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Perfectly Good Guitar
John Hiatt
Text File
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: Hutch
Tabbed by: Sam Tennent
Corrections: Paul Hutchinson
PERFECTLY GOOD GUITAR - John Hiatt
----------------------------------
Intro:
|Am |Em |G C |D Em |
|Am |Em D |G C |D |
|Em |D Em | |D Em |
Em G
Well he threw one down form the top of the stairs
Am C D
Beautiful women were standing everywhere
Em G
They all got wet when he smashed that thing
Am D G
But off in the dark you could hear somebody sing
Am Em
Oh it breaks my heart to see those stars
G C D Em
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
Am Em D
I don't know who they think they are
G C D Em
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
|D Em |
|Em |D Em |
It started back in 1963
His momma wouldn't buy him that new red harmony
He settled for a sunburst with a crack
But he's still trying to break his momma's back.
He loved that guitar just like a girlfriend
But every good thing comes to an end
Now he just sits in his room all day
Whistling every note he ever played
- same chords as chorus
There out to be a law with no bail
Smash a guitar and you go to jail
With no chance for early parole
You don't get out till you get some soul
Late at night the end of the road
He wishes he still had the old guitar to hold
He'd rock it like a baby in his arms
Never let it come ot any harm
(Hold the final D on "good" for 4 measures)
-----------------------------------------
There are at least 4 guitars on the recording (possibly as many as 6).
However, the 3 main ones are an acoustic (John strumming the chords), the lead
guitar (Michael) and another electric (an overdub). The lead guitar plays the
intro and solo as shown below, plays nothing during the verses, and power chords
during the chorus.
Intro: Begins with feedback, and then..
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|----------------|
|-----17--15~~~~--|---17--15----------|------------------------|----------------|
|--/16--16------16|-16--16-----\14-12-14b16---b16-r14p12h14-12-|-14-12----------|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|------14-/14----|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|----------------|
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-------------------|-------------------------|
|-----17--15~~~~--|---17--15----------|-------15----------------|
|--/16--16------16|-16--16-----\14-12-|-14b16---b16---r14-12----|
|-----------------|-------------------|----------------------14-|
|-----------------|-------------------|-------------------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-------------------------|
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
|-------------------------|---------|-----------------|
|-------------------------|---------|-----------------| repeat last
|-14\12-12\11-11\7--7-----|---------|-----------------| 2 measures
|----------------------9--|---------|-7-7---9---------|
|-------------------------|-7-------|-5-5---7---------|
|-------------------------|-0-------|-------0---------|
Solo:
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------------|
|-----17--15~~~~--|---17--15----------|-------15---------------------|
|--/16----------16|~~~--16-----\14-12-|-14b16---b16-----r14p12-14-12-|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------------|
+ + + + + + + +
|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------12-----|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------15b17|
|-14-12-----------------------|----------------------12-14b16---------------|
|-------14-12-----------------|-----------------14--------------------------|
|-------------14\12-10--------|------10-12--/14-----------------------------|
|------------------------12\--|--/12----------------------------------------|
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
|--------15b17------b17-15~|~~~~~12-----------------|-------------------------|
|---15-12------------------|-----15-15b17-r15-13----|-------------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------14-|/14\12-12\11-11\7--7--9--|
|--------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
|--------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
|--------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
+ + + +
|-------------|----------|
|-------------|----------|
|/9--9-~~~~~~~|^^^^^^^^^^|
|-------------|----------|
|-------------|----------|
|-------------|----------|
Overdub Guitar Fill:
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|----/5-4-5-4-2-0-|-0-0---2---------|----/5-4-5-4-2-0-|-0-0---2---------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
The fill shown is first played at the end of the first chorus.
During the second chorus, the overdub guitar plays
+ + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-----------------|
|----/5-----------|---3-5-----------|
|-----------------|-------4---------| G5 C5 | D5 E5 |
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
+ + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-----------------|
|----/5-----------|---3-5-----------|
|-----------------|-------4---------| G5 C5 | D5 |
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
And then the fill again.
The fill appears again at the end of the solo.
During the third chorus, the overdub guitar plays
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------3-----|-----------------|
|----/5-----------|---3-5---------3-|-----3-------3---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------4----/4---|---4---5---------|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0-----2-2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------2-2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-------|
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------3-----|-----3-----------|
|----/5-----------|---3-5---------3-|-----3-------3---|-----3-----------|
|-----------------|-------4----/4---|---4---5---------|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
And then the fill again
During the fourth chorus, the overdub guitar plays much the same as what it did
for the third, except for the fact that the last measure shown is held for a
further 3 measures, before playing the fill twice.
![chord popup]()
