Artist: Belle & Sebastian
Album: Tigermilk
Song: The State I'm In
Tabbed by: Jason
Rhythm guitar (I'm tabbing the rhythm and lead guitar separately so it doesn't get confusing)
First verse:
C# B
I was surprised
F# B C# B
I was happy for a day in nineteen seventy-five
A#m G#m
I was puzzled by a dream
F# B C# B
It stayed with me all day in nineteen ninety-five
A#m G#m
My brother had confessed
F# B C# B
He was gay it took the heat off me for awhile
A#m G#m
He stood up with a sailor friend
F# B C# B - A#m - G#m
And made it known upon my sister's wedding day
Between verses: C#
Second verse:
C# B
Got married in a rush
F# B C# B
To save kid from being deported, now she's in love
A#m G#m
Oh, I was so touched
F# B C# B
I was moved to kick the crutches from my crippled friend
A#m G#m
And she was not impressed
F# B C# B
'Cause I cured her on the Sabbath so I went to confess
F# B
When she saw the funny side
F# B C# B
We introduced my child bride to whiskey and gin
A#m G#m
To whiskey and gin
Between verses: C#
Third verse (same as second verse):
The priest in the booth
Had a photographic memory for all he had heard
He took all of my sins
And he wrote a pocket novel called "The State I'm In"
So I gave myself to God
There was a pregnant pause before He said okay
Now I spend my days
Turning tables 'round in Mark and Spencer's
They don't seem to mind
Chorus:
F#
I gave myself to sin
A#m
I gave myself to Providence
E
And I went there and back again
G#m
The state that I am in
I gave myself to sin
I gave myself to Providence
And I went there and back again
The state that I am in
Fourth verse (same as second verse):
Oh love of mine
Would you condescend to help me 'cause I'm stupid and blind
Oh, and desperation is the devil's work
It is the folly of a boy's empty mind
Oh, and now I'm feeling dangerous
Riding on city buses for a hobby, it's sad
Why don't you lead me to a living end
I promised that I'd entertain my crippled friend
My crippled friend
Chorus:
I gave myself to sin
I gave myself to Providence
And I went there and back again
The state that I am in
I gave myself to sin
I gave myself to Providence
And I went there and back again
The state that I am in
I gave myself to sin
I gave myself to Providence
And I went there and back again
The state that I am in
F#
I gave myself to sin
A#m
I gave myself to Providence
D#m
And I went there and back again
C#
The state that I am in
B
I gave myself to sin
F#
And I've been there and back again
C#
Oh yeah...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Lead Guitar:
CAPO IV
All chords/fret numbers/etc. relative to capo in this tab.
Thus the chord progression from the verses becomes:
A - G - D - G
A - G - F#m - Em - D - G
A - G - F#m - Em - D - G
A - G - D - G - D - G
A - G -F#m - Em
Between the verses you hold A
The chord progression for the choruses is:
D - F#m
C - Em
And now onto the tab...
This guitar comes in on the break between the first and second verse and plays:
A
|--5-5-5-5----------5-5--
|--5-5-5-5------------5--
|--7-7-7-6------6h7---6--
|------------------------
|------------------------
|------------------------
Second verse (on "To save a kid from being deported"):
D G A G F#M Em D G A G
|------------------------------------------------------
|-------8----10----8----7----8----7----8----10----8----
|--7---------------------------------------------------
|------------------------------------------------------
|------------------------------------------------------
|------------------------------------------------------
Then (this gets repeated in every verse):
D G
|----2-----2--------2-----2-----
|------3-----3--------3-----3---
|--2-----2-----2--4-----4-----4- (repeat)
|-------------------------------
|-------------------------------
|-------------------------------
A G F#m Em
--5----3----2----3----
--5----3----2----5----
--6----4----2----4----
----------------------
----------------------
----------------------
Between the verses:
|--5--------5-5----
|--5----------5----
|--6----6h7---6----
|------------------
|------------------
|------------------
Third verse:
Arpeggiate all the chords, play the verse ending from above on "Now I spend my days..."
Chorus (standard for all choruses):
D F#m
|------2-----2-----2----------2-2-2-2-2-2-2---
|--------3-----3-------3--2---2-2-3-5-3-2-3---
|--2-------2-----2------------2-2-2-2-2-2-2---
|---------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------
C Em
-----3--------3-----------3---------3------
--------5--------5-----------5---------5---
--5--------5--------5--4--------4----------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Between the first chorus and fourth verse:
A
|--5-5-5-5-5-----5-----5-----5---5-----5-----5-----5--
|--5-5-5-5---5-----5---------------5-----5-----5------
|--7-7-7-6-----6-----6---6h7---6-----6-----6-----6----
|-----------------------------------------------------
|-----------------------------------------------------
|-----------------------------------------------------
Fourth verse:
Strum each chord once, play the ending from the second and third verses
on "Lead me to a living end..."
When you get to the repeated choruses at the end, start throwing in this riff on Em:
Em D
|-----3-----3/7--5--3--0-----
|--------5----------------3--
|--4-------------------------
|----------------------------
|----------------------------
On the second to last chorus (where the progression changes):
D F#m
|------2-----2-----2----------2-2-2-2-2-2-2---
|--------3-----3-------3--2---2-2-3-5-3-2-3---
|--2-------2-----2------------2-2-2-2-2-2-2---
|---------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------
Bm A G
--7----10--9-------5-----5-----5------3--
--7-----------7------5-----5-----5----3--
--7--------------6-----6-----6-----6--4--
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
#----------------------------PLEASE NOTE-----------------------------#
# This represents the author's own work and interpretation of the #
# song. To be used only for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#--------------------------------------------------------------------#