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Life By The Drop

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Text File

It took this song to make me find my forgotten 12-string Eko which was deep
buried in a closet for quite some time.  I had it serviced and sat down to
learn the song.  Here are the results:


Fist, the general outline.  The intro and a couple more licks are after it.

|A            |E7             |F#min                  |D7
|/  /  /  /   |/  /  /  /     |/  /  /  /             |/  /  /  /
|Hello there  |my old friend, |not so long ago it was |still the end

|A           |E7                 |F#min                 |D7
|/  /  /  /  |/  /  /  /         |/  /  /  /            |/  /  /  /
|late outside|in the pouring rain|on our way up the road|we started over again

|F#min           |D7               E7
|/  /  /  /      |/  /             /  /
|living a dream  |as though you're on top  (?)

|F#min             |D7            E7
|/  /  /  /        |/  /          /  /
|my mind is aching |Lord it won't stop

|F#min         D7              |E7           |A          |A
|/  /          /  /            |/  /         |/  /  /  / |/  /  /  /
|that's how it happened living |life by the  |drop       |
                                ^---- only 2/4 here


|Up and down the road in our |worn out shoes
|talking about good things and |singing the blues
|you went your way and |I stayed behind
|we both knew it was just a |matter of time
|living a dream as |though you're on top
|my mind is aching |Lord it won't stop
|that's how it happens living |life by the |drop / / /| / / / /|

|No waste of time we |??...?? the day
|turning up the past, there's no |easier way
|time's been between us a |means to an end (???)
|God, it's good to be here, walking |together my friend
|living a dream |  
|my mind starts thinking|  
|that's how it happened living |life by the |drop / / /|
|that's how it happened living |life by the |drop / / /|



/         /         /        /         |  F#min
---------------------------------------|-------2-
---------------------------------------|-------2-
---------------------------------------|-------3-   ...
0---2--2h4------2----------2-2h4--2----|-------4-
-------------------------------------4-|-------4-
---------------------------------------|--2--2---


Intro:
/      /      /         /        |/     /        /     /      |  A
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-------
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-------
------------0---------------0-h2-|0-------------------------2-|------- ...
-----0-1-h2---0-h1-p0---0--------|--2-1-0-h1-0---0---0--------|---2---2h4-
0-h3------------------3---3------|-------------3---3---3-p0---|---0---0-0-
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------

Rythm:
                                        D7
    A                                   /     /       /     /
    /     /       /     /           G  -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-|
D  -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-|     D  -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-|
A  -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-|...  A  ---------------------------|
E  ---------------------------|     E  ---------------------------|

   E7
   /     /       /     /            F#min:  244222
A -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-|
E -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-|

For the D7 he's using both xx0212 and xx7575  (EADGBE)
For the E7, I'm not sure, but probably the x7675x.


That's it.  There are a couple of licks missing but with a little messing
around with the chords you'll be able to get them.

Have fun.


From: Paul D 
Subject: SRV's "Life By the Drop"...


   The intro is just some 'A pentatonic' stuff:
   (this may not be exact)

E-|------------------------------------------------------|
B-|------------------------------------------------------|
G-|----------0-----------2---0---------0--------------2--|
D-|------0h2---0h2p0------------2--0h2----0h2p0----------|
A-|--0h3-------------3p0------------------------3--0-----|
E-|------------------------------------------------------|

   Then there's this thing that I call "standard blues riff" (because I'm
   basically musically illiterate) throughout the verses:

    A                 E                  F#m             D
E-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2-----------------------|
B-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2-----------------------|
G-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2--2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2---:-|
D-|-2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2--------------------------4-4---4-4--0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0---:-|
A-|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0--2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2---4-4--4-4---4-4-----------------------|
E-|-------------------0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0---2-2--2-2---2-2-----------------------|


   Here's the chorus part ("Livin' your dreams, wo' you on top."):
   (there's some words at the bottom to help keep up)


E-|------2-2---2-2--------------------------2-2---2-2-------------------------|
B-|------2-2---2-2--------------------------2-2---2-2-------------------------|
G-|------2-2---2-2---2-2-4-2----------------2-2---2-2---2-2-4-2---------------|
D-|------4-4---4-4---0-0-0-0----------------4-4---4-4---0-0-0-0---------------|
A-|-4-4--4-4---4-4-----------2-2-4-2---4-4--4-4---4-4------------2-2-4-2------|
E-|-2-2--2-2---2-2-----------0-0-0-0---2-2--2-2---2-2------------0-0-0-0------|
         Livin'...   Wo'...                 My mind...  Lord...


   Then here's where he says "That's how it happens livin' life by the drop":

E-|----------2--------------2-----------------------|
B-|----------2--------------3-----------------------|
G-|----------2------2--2----2------------------2----|
D-|----------4------0--0----0------2-----------2----|
A-|-4-4------4---------------------2-----------0----|
E-|-2-2------2---------------------0----------------|
      That's how it happens livin' life by the drop.


I hope that helped some.  Sorry I don't know any other SRV songs.  I just
figured this one out as a favor to a friend of mine who is kinda tone-deaf.  You
You're own with some of the lyrics though, they're hard to hear.
Good luck...
Paul D. (s3bz%transy@ukcc.uky.edu) OR (phuckwheat@aol.com)

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Life By The Drop

Stevie Ray Vaughan