15:18:00.004-04:00

Today the Lucero site officially confirmed the title (1372 Overton Park) of the new record and its release date (10/6). Better still, they're streaming The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo. Check it out:

http://www.luceromusic.com/

Naturally, you can expect a tab in the next few days. I learned the rhythm part from the live versions, but I'll need a few days to tab out Brian's part.

She's Just That Kind of Girl

2009-06-24T10:59:00.005-04:00

Some songs just give me tabbers block, and the intro chords to this took me a long time to figure out. In my defense, they aren't chords I've seen anywhere else, but somehow once I figured them out they seemed like typical Ben Nichols. The key was a video of Ben playing it with Cory Branan where I could get a sense of what was going on. Anyway, it's easy and fun to play.

Intro Part 1: variations on E, D, C, and G

--7--5--3--3----
--7--5--3--3----
--0--0--0--0----
--x--x--x--0----
--7--5--3--x----
--x--x--x--3----

Intro Part 2: variations on E, D, C, and D

--7--5--3--0----
--7--5--3--2----
--0--0--0--3----
--x--x--x--0----
--7--5--3--x----
--x--x--x--x----

Intro Part 3: variations on E, D, G, C, B, D, and G

--7--5--3--3--3--0--3--
--7--5--3--3--3--3--3--
--0--0--0--0--0--2--0--
--x--x--0--x--0--0--0--
--7--5--x--3--2--x--x--
--x--x--3--x--x--x--3--

After the intro chords, it goes into the main riff on G and C. This is Ben's part. I'll double back and figure out Brians (high) part some other time.

G-C Riff:

-3-3-3-3-3-3---3-3-3-3-3-3--
-3-3-3-3-3-3---3-3-3-3-3-0--
-0-0-2-0-2-0---0-0-2-0-2-0--
-0-0-0-0-0-0---x-x-x-x-x-x--
-x-x-x-x-x-2---3-3-3-3-3-3--
-3-3-3-3-3-3----------------

G
Running down a busy street
G
She was drunk when she kissed me
G
I know better than to be
G
Falling in love so easily
Em7_____________D
She's just that kind of girl
D____________G
That kind of girl

G-C Riff

G
I think one day she'll be my wife
G
I think I asked a hundred times
G
Asked the first night that we met
G
A hundred and one and she'll say yes
Em7_____________D
She's just that kind of girl
D____________G
That kind of girl

G-C Riff

The bridge is the same as the intro:

Intro Part 1
You can't wait around
Intro Part 2
You can't wait around
Intro Part 3
I'll come clean; I want you to wait for me

We'll just have to wait and see
About the things between her and me
I know better than to be
Falling for her kisses in the street

You can't wait around
You can't wait around
I'll come clean; I want you to wait for me

The chords over the solo are just C and G

New Video & Message Board FYI

2009-06-17T15:11:00.005-04:00

I just uploaded a video for Hold Me Close. I've had a few requests for that one, so hopefully it'll help anybody who's having trouble following the tab.

One other tidbit to pass along: If you aren't a regular visitor at the Lucero message board, you may have missed a thread where somebody has posted live versions of ten songs that should be on the new record. They're all great.

Hey Darling Do You Gamble?

2009-06-12T16:00:00.005-04:00

When I originally did this tab, I wasn't sure how to handle Ben's picking pattern. I figured it out in first position, but he starts it higher up the neck. I figure it's his song, so the tab should be the way he plays it, right? Now it is. If anyone wants a good look at how he plays it, this video is really helpful.

One other quick note: the key (D) implies that the B chords are minor. Plus, during the picking part, the D note makes them Bm. However, as is often the case, Ben plays the chords as power chords B5. So where he's strumming, I just called them B. But they sound a little nicer if you play the full Bm.

Verses picking patterns:

D:
|---------------------------------|
|-------7-------7-------7---------|
|---7-------7-------7-------7---7-|
|---------------------------------|
|-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---|
|---------------------------------|

A:
|---------------------------------|
|-------7-------7-------7---------|
|---7-------7-------7-------7---7-|
|---------------------------------|
|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
|---------------------------------|

Bm:
|---------------------------------|
|-------7-------7-------7---------|
|---7-------7-------7-------7---7-|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---|

G:
|---------------------------------|
|-------3-------3-------3---------|
|---0-------0-------0-------0---0-|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---|

A(2):
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-------2-------2-------2---------|
|---2-------2-------2-------2---2-|
|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
|---------------------------------|

D(2):
|---------------------------------|
|-3-----3-------3-------3---------|
|-0h2-------2-------2-------2---2-|
|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|

The only G2 riff is the little accent that follows "Now I believe" It goes like this:

-3s5-3-2--------------
---------3------------
------------2--2s4--7-
----------------------
----------------------
----------------------

D___________________A
Hey Darlin', do you gamble
__________Bm_________________G
Cause I'm running the inside track
D___________________A
I'm taking all that I can
________Bm____________G
And I'm never looking back
A(2)_________________G_________________D(2)
I believe you should run with me for a while

_________G____________________D
Hell now I believe you should run with me
___________A________________B
Until this Texas sun falls into the sea
_______________G_______________________________D
If I shed this skin of iron and this breath of kerosene
____B_________________A________________D
Now darling would you take a chance on me

D______________________________A
There's no map shows where I'm going
______Bm________________________G
And I can't say just where I've been
D_________________________A
But with you, girl, by my side, lord
________Bm___________________G
There's no game that I can't win
A(2)_________________G_________________D(2)
I believe you should run with me for a while

_________G____________________D
Hell now I believe you should run with me
___________A________________B
Until this Texas sun falls into the sea
_______________G_______________________________D
If I shed this skin of iron and this breath of kerosene
____B_________________A________________G
Now darling would you take a chance on me

A______________________________D
And I know you don't know what odds I've got
A_________________________D
But intuition sure counts for a lot
B________________________A___________D______________G
And you looked me square in the eyes more than once tonight
A(2)_________________G
I figure you and me, we'll make it just fine

D___________________A
Hey Darlin', do you gamble
_____Bm_______________G
I'll be your gambling man
D___________________A
We'll take all that we can
__________Bm______________G
And we'll never look back again
A____________________G
I believe you should run with me
A(2)_________________G_________________D(2)
I believe you should run with me for a while

_________G____________________D
Hell now I believe you should run with me
___________A________________B
Until this Texas sun falls into the sea
_______________G_______________________________D
If I shed this skin of iron and this breath of kerosene
____B_________________A________________G
Now darling would you take a chance on me

_________G____________________D
Hell now I believe you should run with me
___________A________________B
Until this Texas sun falls into the sea
_______________G_______________________________D
If I shed this skin of iron and this breath of kerosene
____B_________________A________________G
Now darling would you take a chance on me
____B_________________A________________D
Now darling would you take a chance on me

Sounds of the City

2009-06-01T19:01:00.008-04:00

The only thing about this song that's the slightest bit tricky is that Ben hammers onto the F chords in the verses. Like this:

|-------|
|-------|
|-------|
|-3-3-3-|
|-3-3-3-|
|-0h1-1-|

(Thanks to Neil for reminding me to tab the hammering.)

F
I ain't no good no more
F
At being alone like I was before
A#
Darling Girl, won't you call my name
F
Give me something to believe. Take away the pain
C
I want take out to the show
A#
I want to kiss you while the bands play their rock and roll

F

D__________A#__________C_____________F
Falling in love to the sounds of the city
D_________________A#________C____________F
All these streets lead me always back to you
D__________A#_____________C___________F
No need to be shy; you're looking too pretty
G__________________________A_A#
Please tell me what should I do

F
It ain't sad, just the way it goes
F
What you do in this kind of place all alone
A#
Now ain't time to be going home
F
If you stay, I think we'd get along
C
Me and my friends, we might not look like much
A#
But we got the time and know when to push our luck

F

D__________A#__________C_____________F
Falling in love to the sounds of the city
D_________________A#________C____________F
All these streets lead me always back to you
D__________A#_____________C___________F
No need to be shy; you're looking too pretty
G__________________________A_A#
Please tell me what should I do

F C D A# (chords over organ solo)

_______________F
Just hold onto me, give me your hand
____________C
Everyone's watching. I don't give a damn
____________D
I just need you, need you to see
_________________A#
My heart's in my hands, asking you please
F
Can't you hear the trains crossing over the seventh street bridge
C
Sound of the bars closing down and the kids
D
Don't want to go home but they can't stay here
A#
Moon sinking low in the sky

F
It ain't sad, just the way it goes
F
What you do in this kind of place all alone
A#
Now ain't time to be going home
F
Stay, I think we'd get along
C
Me and my friends, we might not look like much
A#
But we got the time and know when to push our luck

D__________A#__________C_____________F
Falling in love to the sounds of the city
D_________________A#________C____________F
All these streets lead me always back to you
D__________A#_____________C___________F
No need to be shy; you're looking too pretty
G__________________________A_A#
Please tell me what should I do

D__________A#__________C_____________F
Falling in love to the sounds of the city
D_________________A#________C____________F
All these streets lead me always back to you
D__________A#_____________C___________F
No need to be shy; you're looking too pretty
G__________________________A_A#
Please tell me what should I do
G__________________________A_A#
Please tell me what should I do

New Video, etc.

2009-05-26T13:05:00.003-04:00

A quick update on things here at Lucero Tabs global headquarters: The blog has now been up for a full year and gone over 100,000 page loads. My sincere thanks to all the people who've visited, commented, and contributed. Honestly, I never figured I'd get more than a handful of visitors.

Lately, I haven't had much time to add posts or make improvements, but over the summer I plan to do a few new videos, post some tabs for stuff that'll be on the new record, and also go back to add some solos to some old tabs. For today, I finally got around to making a video of a one guitar arrangement of Tears Don't Matter Much. Check it out.

Sad and Lonely

2009-04-17T18:42:00.001-04:00

I cleaned up a couple small-ish mistakes in this and added lyrics. It's a lot of fun to play. I'm a little surprised they've never played it live (at least not as far as I can tell).

Guitar 1:

Main Verses Riff:

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

|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----3---3-----3-|-----3-------3--------3-----|
|-----------3-----|---------3-------3--------3-|
|-----------------|-3-3---3---1---1------------|
|-0-0---0-----0---|--------------------1---1---|

The transition to the chorus is very similar but shorter:

|-----------------|-----------------|----|
|-----------------|-----------------|----|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-5--|
|-------3-------3-|-------3-------3-|-5--|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3--|
|-3-3-----2-2-----|-1-1-----0-0-----|----|

Chorus chords (got left behind...)

A# F D# C

For the part that goes "Walking through the streets..." The chords are D# C A# F (these are power chords).
Pick back and forth between root and octave notes sliding down on the roots (shown below). Throw in a hammer on from open on the F chord.

|---------------------------|-------|
|---------------------------|-------|
|---8--------5--------3-----|-------|
|-------------------------3-|-3---3-|
|-6---6s3--3---3s1--1--1--3-|-3---3-|
|-------------------------1-|-0h1-1-|

Riff variation during solo:

|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|-----3----3-0-|-----3----3-0-|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|-3-3----3-----|-1-1----1-----|

|--------------|------------------|
|--------------|------------------|
|-----3----3-0-|-----3-0------3-0-|
|--------------|------------------|
|--------------|-3-3--------1-----|
|-0-0----0-----|------------------|

Guitar 2

Main riff for the verses:

|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------|
|---3---5---|---3---5-3-|---3---5-3-|---3-5-5s7-7-7-7s5-5-5p3-|
|-5---5-----|-5---5-----|-5---5-----|-5-----------------------|
|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------|
|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------|
|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------|

Decending riff (We all make our mistakes...)

|-------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------|---------------------|
|-----3---------3---|-----3---------3-----|
|-5-5---5---4-4---4-|-3-3---3---2-2---2---|
|-------------------|-------------------3-|
|-------------------|---------------------|

Solo:

|-----------|----------------|---------------|---------------------------|
|-----------|----------------|---------------|---------------------------|
|-----------|----------------|---------------|---------------------------|
|----10^^^v-|-8-------8-10-8-|-------------8-|-10^^10-8------10^^10-8----|
|-----------|----8h10--------|-10-8---10h8---|----------10------------10-|
|-----------|----------------|---------------|---------------------------|

|-----------|---------|-----------|---------------------------|
|-----------|---------|-----------|---------------------------|
|-10--12----|-10-12---|-----------|---------------------------|
|--------10-|-------8-|---------8-|-10^^10-8------10^^10-8----|
|-----------|---------|----10h8---|----------10------------10-|
|-----------|---------|-----------|---------------------------|

Main Riff
So sad and lonely for being only a little girl
Main Riff
You whisper hold me but know he won't be the love of your world
Transition Riff
We all made our mistakes waiting for the better days and got left behind
A#_______________F
You came down hard
F___________________D#
like they said you would
D#_______________C
The sky's got no stars
C____________________A#
You'd quit it if you could
A#__________F
Get off the ground
F__________________D#
You been down down down
D#_________________C
You been down down down
D#__________________C_______________A#___________F
Walking through the streets and you don't belong here
D#________________C____________A#_________F
You know he don't love you and now that's clear
Main Riff
It's clear he's gone

Main Riff
Didn't matter what we did cuz we knew we were kids, all we had was time
Main Riff
Sad and lonely wishing only you could make it right
Transition Riff
We all made our mistakes waiting for the better days and got left behind
A#_______________F
You came down hard
F___________________D#
like they said you would
D#_______________C
The sky's got no stars
C____________________A#
You'd quit it if you could
A#__________F
Get off the ground
F__________________D#
You been down down down
D#_________________C
You been down down down
D#__________________C_______________A#___________F
Walking through the streets and you don't belong here
D#________________C____________A#_________F
You know he don't love you and now that's clear
Main Riff
It's clear he's gone

Solo (Main Riff Variation x2)

Transition Riff
We all made our mistakes waiting for the better days and got left behind
A#_______________F
You came down hard
F___________________D#
like they said you would
D#_______________C
The sky's got no stars
C____________________A#
You'd quit it if you could
A#__________F
Get off the ground
F__________________D#
You been down down down
D#_________________C
You been down down down
D#__________________C_______________A#___________F
Walking through the streets and you don't belong here
D#________________C____________A#_________F
You know he don't love you and now that's clear
Main Riff
It's clear he's gone

Goodbye Again

2009-04-10T17:20:00.006-04:00

It's a happy day here at Lucero Tabs global headquarters. The boys were in the studio last week and a little bit of what happened inside has popped up on YouTube. The last minute of this video is a song that, apparently, will be on the new record. Funny thing is, it's not a new song at all. I have it on a concert recording from seven years ago. It's been one of the best rarities in my collection, so I was psyched to hear that it's being revived, and I sat right down to tab it out.

D
You left me cold but you still come around
G________________________D
Please don't knock on my door
D
You want to stay, I don't want you to go
______G_________________________D
But I know you don't love me no more
Bm__________________A
I tried and I tried time after time
_____D____________________G
I've given you all that I can
________Bm
Now I'm weak and I want you
______A
But I can't take the pain
G___________________D
Please say goodbye again

You come and you go just as you please
Don't care if you got no one else
Your voice is soft and your eyes are sweet
But they don't hold the love you once felt
Say goodbye one last time
I won't say goodbye again
Now I'm weak and I want you
But I can't take the pain
Please say goodbye again

________________Em7
And I know I've wasted time
_____G______________________D
Just waiting round here for you
_________________Em7
Please won't you say goodbye
____G________________D_A_D_A_D_A
And this time follow through

Sometimes all that I want
is just to see your sweet face
But I know better than to see you again cause
I know I can't make you stay
Say goodbye one last time
I won't say goodbye again
Now I'm weak and I want you
But I can't take the pain
Please say goodbye again

Hold Me Close

2009-03-29T19:40:00.001-04:00

Neither of the guitars play straight chords at any point in this song, so I decided to break the riffs up into chunks (roughly equating to bars), number them, and match the numbers to the lyrics. If you're having any trouble, try panning left and right to separate the guitars. That makes it much easier to hear what's going on.

Verses:

(1)
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-----3---------3-------3-----3---|
|-------3---------3-------3-----3-|
|-1-1-----1h3-3-------------------|
|-------------------3-3-----3-----|

(1)
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-----3---------3-------3-----3---|
|-------3---------3-------3-----3-|
|-1-1-----1h3-3-------------------|
|-------------------3-3-----3-----|

(2)
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|-------3------3-------3-----3---|
|---------3------3-------3-----3-|
|--------------------------------|
|-3p1-1------1-----1-1-----1-----|

(3)
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-------3-----3-------3-----3---|
|---------3-----3-------3-----3-|
|-------------------------------|
|-1h3-3-----3-----3-3-----3-----|

(1)
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-----3---------3-------3-----3---|
|-------3---------3-------3-----3-|
|-1-1-----1h3-3-------------------|
|-------------------3-3-----3-----|

(1)
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-----3---------3-------3-----3---|
|-------3---------3-------3-----3-|
|-1-1-----1h3-3-------------------|
|-------------------3-3-----3-----|

(1)
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-----3---------3-------3-----3---|
|-------3---------3-------3-----3-|
|-1-1-----1h3-3-------------------|
|-------------------3-3-----3-----|

(2)
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|-------3------3-------3-----3---|
|---------3------3-------3-----3-|
|--------------------------------|
|-3p1-1------1-----1-1-----1-----|

(4)
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|-----3------3-------3-----3---|
|-------3------3-------3-----3-|
|------------------------------|
|-0-0------0-----0-0-----0-----|

Chorus:

(5)
|--------------------------------|
|-----3------3--------3------3---|
|-------3------3--------3------3-|
|--------------------------------|
|-1-1------1------3-3------3-----|
|--------------------------------|

(6)
|--------------------------------|
|-----3------3--------3------3---|
|-------3------3--------3------3-|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|-3-3------3------1-1------1-----|

(7)
|--------------------------------|
|-----3------3--------3------3---|
|-------3------3--------3------3-|
|--------------------------------|
|-1-1------1------1-1------1-----|
|--------------------------------|

Second guitar

Intro lick:

|-------|-------|-----------|-------|
|-------|--3-4--|-4s6---4s3-|-4-3---|
|-----3-|-------|-----------|-----3-|
|-------|-------|-----------|-------|
|-------|-------|-----------|-------|
|-------|-------|-----------|-------|

Verses:

(1)
|--------------------------------|
|-----3-3-----3-3-----3-3----3-3-|
|-3-3-----3-3-----3-3-----3-3----|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|

(1)
|-------------------------------|
|-----3-3-----3-3-----3-3-------|
|-3-3-----3-3-----3-3-----3-----|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

(2)
|---------------------|
|-3-4-4s6-----6-6-6s4-|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|

(3)
|-----------------|
|-3-3s1---1s3-----|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|

Chorus:

___(5)________(6)________(7)_

|--------|-------------|-----|
|--------|-------------|-----|
|-3---5--|-5s7-8-7-5-7-|--3--|
|--------|-------------|-----|
|--------|-------------|-----|
|--------|-------------|-----|

Solo:

|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|-----3-3-----3-3-----3-3---|-3-4-4s6-6-6-6-8-6-4-3-3-|
|-3-3-----3-3-----3-3-----3-|-------------------------|
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------------------|-------------------------|

|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
|------3------3--|-3-4-3---3s1-3--|-4-3---------------|
|-3-------3-3----|----------------|-----3-------------|
|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
|----------------|----------------|-------------------|

(1)
Drunk by noon on New Year's Day
(1)
In the hils outside a town somewhere
(2)
With smoke and the wine
(3)
Strangers' eyes

(1)
Smoke and the wine and the whiskey don't mix
(1)
Shaking so bad think I'm gonna be sick
(1)
Buy another shot as I head to door
(2)
It won't make it better
(4)
But I want to make sure

(5)
Hold me close
(6)
I love you more than you know
(7)
And I step outside

(1-1-1-2-3)

(1)
Drank away all of my fears and my doubts
(1)
Stole away hearts from town to town
(2)
But everything I feared
(3)
Has come back here
(1)
Feel the cold ground underneath my boots
(1)
And for no good reason it reminds me of you
(1)
Never made good though I tried and I tried
(2)
So I turn back around
(4)
And walk inside

(5)
Hold me close
(6)
I love you more than you know
(5)
Hold me close
(6)
I love you more than you know
(7)
But that won't make things right

On the Other Side of Lonesome

2009-03-15T09:33:00.007-04:00

Apparently, this song missed the cut for 1372 Overton Park. Pity. Luckily, they decided to give the demo away as a freebie for Lucero Social Club members. And NineBullets.net decided to pass it on to everyone. So if you haven't heard it, for now at least, you can download it here. (By the way, Nine Bulets is almost definitely the best MP3 blog for Lucero-esque music. If you're not visiting, you should be.) One more thing: on the fall 2009 tour, Ben's been playing this a little differently. I haven't bothered to work it out, but it sounds like he switched up the chorus chords. I decided to stick with this version because most people will end up with the demo and be trying to play it like that.

Verse:

G
A hundred miles on the other side of lonesome
Em7
A hundred miles past anything called fair
D____________________________Cadd9
Ain't no need to question my devotion
G________________________D______________G
For the girl I love, all burdens will I bear

Chorus:

G
Oh sweet Mary, where'd you go
Em7
Kissed you lips just days ago
D___________________________________Cadd9
Now it seems I'm still here wasting time
G
A hundred miles of empty road
Em7
Worn out hearts and teeth of gold
D___________________________________Cadd9
Feel like I could just lay down and die
G____________________________________D
On the other side of lonesome Dogtown nights
__________Em7________________________Cadd9
There's a girl that I cannot leave behind
G____________________________________D
On the other side of lonesome Dogtown nights
__________Em7_______________________Cadd9
There's a girl waiting for me by and by

Verse 2
A hundred miles on the other side of lonesome
A hundred miles past any kind of plan
All I know is I could drink and ocean
Of whiskey if I can't see her again

Chorus

G
I guess I'll sit awhile
D
I just covered a hundred miles
Em7____________________________________Cadd9
Think I'll sit right here and drink my fill
G
Yesterday's gone with the wind
D
Tomorrow's on its way again
Em7_____________________________Cadd9
Figure it'll bring just what it will

Chorus

Is That You I've Been Kissing

2009-03-12T15:37:00.001-04:00

There's not too much to this one. The repeating riff that goes between the "A"s and "E"s seems to just be a quick slide on the G string:

G--4s6s4--

Besides that, it's just chords.

A
We'd been kissing for hours
E
Before I felt her lips
A
Thought I was dreaming about her
E
Till I felt her finger tips
A
Well hello there
E
How did you end up here?
A
Is that you I've been kissing?
E
Is that you holding me near?
D____________B
Now I didn't catch on
A___________________F#
Quite as quick as I should
_______A
Im not sure if it's real
B______D_______A
But it sure is good

If you ever kiss me
Kiss me again
And if I'm only dreaming
Then don't let it end
Well I'll hold on tightly
So you don't slip away
I'm not sure if you're real
But I sure hope you stay

Is that you I've been kissing?
Is that your hand in mine?
I didn't see it coming
But I do like it fine
I just hope when I wake up
That you're still by my side
Or will your kisses fade
With the morning light

I hope when I wake up
That you're still by my side
And then ill kiss you some more
In the broad day light
Is that you I've been kissing?
Is that your lips touching mine?

Chambers

2009-02-06T09:50:00.000-05:00

A reader, Matt Christie, sent me a correction to this tab, and I think he's right about the changes. (Thanks, Matt!) For posterity sake, I left the old version at the bottom of the post.

All of these chords are power chords so they're technically A5, E5 D5, etc. He picks through all of them, but with just three strings to choose from, I'm guessing everybody can work that part out on their own.

A E A

A____________E______________A
Born under a south Kentucky sky
f#m____________________D_____A
He'd come west to Mexico to fight
D
1842 at Mier
f#m_______________________________
Gutters filled with blood and fear
A______________E______________A
Barely made it back to Texas alive

A__________________E____________________A
With Missouri volunteers when the war began
f#m___________________D__A
In 46 he crossed the Rio Grande
D
There he met his dark eyed love
f#m______________________________
Said goodbye when the war was done
A____________________E____________A
Swore that he'd come back to her again

D___________A
Oh, oh, novia
f#m__________D____A
Oh oh your man is gone
D___________________________________f#m_________________
Well maybe he's in Texas, but we'll take what God has left us
A___________________E_______________A
We'll leave for California with the dawn

Worked his way back to old Mexico
To reclaim the love he'd left two years ago
Back to those same city walls
Where he'd watched copper cannon balls
Like wayward suns roll down the cobblestones

Put him in a prison left alone
With other yankee fools so far from home
Marched them through the square in chains
'Till in rode Capatin Glanton's gang
Apache scalps for bounties paid in gold

Glanton's men were killers all by trade
And through the prison bars a deal was made
Glanton needed three new mean
He'd hire this love lorn veteran
The killers rode out through the governor's gates

The veteran left camp `fore the rising sun
No killer, he'd left other work undone
He was not yet two days out
When Glanton't naked native scounts
Brought back his empty horse and brand new gun

Old version:

A E A

A____________E______________A
Born under a south Kentucky sky
D___________________________A
He'd come west to Mexico to fight
D
1842 at Mier
A___________________F#
Gutters filled with blood and fear
A______________E______________A
Barely made it back to Texas alive

A__________________E____________________A
With Missouri volunteers when the war began
D________________________A
In 46 he crossed the Rio Grande
D
There he met his dark eyed love
A_____________________F#
Said goodbye when the war was done
A____________________E____________A
Swore that he'd come back to her again

D___________A
Oh, oh, novia
D_________________A
Oh oh your man is gone
D___________________________________A_________________F#
Well maybe he's in Texas, but we'll take what God has left us
A___________________E_______________A
We'll leave for California with the dawn

The Prayer

2009-01-16T17:55:00.003-05:00

This is a song from the 8 Paces to Jackson soundtrack. By now you may have noticed the conspicuous absence of an actual tab in this post. That's beacuse I didn't do it, I only just found it on someone else's really cool tabs blog. The blog is called Greatbahen's Tabs, and it's got loads of good tabs from artists Lucero fans like. Check it out.

Here's his tab of The Prayer.

Katherine and Me

2009-01-12T09:09:00.004-05:00

This song has pretty bad sound quality, and if you try to play along with the record you'll need to tune in between steps. Still, it's a fun song, and I think this is what he played. Thank you to Thomas for correcting a mistake.

D/F# (200230)

Intro:

Em7 D/F# G

F
Couldn't help but get my heart broke
G
Although we never met
F
Since I saw that photograph
G
Well how could I forget

F
You smiling with a friend of mine
G
Well I've seen you nowhere else
F
And the only clue to you I find
G
Is on the back it says

Em7 D/F# G
__________Katherine and me
Em7 D/F# G
__________Katherine and me
Em7 D/F# G
__________Katherine and me

Waiting to get my heart broke
Further down the line
Just waiting to get my heart broke
For the millionth time

Katherine and me
Katherine and me
Katherine and me

Cadd9
Well I saw you smile
_(B)___D___Cadd9
I took the fall
Cadd9________D
I ain't seen Katherine
Cadd9______G
Nowhere at all

Waiting to get my heart broke
Further down the line
Just waiting to get my heart broke
For the millionth time

Katherine and me
Katherine and me
Katherine and me

Well I saw you smile
I took the fall
I ain't seen Katherine
Nowhere at all

Well I saw you smile
I took the fall
I ain't seen Katherine
Nowhere at all

New Video

2009-01-07T18:18:00.003-05:00

So, I finally got around to doing another video. I went with I Can Get Us Out of Here Tonight, which is one of the most visited tabs. I'm not really thrilled with how it turned out, partly because there wasn't enough light, and partly because I should have practiced the second guitar a few times before I recorded it, but what the heck. On the plus side, it's got my attempt at Brian's rock god pick sliding and what's more fun than that?

Tonight Ain't Gonna Be Good

2008-12-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

This had some wrong chords and I added the solo (which is fun and easy).

Verses:

These are really power chords (E5, B5, A5, F#5).

E_____________________B
Tonight aint gonna be good
B____________________A________________________F#
just a little bit of pain you should turn and away
F#__________________E
you know it aint no good

Chorus:

For the E parts, play a shuffle that goes like this:

----------------
----------------
----------------
-2-4-2-4-2-4-2--
-2-4-2-4-2-4-2--
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--

E
Baby don't go to the show tonight
E
Summer's winding down there's gonna be a fight
A___F#______________________E
Oh no, you know it ain't no good

Intrumental break (after "ain't friends of mine...")

Again, use that shuffle for the E parts and this time also for the A parts (just one string over).

E A B A

Solo:

-----------------------------
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
-----9-------9-------9-9s11-9
-7-7-----7-7-----7-7---------
-----------------------------

-----------------------------
-----------------------------
-----9-------9-------9-9s11-9
-7-7-----7-7-----7-7---------
-----------------------------
-----------------------------

--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-----11------11------11-11s13-11
-9-9-----9-9-----9-9------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------

-------------------------
-------------------------
-11-11s9-9------9--------
-----------9-11---11^v-9-
-------------------------
-------------------------

Johnny Davis

2008-12-07T10:13:00.008-05:00

This is the second song Ben has written based on the non-fiction book, Bikeriders by Danny Lyon. (Gee, can you guess what the first one was?) It's a fun song and it's easy to play. Heck, Brian's leads only have 5 notes, 6 if you count the bend from E to F as 2.

Brian's lead between verses (outro is at the bottom):

|------------------|----------------------|
|------------------|----------------------|
|-9b-7-7---9b-7-7--|-----7---------9b-7-7-|
|------------------|-7h9---9---7-9--------|
|------------------|----------------------|
|------------------|----------------------|

|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|---------------------------7-7-|
|-7h9-9-9---7h9-9-9---7h9-9-----|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|---------------------------9-7-|
|-7h9-9-9---7h9-9-9---7h9-9-----|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

A B

B______________________________A___E
Johnny Davis never let us down
E___________________________________A___E
Started up on the west side of town
B______________________________A___E
By the 60s the midwest was ours
E_______________________________________A__B
The bike's a body and John was the heart

B_____________________________________________A___E
Meetings and the races and the women looked good
E______________________________________________A___B
Raising hell and living like nobody else would
B_____________________________A___E
Johnny Davis never let us down
E__________________________________________A___B
Since he's gone the boys are different now

B________A____________________E
Hang on, hang on, we're going for a ride
B________A_______________E
Hang on, hang on, it's alright
B___________A_____________E
These streets are ours to take
F#
Faster than trouble
E
Too fast to fade

B____________________________________A___E
Johnny never backed down from a fight
E____________________________________A___E
By the end we lived in changing times
B______________________________________________A___E
The new guys thought that they were movie stars
E_________________________A__B
After `69 it fell apart

B_____________________________________________A___E
Edges of an empty parking lot it rained chrome
E____________________________________________________A___B
Johnny in the middle stood his ground and fought alone
B______________________________A___E
Johnny could took em one on one
E______________________________________A___B
But his young rival simply pulled a gun

B________A____________________E
Hang on, hang on, we're going for a ride
B________A_______________E
Hang on, hang on, it's alright
B___________A_____________E
These streets are ours to take
F#
Faster than trouble
E
Too fast to fade

A___________________________E
You live the life you love, you love the life you live
B
Maybe that's enough honey to get us out of this
A_____________________E
Build it up to speed, Give it all it needs
B
In the end it knocks you down and throws you in the weeds
A_______________________________E
If what you say is true, hell sometimes you gotta lose

B________A____________________E
Hang on, hang on, we're going for a ride
B________A_______________E
Hang on, hang on, it's alright
B___________A_____________E
These streets are ours to take
F#
Faster than trouble
E
Too fast to fade

Brian's outro solo:

|----------------|---------------|
|-9b-7---9b-7-7--|-9b-7---9b-7-7-|
|----------------|---------------|
|----------------|---------------|
|----------------|---------------|
|----------------|---------------|

|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|---------------------------7-7-|
|-7h9-9-9---7h9-9-9---7h9-9-----|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|---------------------------9-7-|
|-7h9-9-9---7h9-9-9---7h9-9-----|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|
|-9s11-11-11-11--11-11-11-9-7---7-9-|
|-----------------------------9-----|
|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|

|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-9s11-11-11-11--11-11-11-9-7---|
|-----------------------------7-|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|
|-7-9--9-7-9--9-7-9-9-9-7-|
|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|

|-------------------------|-------|
|-------------------------|-------|
|-------------------------|---7-9-|
|-7-9--9-7-9--9-7-9-9--7--|-9-----|
|-------------------------|-------|
|-------------------------|-------|

Update

2008-12-03T15:55:00.003-05:00

So we've really gotten to the point where there's not too much left to post. I'll probably try to do three more new songs: Darken My Door, Darlin' Do You Gamble, and Johnny Davis. (Speaking of which, I could sure use a hand figuring out the lyrics to Johnny Davis so I can lay out the chords. There's a video of it up on the main page of their site, but he sounds like his mouth is full of marbles.) I'll probably also go back and add solos to some songs that are missing them.

I may also have time to bang out a couple more videos in December. I'm thinking I Can Get Us Out of Here Tonight and maybe Tears Don't Matter. I haven't been bothering with them because they're kind of a lot of work.

One way or another, there's not gonna be as many new posts as before. I may post some crap just to keep Google from thinking the blog has lost its relevance.

What Are You Willing to Lose (Old version)

2008-11-26T15:32:00.005-05:00

I decided to leave the old version of this tab in the miscellaneous section in case anyone wants it. This song changed quite a bit from the early live versions to the record. If you never heard the old version, you can watch a YouTube video here.

As with the new version, he plays power chords on the verses and he plays the E chords an octave up with an open low E string (0799xx).

C#_______________________________B_________E
So what if all my heroes are the losing kind?
C#___________________________B_________E
Ended up with nothing but we put up a fight
C#_____________________________B
Most of it was choices that we never asked to choose
A_____________________________________________________E
The rest of it was luck and now we've run outa that too
B________________________A
What are you willing to lose?
B___________________________E
What are you willing to lose?

C#___________________________B_________________E
I spent every dollar just to try to earn a dime
C#___________________________B__________________E
I'd make you hate me just to try to make you mine
C#______________________________B
It doesn't really matter if I'm telling you the truth
A_____________________________________________________E
What you see is all that's left the rest is up to you

B________________________A
What are you willing to lose?
A____________________________E
What are you willing to lose?

A
It's just a losing fight and I'm the losing kind
E
No it ain't the booze, I'm just beat up and bruised
A_____________B______________________E
Come on, come on, whachya willing to lose?

C#_______B___________________________E
Don't be so shy girl, I've seen your tendencies before.
C#___________B_________________A
Woke up next morning with them scattered on my floor
E_________________________________B
Come on little darling, can't you cut us all some slack
C#________________________________________________________A_________________E
Cause the winners they all took off, babe, and they ain't never coming back

So what if all my heroes are the losing kind?
Ended up with nothing but we put up a fight
Most of it was choices that we never asked to choose
The rest of it was luck and now we've run outa that too

What are you willing to lose?
What are you willing to lose?

It's just a losing fight and I'm the losing kind
No it ain't the booze, I'm just beat up and bruised
Come on, come on, whachya willing to lose?

Don't be so shy girl, I've seen your tendencies before
Woke up next morning with them scattered on my floor
Come on little darling, can't you cut us all some slack
Cause the winners they all took off, babe, and they ain't never coming back

It's just a losing fight and I'm the losing kind
No it ain't the booze, I'm just beat up and bruised
Come on, come on, whachya willing to lose?

Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, whachya willing to lose?

The Judge

2008-11-22T09:15:00.001-05:00

For the first 53 seconds of this song, there's not much besides some ominous sounding accordian and equally ominous sounding pick scraping on an electric. When the acoustic kicks in, it repeats this riff.

Main Riff:

------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
---2-2-0-----------0----2-2-0-----------0-
---------2---0-0-2------------2---0-0-2---
-0----------------------------------------
----------------------3-------------------

------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
---2-2-0-----------0----2-2-0-----------0-
---------2---0-0-2------------2---0-0-2---
------------------------------------------
-1--------------------3-------------------

------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
---2-2-0-----------0----2-2-0-----------0-
---------2---0-0-2------------2---0-0-2---
-0----------------------------------------
----------------------3-------------------

The other part (starting at about 2:20) is made up of Ben playing chords, probably power chords, and Todd playing a lead that goes something like this.

A C F
-------------------
-------------------
-------------------
-5s7-5---5s7-5---7-
-------7-------7---
-------------------

A C G
--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------
-5s7-5---5s7-5------------
-------7-------7-5--5h7p5-
--------------------------

A C G F
--------------------------
--------------------------
-----------5-7^v7s9-------
-5h7-5---7----------------
-------7------------------
--------------------------

A C G F A
--------------------------
--------------------------
-5h7p5h7-7s9-10-12s14-----
--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------

Tell Me What It Takes

2008-11-19T08:06:00.001-05:00

C___________________G
Cold, cold heart of mine
G_______________F
Just let it all die
Am______G7_____________F
Started again the next day
Am__________G7______F
So easy and so far away
Am________G7___________F
More than betrayal and pain
F_______G7
Tell me what that takes
G7______F
Tell me what it takes

Cold, cold heart of mine
Just watch you cry
There wasn't much left to say
Nothing heartfelt anyway
So easy to just walk away

Tell me what that takes
Tell me what it takes

Cold, cold heart of mine
Just let it all die

All These Love Songs

2008-11-15T09:41:00.001-05:00

This one took a while to do because it has a lot of parts, but it's fun to play.

The main riff Ben plays is done with 2 string "chords" he varries it a little at different points in the song, but the gist of it is this:

-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
--------------0--0-0--0--------------------------
-10-9-10-12---10-9-10-12---10-9-10-9---10-9-7-5--
-0--0-0--0-----------------8--8-8--8---0--0-0-0--

The only time that he changes that in a way that justifies another tab is during the solo. Then it goes like this:

----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
-----------0--0-0-----------------------
-10-9-10---10-9-10---10-9-10---10-12-14-
-0--0-0--------------8--8-8----0--0--0--

-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-----------------0--0-0--0--0------------
-10-9-10-12-10---10-9-10-12-10---10-9-10-
-0--0-0--0--0--------------------8--8-8--

Then it goes to G5 C5 G5 C5 E5, etc.

The intro lick for Brian begins like this:

-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
---4-5-5s7---7s9-7-5-4---4-5---------------------
-5-----------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------

Then it goes to this lick which repeats during the verses:

----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
---4h5p4---4h5p4---4h5p4---4-5-5s7-7-7-9-7-5-5-5-4--
-5-------5-------5-------5--------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

Brian's solo goes like this:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-----5-5-5h7-7--9-9-10-9-7-7-7h9--9h10-10-9-9h10-10s12-10-9-7-7-5-5-
-5h7----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
-------5-7-7s9-10-9-7-7-7h9--9h10-10s12-10-10s9-9-7-
-5h7------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
-----------------------5h7-7-7s9-7-5-5-5-5-7-
-5h7-7-7-5--5h7-7-7-5------------------------
---------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------5h7-7-7s9-7-5-5-5-
-5h7-7-7-5--5h7-7-7-5--------------------
-----------------------------------------

The two main riffs repeat during most of the verses. They switch to chords at "pain." I think Ben is playing power chords (G5, C5, E5) and Brian plays full chords.

The walk down for the full chords goes (x32030) (x20030) (x00030) (320033)

I'm tired of all of these love songs
Those girls and those times are gone
But my heart keeps holdin on

Well I'm tired of thinking about you
And the hell that you put me through
_________________________________G
But the songs eat up some of the pain
______________________Cadd9
Take the place of the tears
__________________G
And ease the heartache
_________Cadd9
Over you my dear

Cadd9 Em7 Cadd9 walk down to G

G
Well I'm tired of these love songs
____________________Em7__Cadd9_walk down
They won't make you mine
G_______________________________________Em7__Cadd9_walk down
I'm tired of singing my heart out every night
G__________________________________________Em7__Cadd9_walk down
Well i'm here all alone with not a soul to hear
G
All these love songs and where the hell are you, my dear

Well i'm tired of all of these songs now
Never meant to let you down
It just all went wrong somehow
Well i'm tired of feeling all this hurt and i'm tired of all these words
But the songs eat up some of the pain
Take the place of the tears
And ease the heartache
Over you my dear

Well i'm tired of these love songs,
They won't make you mine
Hell, i'm tired of singing my heart out every night
Well i'm here all alone with not a soul to hear
All these love songs and where the hell are you, my dear

Colorado Girl

2008-11-12T09:02:00.001-05:00

This is a Townes Van Zandt cover, but Ben does it live pretty often, It's easy. The same thing repeats throughout the whole song and the only trick is that the way Ben plays it he begins each G chord and each Cadd9 chord by hammering the root note on from one fret down. For G that means a 2h3 on the E string and for Cadd9 it means a 2h3 on the A string. That's pretty much it.

G________________Cadd9__G_________________G____Cadd9__G
I'm goin' out to Denver to see if I can't find
____Cadd9_________________________________G____Cadd9__G
I'm goin' out to Denver to see if I can't find
_____D______Cadd9____________G___Cadd9__G
That lovin' Colorado girl of mine

The promise in her smile Shames the mountains tall
The promise in her smile Shames the mountains tall
She bring the sun to shining Tell the rain to fall

Be there tomorrow Mama, don't you cry
Be there tomorrow Now, mama, don't you cry
I got to kiss these lonesome Texas blues good-bye

I'm goin' out to to Denver See if I can't find
I'm goin' out to to Denver See if I can't find
That lovin' Colorado girl of mine
That lovin' Colorado girl of mine

Wandering Star

2008-11-08T10:20:00.001-05:00

There are three parts to this song: a verses riff, a chorus riff, and a bridge at the end, which is just chords.

Verses Riff: (To play this just slide an open C chord shape from 7 to 5 to 3 and get the high notes with your pinkie.)

--------------------------------------------
----5---7-5---0----3---5-3----0---1--3-1-0--
------0--------------0------------0--0-0-0--
--------------------------------------------
-7----------7---5----------5----3-----------
--------------------------------------------

Chorus Riff (adapted for one guitar):

-----2--------2-------2--------2----
---0---0----0---0---0---0----0---0--
------------------------------------
-2--------2-------2--------2--------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------

-----2--------2-------2--------2----
---0---0----0---0---0---0----0---0--
------------------------------------
-0--------0-------0--------0--------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------

-----2--------2-------2--------2----
---0---0----0---0---0---0----0---0--
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
-0--------0-------0--------0--------
------------------------------------

-----2--------2-------2--------2----
---0---0----0---0---0---0----0---0--
------------------------------------
-2--------2-------2--------2--------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------

Verses Riff
the bands are done i should go home
all my friends left a long time ago
the girl serving drinks is the only one i know
i aint got no good place to go

Chorus Riff
it's a wandering star that lights my way tonight
on the city streets i call my home
it's a wandering star that lights my way tonight
i follow it 'till i am gone

Verses Riff
the streetlights fade and dissappear
i can see the stars better out here
cross the bridge to the country roads
i'll follow that star wherever it goes

Chorus Riff
it's a wandering star that lights my way tonight
on the city streets i call my home
it's a wandering star that lights my way tonight
i follow it 'till i am gone

Bridge:

G______________________D
then i wander wherever it might roam
Cadd9___________G
a lucky star to call my own
G_____________________D
and i wander 'till my heart's content to rest
Cadd9
and my star falls from the sky

(back to the verses riff)
'cause falling stars are best

Dodging Bullets

2008-11-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Matt (Thanks!)

Intro

G C9 G C9

Verse 1

G D C9 D G D C9 C9

Well I've been dodging the girls like they were bullets,

G D C9 D G D C9 C9

And up til the time I met you I've done my best.

Until you came along and you took aim,

and your big 'ol twelve guage shells caught me square in the chest.

CHORUS

G D C9 C9 G D C9 C9

Now I've been dodging the girls like bullets from a gun,

It was only a matter of time til I got myself shot by one.

Solo over G D C9 (two times)

Verse 2

Now there's no way I can beat your six gun with six strings,

Even if I'm more charming than Butch Cassidy

Cause your faster than Sundance and I don't stand a chance

When the gun pointed at me is yours.

Hell I use to be fast but time caught up at last

And I can't dodge them bullets no more.

Repeat CHORUS

BRIDGE

C9 D

You've got me cornered got me all shot up,

Em C

make a try for the horses and hope you, hope you can't catch up.

Em D

Well I know I'll be square in your sights the moment that I reach that door,

C D C G D C D

now I've dodged many a bullet in my life I hope I can dodge one more….

G D C D (repeat three times) end on C

hope I can dodge one more..

Repeat CHORUS

End on G

Tobin

2008-11-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

This has a chord I'm calling B, but it's really more of a G/B. It goes (x20030).

D___________Cadd9_____________B________________G
I done some preachin’ back in Texas before the war
D___________Cadd9_____________B____________________G
Now I hunt heathens ‘cause it pays better than the Lord
D___________Cadd9_______B___________G
I ride with Demons, The Devil at my side
D_______________Cadd9_____________B_______________G
Be it us or the heathens, we must all pay a heavy price

Em7_______G_______________D_____________G
I’ve seen the hoof prints cloven in the stone
Em7_________G__________________D__________Cadd9_G
Now tell me What kind of devil trod there long ago
G______D_______Cadd9___G
With a sack of sinners souls

D__________Cadd9
There must be a place
Cadd9______B___________________________G
Where this world and grace are made to meet

Judge Holden is the Devil and his Hell this Mexico
If Apache don’t kill us, Judge Holden will for sure
Holden’s more preacher than I ever was before
He preaches of reason, he preaches of war

I’ve seen the hoof prints cloven in the stone
Now tell me what kind of devil trod there long ago
With a sack of sinners souls

There must be a place
Where this world and grace are made to meet

He says this life’s a game Let’s play for
larger stakes S Well wait and see

Cass

2008-10-29T07:50:00.001-04:00

To play the G1 main riff you need to fret the D, G, and B strings all with your ring finger. Then you fret the G and C bass notes with your middle finger and the A# bass with your index finger. In a pinch, I guess you could just scrap the riff and play G5, A#5 and C5 chords, and it might sound okay.

G1 Main Riff:

G____________________A#___________C__________
--------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------3---------------3---------
--------------------------3-----3---------3-----3-------
---3---3-3---3-3---3----3---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----
----------------------1---------------3-----------------
-3---3-----3-----3--------------------------------------

G2 Main Riff:

-------------------------------------------------------
----10-11-10----10-11-10-------------------------------
-10----------10----------10-------------10-12-12-12-10-
----------------------------10-12-12-12----------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------

Main riff
Five sisters and she's the one
Main riff
More beauty than the setting sun
Main riff
But she was much more than she showed
Main riff
Something her form could not hold
F______________________________________G
She'd dance and flirt with all the boys
F____________________________C__A#___C
But all her beauty she would sooner destroy

A#______________C_________________G
The anchor of a soul cut loose to drift
A#______________C_________________G
The anchor of a soul cut loose to drift
A#_____________________C_________________G
The difference between what was and what is
F
I ain't exactly sure
F
Think how young our fathers were

Indian and irish blood
Long dark hair and an angels touch
A beauty no man could control
And something her form could not hold

The anchor of a soul cut loose to drift
The anchor of a soul cut loose to drift
The difference between what was and what is
I ain't exactly sure
Think how young our fathers were

C____________________________G
_________And that same night sky
G_________________F
Offers no answers why
F_____________________________G...
Think how young our fathers were

Davy Brown

2008-10-25T11:27:00.002-04:00

Intro:

Play the 1st part, 2nd part, 1st part, 2nd part, 1st part

--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
----10---9---5s7---7-5-----10---9---5s7---7-
--0----0---0-----0---0---0----0---0-------0-
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
--0-2--7-0--0-2--7-0--0-2--7-0--0-2--7-0-
--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-0-
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------

D Riff for verses:

It isn't reflected in the tab, but he tosses in an up stroke before the hammer. So it's bass-down-bass-down-bass-down-up-hammer-bass.

--------------------
---3---3---3--------
---2---2---2--------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-----0--
-------------0h2----
--------------------

D Riff
Hey Hey Davy Brown
D Riff
You weren’t born a killer But ya can’t tell it now
D Riff
Take that shotgun saw it on down
D Riff
You’re one bloody bastard Davy Brown
C
One step ahead of that hangman’s noose
G
Gonna take ‘em all with ya when they come for you

D Riff
Hey Hey Davy Brown
D Riff
Keep yer eye on the coin And yer ear to the ground
D Riff
Your Whitneyville Colt Cut a buncha men down
D Riff
A string full of ears for Davy Brown
C
One step ahead of that hangman’s noose
G
Gonna take ‘em all with ya when they come for you

G
Davy Brown, Davy Brown
D
Where ya gonna be when the hammer comes down?
A
Can you outshoot the Devil? Outrun his hounds?
D
Ain’t nothing to it but to stay above ground

Hey Hey Davy Brown
Woke up in jail for the last time now
Set a boy a fire shot another one down
It’s a dance with the gallows for Davy Brown
Dance with the gallows for Davy Brown
Don’t believe in Hell but he figures somehow
Even if it’s real it’s gonna spit him back out

Interview with Brian Venable

2008-10-18T10:55:00.010-04:00

Today I've got special treat for Lucero Tabs visitors: Lucero lead guitarist and all around good guy, Brian Venable sharing his thoughts on learning and playing guitar. Brian couldn't have been nicer about the whole thing, and I'd like to thank him again for his time. Hopefully it'll be as enjoyable for other folks as is was for me.

Lucero Tabs: If I remember correctly, a while back somebody on the message board was posting about learning to play guitar and you encouraged them to forget about learning to play other people's music from tabs and instead play whatever sounded good to them. I think that’s different from the approach most people take when they’re starting out, but it struck me as a very “rock and roll” thing to say, and it made me curious about your own learning process.

When did you learn to play guitar, and how long did it take before you started to feel like you were good at it?

Brian Venable: I'm not against tabs at all. When I started to try and learn the guitar, I would go to the library every day and xerox tabs outta books of songs I liked, but in my head I was more interested in the chord progressions than actually learning the song. I have never really wanted to sing and play guitar, so learning a "song" has always seemed redundant to me.

I started teaching myself guitar about 6 months before I started Lucero and I still try to learn something everyday. When I was a kid my dad tried to force it on me, in a sweet fatherly way, but I really didn't pick it up ‘til I was 25 or 26. Really, I was still learning when Lucero was formed.

About the tabs though, most people starting out worry so much about the mechanics of playing a song all the way through, I think the art of creating gets overlooked. I’ve seen so many people sit around for hours playing covers and it never occurs to them to write their own stuff.

I still say if you wanna learn the guitar, start a band and book a show 3 months later. Force yerself to learn even if the only guitar you can play is yer parts on those few songs!
Really, that's how I did it.

I look up scales on websites, learn different chords you may never actually play, try to learn a different instrument to get perspective. One of the best things I’ve noticed is if you see someone who's playing something you like, ask them how they do it, it's that easy. Generally they'll be happy you noticed and would love to share.

I really didn't start to feel like I was any good at guitar until after I came back from that year off and the funny thing was that I didn't touch the guitar the whole time I was off. Sometimes stopping for a while lets yer brain rest and absorb what you have learned. Hell, I still try to pick some at least an hour a day. It used to be more ‘til I got a family.

LT: I can't think of anything more terrifying than playing live after three months of learning.

BV: Yeah it was pretty damn scary. Eight songs in something like 17mins and I don't even remember being on stage, and I was sober!

LT: On the Dreaming in America DVD, there’s one scene where you say that what Jim Dickinson likes about what you do is that it’s untrained and raw, and that you might as well be outsider art to him. To me, that’s the most interesting part of the film because it really hits on what makes Lucero what it is.

BV: Jim Dickinson loves raw emotion and first takes and spontaneity. He's one of maybe 6 people who thought the Sex Pistols show years ago was amazing because it was so bad. He likes to tell me that it keeps him up at night trying to figure out how I decide to pick my first note when I start to play. So, needless to say, I like him a lot!

LT: At that point in your career how much traditional education in music theory did you have?

BV: I have absolutely no formal music education at all. I have no idea how to read music or what a circle of 5ths really means or nothing. Everything I learned, I learned from books, or asking people, or trial and error. My dad knows a lot of that stuff and I was surrounded by it my entire life but never really paid any attention to it and I sure wish I had now.

I’m always looking for people that had no formal music training, but even people like Doc Watson and them had some kinda choir or piano church training. I met this one guy who had only played bass for a month or so and I was so excited ‘til I found out he was some kinda piano prodigy since birth. I’m getting by on hard work and luck so far.

LT: You said earlier that you started out learning chord progressions. Would you advise new players to learn more by trial and error, or do you think it's important to learn about stuff like the I, IV, and V chords in major keys?

BV: What I was looking for when I copied those songs for the chord progressions was really just to have an idea where to go next. I didn't really have any idea what the 1-4-5 stuff was at the time. I feel like that if I was forced to learn that before it made sense I may have not wanted to keep playing, but to go out and find neat things by accident for awhile and then try and pick up the basics is a good plan for me. I still have no idea how all that works. It's kinda like those kids that learn violin from the Suzuki method, they can play whatever you put in front of them but it strips them of the ability to improvise.

Of course I don't get called on to play on other people’s records ever for about that same reason. There's not a lot of call for wind-ee off-kilter guitar lines in questionable keys in most studio situations!

LT: Do you think there is a trade-off between knowing more about the mechanics of music and being more professional versus knowing less but being more spontaneous? Do you still feel raw and untrained?

BV: There’s never a day I don't wish I could play like Eddie Van Halen, but I also enjoy playing like Greg Ginn of Black Flag or trying to butcher jazz songs for fun. It's definitely a balance. There's something to be said about being able to play everything perfectly but also being willing to say fuck it and see what happens if I try this. It drives Ben crazy!

I don't think you can ever learn enough about yer guitar. I get around certain people and my jaw just drops and it makes me go home and try to figure it out. I’m always listening to my records and playing along in my on way. Sometimes a part pops out from some song that I’ve been playing along with that has nothing to do with that song. I’m more of a fan of live shows because of that, where anything can happen instead of the studio where you take a million runs at it ‘til you piece together something maybe safe but a little stale.

So, yes, I still feel raw and untrained!

LT: You guys have spent a lot of time playing with guys like Rick Steff and Todd Beene who might be a little more traditional in their approaches, how do you think that has effected the band’s development?

BV: I think the addition of Rick and Todd has given us a solid foundation on which to do what we do best. Rick’s really good at following my fucked up leads and padding them so they don't sound so "rough." It's the same with Todd. I'll let him take more pretty parts now ‘cause it sounds so good and then I come in like some banshee hammer and I think it makes for some crazy dynamics!

I think Ben likes to be able to give them an idea and they can just pull it up outta nowhere and I’m still more of a “this is how I play” and “this is what you can have” player. It has definitely strengthened our sound.

LT: It’s obvious that you still have fun playing, but now that you play guitar as a career, do you still play in your spare time just for fun? What sort of stuff do you play for yourself?

BV: Hell yeah, I love to play guitar.

I get up every morning at 7am, get the girls breakfast and make their lunches and then take them to school, and I still got about an hour and a half before Sam and Henry wake up that I get to listen to music and play guitar! I get yelled at a lot ‘cause I’ve constantly got a guitar in my hand if I’m at home, picking over yer wife’s TV shows will get you in trouble!

I’ve always loved getting drunk and trying to play along with my metal records. You know, faking the solo's and being all heavy with the chords, but recently I’ve been trying to work up a Minutemen-type of punk band with Roy and John C. in the off time, so I’ve been goofing on bebop scales and James Brown funk chords! It sounds pretty awful at the moment but it might come together at some point.

LT: Of all the songs you guys have recorded, can you pick one that you are the most proud of your part?

BV: I don't really know what my favorite Lucero part would be. Darby’s Song was one take and Ben wanted me to redo it and I refused cause it was so painful for me to listen through that song. Building the solo for Sing Me No Hymns was a very real learning experience and the first time I didn't just plug in and hit a bunch of notes to see what happens. So hell, I’m proud I get to play at all really!

LT: I’m not much of a “gear” guy, but what is your favorite guitar that you’ve ever owned, and why?

BV: My most favorite guitar was my Japanese, built in the 90's, Thinline Tele that I bolted a bottle opener to that I had stolen from First Ave in Minneapolis. I ended up trading it for a custom-built track bike, which got stolen 3 months later, go figure!

Right now, besides Henry, my new baby is my Perkins flying v that my friend Travis in Ohio built for me. You can see the entire process on his myspace page:

www.myspace.com/rattbag

He's amazing. It's the most perfect guitar ever!

LT: Have you played guitar for Henry? If so, what was the first thing you played for him?

BV: Sometimes when Henry’s asleep I’ll pick the acoustic some, nothing but chords really, mostly d,g,c stuff just to be playing in the same room with him. We did listen to Black Flag Live ‘84 the other day in its entirety!

Hearts On Fire

2008-10-15T07:52:00.001-04:00

Alright, I've had a number of requests for this one, and it's a semi-regular part of their live sets, so I figure I should give it a go, but I'm not sure about it at all. The second chord is a little wonky, I think it's D/F# (200230). Anyhow, let's consider this a starting point. If anybody thinks they have a better bead on it, please shoot me an email.

Chorus riff

|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|---------2h4-2-----2-----2---|
|---------------2h4---2h4---2-|
|-0---0-----------------------|
|-----------------------------|

|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|---------2h4-2-----2-----2---|
|---------------2h4---2h4---2-|
|-----------------------------|
|-3---3-----------------------|

|-----0-------0-0--|
|-----3-------3-3--|
|-----2-------2-2--|
|-----0-------0-0--|
|-----0-------0-0--|
|-2---2---2---2-2--|

Verses:

G_________________D/F#
Some nights don't pan out at all
G_______________D/F#
Some nights are gold
G____________________________D/F#
In this run down, burned out shell of a town
D______A_______G
That I call my home

G______________________D/F#
Smoke filled bars, and loud guitars
G___________D/F#
One game of pool
G____________________________D/F#
It was just one look, it was just one smile
D_______A___________G
Now I'm playing the fool

Chorus:

D____________A________________G
My hearts on fire burnin with desire

A A G G D/F#____________________________________A
__________My hearts on fire, its one thing I've found
A___________G____________________D/F#
Flames burn brighter when you're around
A___________________________G________________________________D/F#
Those flames burn brighter, flames burn brighter when you're around
A___________________________G________________________________D/F#
Those flames burn brighter, flames burn brighter when you're around

Punk rock girls and lone star beer
Means tonight will be ok
And if I could get your attention my dear
Things might go my way

Some nights don't pan out at all
Some nights are gold
I'd be richer than a old time 49er
If you were mine to hold

Choruses etc...

Toadvine

2008-10-11T11:20:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty sure these chords are all power chords, so technically they're F5 A5 E5, etc. If you were going to play full chords, it sounds like you'd want to use Am for the As.

Intro:

F A E F C F C

F_____________A
Rode myself into the ground
E________________F
Hell it’s almost over now
C___________F_______________C
I don’t see nothing but the light

F__________________A
Darkness filled my days
E__________________F
The rising sun has shown the way
C___________F_______________C
I don’t see nothing but the light

D________________________F
The preacher’s lesson is simply Armageddon
C_________________________G
The devil he knows how to ride
D___________________F
A killer of men and no way to save them
C___________________G
Hell we all have to die

F
You wouldn’t think that out here
G
A man could simply run clear
A_____________________A#_______F___A#____F
Out of country but oh my … oh my
________________C_____F___C
Nothing but the light

F A E F C F C

F____________________A
They took my ears in Omaha
E_____________________F
Thought me dead but I weren’t at all
C_________F_______________C
Left them bleeding in the mud

F____________________A
Branded me for horse thievery
E___________________F
Between my eyes for all to see
C_________F_______________C
Left them bleeding in the mud

D____________________________F
When this world was made was never meant to save
C___________G
Everyone in kind
D__________________F
And I don’t believe God much had me
C______________G
Had me much in mind

F
You wouldn’t think that out here
G
A man could simply run clear
A_____________________A#_______F___A#____F
Out of country but oh my … oh my
________________C____F___C
Nothing but the light

F G A A# F A# F C F C

D_________________F
So tell me barkeep what is there to drink
C___________________G
with just a minimal risk
D____________________F
of blindness or death It all tastes of ashes
C___________________________G____________________F
seems that’s always what we get it's all we ever get

F
You wouldn’t think that out here
G
A man could simply run clear
A_____________________A#_______F___A#____F
Out of country but oh my … oh my
________________C_____F___C
Nothing but the light

The Kid

2008-10-08T08:13:00.001-04:00

Am_____________________G
Your mother died night you were born
G___Am_____________C
Her name you never knew
C____Am_________G_______________F
Look away, look away nothing to lose

Am_____________G
Left East Tennessee at fourteen
Am______________C
Wandered to the West
C____Am_________G_____________F
Look away,look away born into death

G______________F________________Am
You fought the sailors in New Orleans
G______________F________________________Am
You worked the flatboats and walked the streets
G________F__________Am
Hit Nacogdoches in ‘49
G_____________________F____________________Am
And there you saw the devil the very first time

F_____________C
Kid don’t you know me?
F______________________C
We are the last of the true
C_________G_____F
Drink up! Drink up!
C_________G_____F
Drink up! Drink up!
Am_________________F________G_________Am
Cause tonight your soul’s required of you

Signed on with a stone mad captain
Rode on Mexico
Look away, look away war behold

Jailed with killers one and all
But we were killers free
Look away, look away, look to me

You saw the lancers ‘mid heathen hordes
Bloodstained veils and costumes of war
Hell ain’t half full boy hear me
War is the game and the god we seek

We set out as men of reason
Armed with Navy Colts
Look away,look away, work paid in gold

But you stood witness to yourself
Our trial you did betray
Look away,look away to judgment day

We killed in the desert we killed in the streets
We chose what shall and shall not be
We stood with pistols,fought back to back
Now you’ve stood your ground but what ground is that?

The Outsiders

2008-10-01T08:03:00.001-04:00

G________________D
Drive around all day
D________________Em7
Nowhere I should be
Em7_________________B5
Don't know where to go
B5__________________Cadd9
But I wish you were with me

G________________D
Had a dream last night
D_____Em7
About you
Em7_____________B5
Didn't turn out good
B5_________________Cadd9
So I hope it's not true

Em7__________D
I wish I was with you
D______________________Cadd9
Wish I could hold your hand

Didn't go outside today
Until it got dark
Stayed in my room
Taping music for you

Old songs that I like
To remind her
Of her boy far away
Her outsider

I wish I was with you
Wish I could kiss your lips

The riff that goes here is somethong like this, but I'm not sure this is right. Let me know if yiu think yiu have it down.

-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
------0-0--------10-9--------0-0--------10-9-----
-9-10-5-5---9-10-10-10--9-10-5-5---9-10-10-10----
-0----------0-----------0----------0-------------

Got a letter in the the mail
Another one from you
Read it five times and
wrote you one too

Says that I miss you
Says that I care
Spring will come soon
And then I'll be there

I wish I was with you
Wish I could sleep in your arms
I wish I was with you
Holding you in my arms

End with the riff

The Last Pale Light in the West

2008-09-27T11:09:00.001-04:00

He uses a picking pattern throughout this whole song that goes from the bass note of whatever chord he's playing to the B string to the bass to the G string.

For Em it goes like this:

----------
---0------
--------0-
----------
----------
-0----0---

And for D it goes like this:

----------
---3------
--------2-
-0----0---
----------
----------

Easy, right?

Em G Em G

Em_____________________G
In my hands I hold the ashes
G_____Em________________G
In my veins black pitch runs
G_____C______________Em
In my chest the fire catches
Em____D_____________C
In my way a setting sun

Em_________________G
Dark clouds gather round me
G______Em______________G
To the West my soul is bound
G__________C___________Em
But I will go on ahead free
Em_________D_______________C
There is a light yet to be found

Em____________D_____C______G
The last pale light in the west
Em____________D_____C______G
The last pale light in the west

Em G Em G

Em_________________G
And I ask for no redemption
G_______Em______________G
In this cold and barren place
G_______C____________Em
Still I see faint reflection
Em________D___________C
And so by it guide my way

Em____________D_____C______G
The last pale light in the west
Em____________D_____C______G
The last pale light in the west

The Last Pale Light in the West Tabs Index

2008-09-27T11:03:00.015-04:00

Ben's New EP

2008-09-25T08:22:00.006-04:00

For anyone who may not know, Ben Nichols has a new solo side project EP called The Last Pale Light in the West. It's seven songs all based on the novel Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and it's terrific. I guess the CDs aren't going to be available for a while, but you can pre-order and get an instant digital download right now.

http://www.luceromusic.com/store/index.php

So what are you waiting for?

I'll create an index for it and start posting tabs soon.

Poor Heartache

2008-09-24T08:03:00.001-04:00

Verses: G D G Cadd9 G D G

Chorus: Cadd9 Em7 Cadd9 D

G__________________________________D
Well my heart's grown this pair of wings
G_______________________________Cadd9
despite all they pain that they bring
G______________________D
to a heart, a heart so true
D_______________G
Like the one in you

Now my heart's got this pair of wings
And they're devilish foolhardy things
But I once had a heart so true
Like the one in you

Cadd9
Hell now I know that we're still kids
_________Em7
But that don't change the things I did
___Cadd9
To make your poor heart ache
____________D
Now I'm not worth it and you'll realize it some day
D________G
Down the line

Well my heart's flying off the ground
But it'll surely come crashing back down
And when it does, well I won't have you
And your heart so true

Hell now I know that we're still kids
But that don't change the things I did
To make your poor heart ache
Now I'm not worth it and you'll realize it some day
Down the line

Hell now I know that we're still kids
But you can't forgive the things I did
You'll find another heart so true
And you'll break that poor boy's hear right in two
Down the line

Solo/Intro:

---------------------------------------------
-----------------3---------------------------
-0-2-0-2s4-2---4---4-2-0-2-0-----0-2-0-2s4-4-
-----------------------------2---------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
-4-2-0-4-2---2-4-2-0-0-----------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

Chord transitions:

G_______________D_____________G
---3---3---3-------0-------------3-
---3---3---3-------3-------------3-
---0---0---0-------2-------------0-
---0-0-0---0-----0-0-2-3-4-2-0---0-
---2---2---2-2-3-----------------2-
-3-3---3-3-3-------------------3-3-

G___________Cadd9_________G
---3---3---3---0-----------3-
---3---3---3---3-----------3-
---0---0---0---0-----------0-
-0-0---0-0-0---2-0h2-----0-0-
---2-2-2---2-3-3-----3p2---2-
---3---3---3---------------3-

G_______________D_____________G
---3---3---3-------0-------------3-
---3---3---3-------3-------------3-
---0---0---0-------2-------------0-
---0-0-0---0-----0-0-2-3-4-2-0---0-
---2---2---2-2-3-----------------2-
-3-3---3-3-3-------------------3-3-

Miscellaneous Songs Index

2008-09-20T10:38:00.036-04:00

Can't Stand to Leave You (New/Unreleased)
Colorado Girl (Townes Van Zandt Cover)
Crystal Blue (Dreaming in America)
Dodging Bullets (Coldwater Sessions)
Dog Day Nights (Thick Syrup Arkansas Compilation)
Hearts On Fire (Dreaming in America)
If Only You Were Lonely (Replacements Cover)
Is That You I've Been Kissing? (Coldwater Sessions)
It May Be Too Late (New/Unreleased)
Last November (TMFW import bonus track)
Like Lightning (New/Unreleased)
Miss Patsy Cline (Unreleased)
On My Way Downtown (New/Unreleased)
On the Other Side of Lonesome (New/Unreleased)
The Outsiders (Red 40 Discography)
Poor Heartache (Coldwater Sessions)
The Prayer (8 Paces to Jackson)
Tell Me What It Takes (One Tree Hill 3 Soundtrack)
What Are You Willing to Lose (old version)
When I Was Young (New/Unreleased)
Women and Work (New/Unreleased)

Crystal Blue

2008-09-20T00:03:00.002-04:00

F# = 200033
Asus4 = x02230
Cadd9 = x032030
Em7 = 022030

Main Riff:

-----0-----0----------3-------
-----3-----3----------3-------
-----0-----0----------0-------
-----2-----0----------0-------
--3--3--2--2--2h3p2---2-------
-------------------3--3-------

Verses:

G__________Em7______________G
I see your eyes clear in my head
Riff
The eyes of a girl I barely met
Em7______________________Cadd9
Crystal blue, dream come true
G______________F#_________________Em7
In slow motion you just walked on by
Asus4___________Cadd9
The memory now, remember how
G________________F#___________________Em7
You looked at me across the room that night
Asus4___________Cadd9
Strangers still despite my will

Riff

Told me your name with a smile so sweet
Your eyes cut deeper into me
Crystal blue, I saw right through
In slow motion, you just walk on by
The memory now, remember how
You looked at me across the room that night
Strangers still despite my will

Bridge:

G______________________Riff
And I wont be gone too long
G____________________Riff
And I'm never coming back
G___________________Riff
Always hated saying so long
G______________________Riff
But it always comes to that
G__F#__D

D____________Cadd9
Its just one smile
Cadd9_________Asus4
It's just one look
Asus4_______G
Its all for you
G___________Cadd9
Its all for you
D Em7 G Riff

The picking pattern for that "just one smile" part goes like this:

_D_______________Cadd9___________Asus4____________

--------------------------------------------------
---------------0---------------0---------------0--
-----2-------2-------0-------2-------0-------2----
-0-0---0-0-0--------------------------------------
-----------------3-3---3-3-3-----0-0---0-0-0------
--------------------------------------------------

_G_______________Cadd9____________D__

----------------------------------0--
---------------0---------------0--2--
-----2-------2-------0-------2----3--
----------------------------------0--
-----------------3-3---3-3-3---------
-3-3---3-3-3-------------------------

I see your eyes clear in my head
The eyes of a girl I barely met
Crystal blue saw right through
In slow motion you just walked on by

The State of the Blog

2008-09-15T12:32:00.003-04:00

At this point, I have tabs posted for about 90% of all the songs that appear on a Lucero record. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that no other web site has more.

Having gotten the bulk of the songs up, now I'm going back to check the quality of the posts. I've found a bunch with small typos and mistakes already, and a handful that are just terrible tabs (wrong chords, etc.) I'll fix that stuff as quickly as I can. If you've tried a tab that seemed wrong, give it another shot in a few days. Maybe it'll be better.

You've probably noticed that today I learned how to expand the width of the rows. This is good because for some tabs I was being forced to use a font that was much too small to be legible. I'll go back and fix those soon, too.

After I get those things squared away, the next step is to add another index for songs that haven't been on studio records. That'll give me a place to put stuff like Crystal Blue.

By the time I get done with that, I should have Ben's new EP and that'll give me another section to work on.

Noon as Dark as Midnight

2008-09-13T10:18:00.000-04:00

Cm
Running' from the truth for all my life
A#_______________F
Wake up darlin', wake up darlin'
Cm
No I'm too tired to tell more lies
A#_______________F
Wake up darlin', wake up darlin'
Cm
I never lied to you and I never laid blame
A#_____________________F
It was my own fault for what I became
Cm
The flies on the ceiling and the dogs in the cane
A#_______________F
Wake up darlin', wake up darlin'

G_______________Cm
Noon as dark as midnight
G_____________________Cm
The judge is down the road
A#_______________F
Now walk with me, just a little while
________Cm
I'm too weak on my own

How long have I been this way
Wake up darlin', wake up darlin'
Always said I'd trade the rest of my days
Wake up darlin', wake up darlin'
Can't take you with me when I leave here
One more time I need you here
One more walk through the pines my dear
Wake up darlin', wake up darlin'

Noon as dark as midnight
The judge is down the road
Now walk with me, just a little while
I'm just too weak on my own

Summer Song

2008-09-11T08:27:00.009-04:00

The walk downs from C are just 3-3-3-2-0- on the A string.

Em_________________________________________________C
The clouds in the summer sky don't do shit for the heat
Em_______________________________________________C_walk down
The girls in their summer clothes, only slight relief
G__________________C_walk down____Em
There's nothing to do but wait it out

Em_________________________________________________________C
The boys in their summer bands sweat as they give it their all
Em_____________________________________________________C_walk down
bands might be good but probably won't last through the fall
G_________________________C_walk down
And there's nothing to do now
G_________________________C_walk down
Except to sing, sweat and shout
G______________________C_walk down____Em
And there's nothing to do but wait it out

Em_________________________________________________C
The clouds in the summer sky don't do shit for the heat
Em_______________________________________________________C_walk down
girls & the shores & the summer nights are still nice to see
G_________________________C_walk down
And there's nothing to do now
G_________________________C_walk down
Except to sing, sweat and shout
G______________________C_walk down____Em
And there's nothing to do but Wait it out

Wish Me Luck

2008-09-09T08:05:00.000-04:00

G__________________________________Em7
Wish me luck. You know I ain't had much,
Em7_____________________Cadd9____________________G__Cadd9_G
But that's all bound to change down the road someday
G_______________________________Em7
Wish me luck, I think I've run enough
Em7______________Cadd9___________________G___Cadd9_G
I'd rather stand alone and never go back home

Cadd9_________________________G____Cadd9_G
And it's so close now that it hurts
Cadd9______________________________G____Cadd9_G
You're the one that said I'd never learn
Em7________________________Cadd9________________G__Cadd9_G
But I'm doing mighty fine, taking my sweet time

G________________________________Em7
Lord it seems time's run out for me
Em7_______________Cadd9______________________G___Cadd9_G
Chance to make my mark is like a shot in the dark
G______________________________________Em7
Lordy see, the road's catchin' up with me
Em7_______________Cadd9_________________G___Cadd9_G
I'll keep rolling on until I'm dead and gone

Cadd9_________________________G____Cadd9_G
And it's so close now that it hurts
Cadd9______________________________G____Cadd9_G
You're the one that said I'd never learn
Em7________________________Cadd9________________G__Cadd9_G
But I'm doing mighty fine, taking my sweet time

Cadd9_________________________G____Cadd9_G
And it's so close now that it hurts
Cadd9______________________________G____Cadd9_G
You're the one that said I'd never learn
Em7________________________Cadd9________________G__Cadd9_G
But I'm doing mighty fine, taking my sweet time

No Roses No More

2008-09-05T08:02:00.003-04:00

G E G E

E_____________________G_E_________________________G
ain't no roses no more, it's not like it was before
A__________________G______E___G
she had them tears in her eyes
E____________________G_E______________________G
ain't no roses no more, it's yourself you adore
A_________________________G___________________________E
so just go ahead, say goodbye, you don't care if it's right
E____________G____________________________E
it's time to go, well that's all that you know
________A________________________________C
so just tell her true, you're not coming back tonight

E_______________________G__E_____________________E
like the waves in the sea, you won't never catch me
A_________________G___________E____G
I crash on your shores and I'm gone
E_______________________G__E_________________________G
like the stars in the sky, plain to see with your eyes
A________________________________________G________________________E
but I'm far out of reach and too hard to hold and now I'm getting old
E______________G________________________E
only so much time and I'm taking what's mine
________A________________________________C
so just tell her true, you're not coming back tonight

E_____________________G_E_________________________G
ain't no roses no more, it's not like it was before
A__________________G______E____G
she had them tears in her eyes
E____________________G_E______________________G
ain't no roses no more, it's yourself you adore
A______________________________G_________________E
all she's got is tears in her eyes you said goodbye
E____________G__________________________E
she was so strong, don't mean it's not wrong
________A_______________________________C
so just tell her true you're not coming back tonight
_________A______________________________C
hell, it won't hurt you, you'll be just fine

And We Fell

2008-09-03T15:58:00.000-04:00

The tab I posted earlier wasn't very good. Sorry. It's better now.

Intro riffs:

For Ben's part, pick through Dm, Am, C, G, then play an F chord. Like this:

---1-------0-------0-------3------1-1--
-----3-------1-------1-------3----1-1--
-------2-------2-------0-------0--2-2--
-0--------------------------------3-3--
---------0-------3----------------3-3--
-------------------------3--------1-1--

For Brian's part, the riff goes like this:

--------------------0-0-
--------------------1-1-
-----5-----7-5------0-0-
-5-7---5-7------7---3-3-
--------------------3-3-
------------------------

_______C____________________Am
And we fell fell around the world
Dm___________________G
a drunken mess, with nothing left
_______Am__________________F
and we are the one's still holding on
___C________________________________G
to all those dreams, we didn't know were done
F
uh huh

And we fell across the state
never gaining much, never giving up
and I'll raise a glass, and we will today
to all those times, that never went our way
uh huh

Riffs again

uh huh

And we fell through the town
held each other up, never stayin' down
and we'll take a drink, we ain't got too much
and I'm still not sure, just what became of us
uh huh

Riffs again

Took The Fall

2008-09-03T08:07:00.001-04:00

Repeating riff

------------------
------------------
---4-----------6--
-------4s6---6----
-----------4------
-0---0------------

______A________F#___________E_______A__________Riff
And I took the fall but I'd take it all back tonight

Slow Dancing

2008-08-29T10:15:00.002-04:00

Almost the entire song is just these chords:

Em7 Cadd9 (C) (Cmaj7) Am (Aadd9) Cmaj7

-0----0----0-----0----0----0------0----
-3----3----1-----0----1----0------0----
-0----0----0-----0----2----2------0----
-2----2----2-----2----2----2------2----
-2----3----3-----3----0----0------3----
-0-------------------------------------

The ones in parenthesis are just transitional chords that appear quickly in between the main chords.

Depending on how detailed you want to get, you can pick around the chords with an eye towards accenting the transitions instead of playing them straight up.

There is one other part where they break into Em7 then D then Cadd9. This appears twice in the song: once after "hell you smiled alot" and again after "hell you told me so."

Here at the Starlite

2008-08-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

Am____________________________G
It's close to 2 AM I've given up
__________F
Trying to find her
Am_____________________________G
I lost my heart under the neon lights
________________F
At the Starlite Diner

She used to sit across the table
Smoking her cigarettes
Well that was then
Now I've got this booth all to myself

G F F G F F G F F G F F

I see her eyes I see her smile
I hear her laugh
Memories too close to home for something
That's never coming back

G F F G F F G F F G F F

Em_______________________F
I lost my heart by those neon lights
Am__________________________F
At the Starlite Diner one November night
G____________________________________________F
I thought I could make it but now I see that I might die
Am__________________G_________________F
All alone, my heart gone, here at the Starlite

Jukebox don't know it's the graveyard shift
It shakes rattles and rolls
Since the night that I lost my heart
The sad songs are all I know

Waitress brings me a coke she calls me darlin
I think about my girl
Drinking coffee smoking her Camel wides
She was the sweetest thing in the world

Watch It Burn

2008-08-25T10:57:00.002-04:00

I'm never really sure on these riffs. I go back and forth between playing them with the open strings and without.

Intro riff:

-------------------
-----3-0------3-0--
---0--------0------
-2--------2--------
-------------------
-------------------

Or:

-------------------
-----3-0------3-0--
-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0--
-2-0------2--------
-------------------
-------------------

Verse riff:

-------------------
-3-0-3----3-0-3----
-------0--------0--
-------------------
-------------------
-------------------

Or:

-------------------
-3-0-3----3-0-3----
-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0--
-------0--------0--
-------------------
-------------------

verse chords:

C5 G5 C5 G5

Chorus chords:

D5 C5 G5 C5 D5 C5 G5 E5

Solo chords:

G5 G5 C5 G5 E5 C5 G5

The solo is pretty simple. It repeats the first phrase 4 times. Then it switches to the second phrase once, and then finishes with the first phrase one more time. (By 7b9 I mean bend up a full step, as though you slid up two frets.)

-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
--5-7b9-5-7s9-999-7-55-
-----------------------
-----------------------

---------------------
---------------------
------------7-7h9----
5-7b9-5-7s9-------5--
---------------------
---------------------

Chain Link Fence

2008-08-21T07:45:00.005-04:00

I think they play all the chords as power chords, so the A minors are really A5s, etc. Also, in between the A and C chords the bass stops briefly at B; you can drop a quick B5 in there if you're playing on your own.

F Am B C

___________F
Well she's sitting right there on the chain link fence
she's down at the park with the rest of her friends
________Am
and she looks so pretty but she's only sixteen
C
didn't know that when she smiled at me

________F
Now the boys are hunched over their electric guitars
I'm lying in the grass out beside my car
__Am
I followed her down to the Dixie Freeze
C
Hold on, hold on, hold on to me

A#____F
Sweet girl
A#___________________F
Don't let go for the world

A#_________________F
Cause I'm not from here
________F___________A_______D_________C___A#
And I'm afraid that I might never see you again

F, F, Am, C

Chorus riff:

(Played in place of the A#s and Fs)

---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
-------3--3s7-7s3-3s7-7s3--
-1-1s3---------------------
---------------------------

Lead riff:

This is just a first draft. I'm not even positive it's played on two strings.

F______________A________C_________

----------------------------------
----------------------------------
----------------------------------
-7-8-10-7-8-10--7-5-3-5--3-0-3-5--
-8-8-8--8-8-8---0-0-0-0--3-3-3-3--
----------------------------------

I Don't Wanna Be the One

2008-08-19T08:21:00.002-04:00

Intro:

G A D A B
G A D
G A D A B
G A D
A

A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who misses you at night
A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who's always left behind
A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who's standing in your way
A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who loses everything

G________________D____________A
when I wake up I wonder where you are
G____________________D_________A
late at night I been taking it way too far
G________________A___________________D
it's too much to take I can't be the one

A____________________G________________________D
I don't wanna be the one to walk this endless street
A____________________G________________________D
I don't wanna be the one with nowhere else to be
A____________________G__________________________D
I don't wanna be the one that wants you so damn much
A____________________G________________________D
I don't wanna be the one who's running out of luck

G________________D____________A
when I wake up I wonder where you are
G____________________D_________A
late at night I been taking it way too far
G________________A___________________D
it's too much to take I can't be the one

(Keyboard solo)

G________________D____________A
when I wake up I wonder where you are
G____________________D_________A
late at night I been taking it way too far
G________________A___________________D
it's too much to take I can't be the one

A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who misses you at night
A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who's always left behind
A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who's standing in your way
A____________________G_____________________D
I don't wanna be the one who loses everything
A____________________G
I don't wanna be the one

The Last Song

2008-08-17T11:54:00.002-04:00

Chords submitted by mavint1. Thank you!

I love Ben's lead on this song. You'll find that, as well as Brian's soft part leading into the solo at the bottom of the chords.

C/G: (332010)
D/A: (554030)

C/G
Little Mara Lee
C/G
Always sings so sweet
D/A
On the banks of the river running through downtown
D/A
A show tonight with a sweet sweet sound

C/G
Crossed to Tennessee
C/G
But its sweet sweet Mara Lee
D/A
Whose voice is calling me back home
D/A
To the banks of the river where I belong

Em D Em C/G
______________All there is is one last song

Em D D C/G
______________Now the band is giving it their all

Em D Em C/G
_____________She says these are the best of days

Em D D C/G
_____________Wont you stay and dance with me a while

C/G
Little Mara Lee
C/G
Always sings so sweet
D/A
The pain in your heart is rock-n-roll
D/A
The tears in your eyes is rock-n-roll

C/G
Little Mara Lee
C/G
Always sings so sweet
D/A
The kiss of your lips is rock-n-roll
D/A
The blood in your veins is rock-n-roll

Em D Em C/G
______________All there is is one last song

Em D D C/G
______________And now the band is giving it their all

Em D Em C/G
_____________She says these are the best of days

Em D D C/G
_____________Wont you stay and dance with me a while

Main lead riff (Ben)

-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------9-7-7-7s4-4-4h7-4---4---------
-7^--5------5-5-5-5h7-7-7-7--------------------7---7-5-----
--------5h7------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------7-4--------7-4----------
-7^-7^-5-----7^-7^-5-5-5-5h7-7-7-7-----7-7^-5-----7-7^-5---
---------5h7-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------

Chorus lead riff:

---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
-------7-9s12-12--12-9--9-9-7--7-7h9p7-
-7s9-9---------------------------------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------

----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
-------7h9p7----------------------------
-7S9-9-------9S7-5------5------5------5-
--------------------5h7----5h7----5h7---
----------------------------------------

---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
-------7-9s12-12--12-9--9-9-7--7-7h9p7-
-7s9-9---------------------------------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------

--------------------
--------------------
-------7h9p7--------
-7S9-9-------9S7-5--
--------------------
--------------------

Lead in to solo (quiet part)
Brian:

-------------------------------0---0---0---0-----------0---0-
---3---3---3---3---3---3---3-------------------3---3---------
-2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------

Then play Em and C/G and then repeat the whole thing

Ben:

------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
-7(16x)s14(8x)-12(4x)-14(4x)-5(16x)-
------------------------------------
------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-9(8x)-7(8x)s14(8x)-12(4x)-14(4x)-5(16x)-
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------

Solo:

-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------7--7---7h9-7-7---
-7^-7^-7^p5---5--7^-7^p5---5---7^-7^p5---5--7s9------9-----------
------------7------------7-------------7-------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-9-7---7-----------------------
-----9---9s7-9-7-5-------5-7-9-
-------------------7-5-7-------
-------------------------------

-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-9-7---7-----------------------
-----9---9s7-9-7-5-------5-7-9-
-------------------7-5-7-------
-------------------------------

-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-9-7---7-----------------------
-----9---9s7-9-7-5-------5-7-9-
-------------------7-5-7-------
-------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
-----7-7----7-7-7h9-7--7s9-9s12-12-12-9--9-9-7--7-7h9-7-
-7s9------9---------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
-12^x8-15^x8-12---12-12-12-12s9-9-9s7-
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------

----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
-12^x8-15^x8-12---12-12s9-9-9s7-7-7h9-7-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------

----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
-12^x8-15^x8-12---12-12s9-9-9s7-7-7h9-7-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------

------------------
------------------
-12^x8-15^x8-12---
------------------
------------------
------------------

On the Way Back Home

2008-08-16T11:24:00.000-04:00

Verses:

D D/A (7577xx)

He picks them like this:

----------------------------
----------------------------
------7-7----------7-7------
----7-----7------7-----7----
--5---------5--5---------5--
----------------------------

----------------------------
----------------------------
------7-7----------7-7------
----7-----7------7-----7----
------------5------------5--
--7------------7------------

Chorus:

G B A G B A

The long instrumental outro is the same chords as the verses and the chorus with this riff repeated:

-----5---5h7---5-----
-7-7---7-----7-------
---------------------
---------------------
---------------------
---------------------

At the end of the outro the lead finishes with:

---5---7-5----------5---7-5-----------
-7---7-----7-7----7---7-----7-7s5-5s3-
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------

---5---7-5---5------5------------
-7---7-----7------7---7-5s3-3-3--
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

Banks of the Arkansas

2008-08-14T07:54:00.000-04:00

Submitted by mavint1. Thanks!

RIFF

G--1-1--
D--0h2--
A--0h2--
E--0-0--
D U
D=Downstroke
U=Upstroke

RIFF
prettiest little girl ever I saw
stood on the banks of the Arkansas

RIFF
her hair was brown and her eyes were green
she was the prettiest little girl ever I’d seen

E
well wave the ocean and wave the sea
wave that pretty girl back to me
wave the ocean and wave the sand
A
wave this time, wave again, now look out

RIFF
prettiest little girl ever I saw
stood on the banks of the Arkansas

RIFF
her eyes were wild and her stare was mean
she's the prettiest damn girl ever I seen

E
well wave the ocean and wave the sea
wave that pretty girl back to me
wave the ocean and wave the shore
A
wave this time, wave no more

In Lonesome Times

2008-08-13T08:25:00.000-04:00

This song has a chord that I'm not sure what to call. It's an F5 with an open E in the bass (033xxx). Let's call it F/E.

Intro:

F F/E F A# (A) (G) F

Verses:

F___________F/E
In lonesome times
F______________A#
I picture your face
F_______________F/E
It’s so easy to find
F_____________________A#____C___A#
But you’re so hard to place

In lonesome times
I still hear your voice
Brings me to my knees
With the feelings I can not avoid

Chorus:

F______________________C_______A#___________F
Well I don’t find much comfort going out at night
F_____________C___________________A#__________F
Walking these streets beneath the bright city lights
F____________________C___________A#________F
And the dark country roads don’t take me nowhere
F______________________C__________A#__________F
And I’m stuck, and I’m tired, and it ain’t no fair
___________A#
to be this worn out
_____________G
To feel this low down
____________F
In lonesome times

In lonesome times
I still feel you breath
Quietly in the dark
As you lay there next to me

And I don’t find much comfort going out at night
Walking these streets beneath the bright city light
And the dark country roads don’t take me no where
And I’m stuck, and I’m tired, and it ain’t no fair
to be this worn out
To feel this low down
In lonesome times
In Lonesome times
In lonesome times

A Heart So True

2008-08-11T09:27:00.000-04:00

Main Riff:

He plays this for the intro and choruses. The line through the last part is where the intro stops.

A
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------7-7-9-------7-7-9-
-5-5s9-------5-5s9-------

E
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
---7s9-7-------7-----7s9-7---------
-0-------0-7h9---0-0-------0-7-9-7-

B
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
---7s9-7-----------7s9-7------
-7-------0-7-9-7-7-------7^7^-

A
----------------|--------------------
----------------|--------------------
----------------|--------------------
----------------|--------------------
-------7-7-9----|-------7-7-7-7-9----
-5-5s9-------5--|-5-5s9-----------5--

On the verses he just plays chords. They're A E B and D.

Sing Me No Hymns

2008-08-09T09:56:00.001-04:00

Recurring riff:

----------------------
----------------------
----------------------
---------5------------
-----5h7-----------5--
-0-0-------5-5-5h7----

Verses:

E G A G D

Chorus:

E (B) G (B) A (B) G D E

Bridge:

E A E A E A E A

(Then, very fast) E G A B D A G

Last Night In Town

2008-08-08T13:33:00.001-04:00

I found sort of a big mistake in the main riff (I had an F# in where it should be the A). This should be right now.

Main Riff

e
B
G---------------2-----------------
D---2------2----2-2----2-4b5b4--2-
A---2--2h4--2h4-0-2-2h4-----------
E---0-------------0---------------

verse

E G#5 A5 E G#5 A5 E G#5 A5 B5 A5 x 2

chorus

A E A E A E F#5 B5

Underneath solo

D A E (and some fancy shredding)

I don't have a tab for Brian's solo, but here's a tab of the way Ben played the solo at a solo acoustic show in June of 2005. It works pretty well if you're playing by yourself.

---------------------------
---------------------------
-7-7-----------------------
-7-7-9^9^-7--7-7-----------
-5-5-9^9^-7--7-7-----7-9-7-
-------------5-5-7h9-------

-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-9-9-------------9-9-----------
-9-9-------------9-9-----------
-7-7-----7-----7-7-7-7h9-7-----
-----7h9---7h9-------------9-7-

---------------------------
---------------------------
-7-7-----------------------
-7-7-9^9^-7--7-7-----------
-5-5-9^9^-7--7-7-----7-9-7-
-------------5-5-7h9-------

---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
-9-9-------------9-9-------
-9-9-------------9-9-9^9^--
-7-7-----7-----7-7-7-9^9^--
-----7h9---7h9-------------

Hello Sadness

2008-08-05T13:09:00.002-04:00

Main Riff

D A
----------------------------
-------7b8b7-------7b8b7-0--
-----7-----------7----------
-0-0------------------------
-------------0-0------------
----------------------------

G_____________A____________________Riff
I knew it was bound, to catch me again
G______A______________Riff
Hello sadness, my old friend
G__________A________________D__________C#______G
It's been awhile, but now I see you're back in style
G____________A______________________Riff
Sit down and rest, I ain't going nowhere
G__________A_________________________Riff
I feel the pain like a shot from a gun
G__________________A______________________Riff
Feel it deep in my gut I'm done tryin to run
G_________A_____________D_______C#___________G
I'm given in. I'm given up. I'm tired of the fight
G__________A________D__C#____________G
You got me cornered. I know it ain't right
G_______________________A_____________________Riff
I'll surrender tomorrow if I live through the night
G__________A_________D__C#___________G
You got me cornered. I know it ain't right
G_______________________A_____________________Riff
I'll surrender tomorrow if I live through the night

She Wakes When She Dreams

2008-08-03T10:48:00.000-04:00

Verses:

--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-----9-9-----9-9-----9-9-----9-9-----9-9-----9-9--
--------------------------------------------------
-0-0-----0-0-----0-0-----0-0-----7-7-----9-9------
--------------------------------------------------

Bridge riff:

--------------------------------
--------------------------------
---11s9---9---9---6---6---4---4-
-0------0---0---0---0---0---0---
--------------------------------
--------------------------------

--------------------------------
--------------------------------
---11s9---9---9---6---6---4---4-
--------------------------------
-0------0---0---0---0---0---0---
--------------------------------

--------------------------------
--------------------------------
---11s9---9---9---6---6---4---4-
-0------0---0---0---0---0---0---
--------------------------------
--------------------------------

--------------------------------
--------------------------------
---11s9---9---9---6---6---4---4-
--------------------------------
-0------0---0---0---0---0---0---
--------------------------------

-------------------------
-------------------------
-----9---9-------9---9---
---7---7---7---7---7---7-
-9-----------9-----------
-------------------------

-------------------------
-------------------------
-----9---9-------9---9---
---7---7---7---7---7---7-
-7-----------7-----------
-------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
-----9-9-----9-9-----9-9-----9-9-
---------------------------------
-0-0-----0-0-----0-0-----0-0-----
---------------------------------

Nights Like These

2008-08-01T15:35:00.002-04:00

There's a chord in this song that's a D with a B in the bass. When Ben plays it live he fingers it like (7577xx). The tab I learned it from fingered it like (x20230) and that's how I play it. Anyhow, let's call it D/B.

Also, I'm not positive the B chords are actually minor (they could be B5), but that's how they sound best to my ears.

Brian's lead and Ben's solo are now tabbed at the bottom of the post.

verses:

D
It's nights like these
D/B
that make you sleep all day
D
It's nights like these
G
that make you feel so far away

D
It's nights like these
D/B
When nothing is for sure
D
It's nights like these
G
I don't want you anymore

chorus:

D_________________A
And I've only got this one wish
Bm_____________________________G
that I was good enough to make you forget
D_____________________A
the only boy who ever broke your heart
A______________________G
Nights like these tear me apart

D
It's nights like these
D/B
The sad songs don't help
D
It's nights like these
G
Your heart's with someone else

D
It's nights like these
D/B
I feel like giving up
D
It's nights like these
G
I don't seem to count for much

D_________________A
And I've only got this one wish
Bm_____________________________G
that I was good enough to make you forget
D_____________________A
the only boy who ever broke your heart
A______________________G
Nights like these tear me apart

Bridge:

D________________A______Bm__________G
beer tastes like blood, my mouth is numb
A____________________________________G
and I can't make the words i need to say
D__________________________________A
she had a weakness for writers and I
A___________________________G
I was never that could with words anyways

Brian's lead during the verses:

D
|---------------|---------------|
|---------------|---------------|
|-------0-------|-------0-------|
|---4-----4---4-|---4-----4---4-|
|-5---5-----5---|-5---5-----5---|
|---------------|---------------|

D/B
|------------------|
|------------------|
|------------------|
|------------------|
|-2--2-2s4-4s5-5-5-|
|------------------|

D
|----------------|
|----------------|
|----------------|
|----------------|
|-9--9s7-9-7s5-5-|
|----------------|

G (play chord)

Ben's solo:

This part 6 times:

|------------------------------------------|
|----10-10---------------10-10-------------|
|-11------------------11-------------------|
|----------12--12-12------------12--12-12--|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|

Then finish with this:

|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|-9-9-9-9h11p9-|-7-7-7-7h9s11-|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|

So Long Tonight

2008-07-30T09:52:00.000-04:00

B
This damn place has been my home
B________________________________A_________E____F#
for just a little bit too long tonight

B
Gonna find myself a sweet young girl
B_________________________________A_________E____F#
Somewhere else across the world tonight

B
I'll just pack one bag and the I'm gone
B_______________________________A_________E____F#
As far as I can get from home tonight

B
Won't tell no one when I leave town
B_________________________________A_________E____F#
Ain't no way that I'll be found tonight

E
Just wait and see in Tennessee
F#_________E_____________B
They'll be missing me tonight

E
Just wait and see what becomes of me
F#_________E__________B
You'll be lucky if I write

A_________________B
So so long tonight

A_________________B
So so long tonight

A
And I might come back if I
B______________________A
Feel like that but for now
E__F#________B
___So long tonight

Ain't So Lonely

2008-07-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

_____G________________D_______
Well she smiles oh so sweetly
_______________Cadd9__________________G
and I ain't so lonely, I ain't so lonely

____G____________________________D_______
and she acts just like she don't need me
_______________Cadd9__________________G
and I ain't so lonely, I ain't so lonely

G D Cadd9 G

___G________________________D_________
We drive down to the corner drugstore
_______________Cadd9__________________G
and I ain't so lonely, I ain't so lonely

G__________________________D________
Coca-cola and pills take a few more
_______________Cadd9__________________G
and I ain't so lonely, I ain't so lonely

Cadd9_____________________________A
It's been a while since I was nineteen
________________________G_______________________________Cadd9
It's been a while since I've seen myself act like such a fool
D__________________Cadd9_____G
How long must this go on tonight