“A Better Wife” by Erin McKeown From the album Grand Transcribed by Alex Buzick What a song. No one writes cerebral pop songs and then sings them as beautifully as this. It’s such a stock pop song topos: the relationship’s-over song – and it always turns out being so horribly cheesy. But this one, both lyrically and esthetically, seems like it’s always existed, like some Platonic form, like the color blue, and it just needed this girl to find it. Is that cheesy enough? I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch in doing this. If you have any corrections (inevitably you will) or questions, my email is buzick@sas.upenn.edu. Alex [alex! this is an amazing and beautiful tab. i added a few thoughts here and there to encourage exploration of more interesting chord forms than i used on the recording. another note: when i play this song live, i play it in E and utilize many widely spaced octaves and 10ths, less strummy than the record, but the chord progression and form are the same. -em] Capo 3 - E flat – Read numbers as if fretted notes were played without capo. The actual chords appear first, the uncapoed shapes in brackets. I have not been able to tab this song out as she and her guys played it. ou would probably do well to strum the chord figures in the verses instead of playing them as I have tabbed them here. Please pay no attention to the measures as determinants of time. e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |-----------------------------------------------------------------| g |-----------------------------------------------------------------| d |-----------------------------------------------------------------| a |-----3-3-------------2----2--------------------------------------| E |--------------------------------------------1-1------1-----------| I’m just something else he tried e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |-----------------------------------------------------------------| g |-----------------------------------------------------------------| d |-----------------------------------------------------------------| a |-----------------------------------------------------------------| E |--------1----1--------0----0-----------3---3-----------/3--------| A catalog of interests in a catalog of lives. Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---------------1------1--------1-----1---------------1-1--------1| g |---------------0------0--------0-----0---------------2--2-------2| d |---------------2-----(2)(0)(0)-0---------------------3---3------3| a |--------3---3--3--3-----—2—-2--2--2------------------------------| E |-----------------------------------------------1--1----------1-1-| I hid myself from him I wouldn’t say it was a lie G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |------------------------------------------------3----------3-----| b |1-------------1------1--------0-----0----------------------------| g |-2------------2------2--------------------------0-----0----0-----| d |--3-----------3--------(2)--2--2----2----------------------------| a |-----------------------(2)---------------------------------------| E |------1-1----------1----0--------0------3--3----------3----------| but hiding worked its way into the way we lived our lives Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---------------1------1--------0-----0---------------1-1--------1| g |---------------0------0--------0-----0---------------2--2-------2| d |---------------2-----(2)(0)(0)-0---------------------3---3------3| a |--------3---3--3--3-----—2—-2--2--2------------------------------| E |----------------------------------------1--1-----------------1-1-| It was clear that he was troubled he had trouble with his pride G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |------------------------------------------------3----------3-----| b |1-------------1------1--------0-----0----------------------------| g |-2------------2------2--------------------------0-----0----0-----| d |--3-----------3--------(2)--2--2----2----------------------------| a |-----------------------(2)---------------------------------------| E |------1-1----------1----0-0----0---------3--3----------3----------| But I could never tell if the fault was his or mine Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---------------1------1--------1-----1---------------1----1------| g |---------------0------0--------0-----0---------------2-----2-----| d |---------------2-----(2)(0)(0)-0---------------------3------3----| a |--------3---3--3--3-----—2—-2--2--2------------------------------| E |-----------------------------------------------1--1--1--1-------1| So I drew myself away I wouldn’t say I left behind G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |------------------------------------------------3----------3----3| b |1-------------1------1--------0-----0----------------------------| g |-2------------2------2--------------------------0-----0------0---| d |--3-----------3--------(2)--2--2----2-------------------0--------| a |-----------------------(2)---------------------------------------| E |------1-1----------1----0--------0------3--3----------3----------| a man who would never know the man he was inside You can pick this part or strum it (just like the rest of the song); it’s the vocal(s) whence all the sound comes anyway. Her strumming is really soft and circular the whole way through the song, but it sounds especially good in these choral(?) sections and when the rhythm falls out at the beginning of the last verse (i.e., I’m just something else he tried, the salt that’s left behind, etc…) Hitting the bass notes twice before strumming each chord works out well with respect to recreating the feeling of the bass. Eb[C] * G#[F] Eb[C] * G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---1-----3-------1----------1----3----1-----------------------| g |---0-----0-------2----------0----0----2-----------------------| d |---2-----0-------3----------2----0----3------------------------| a |---3-----2-------3----------3----2----3----------------------------| E |-----------------1--------------------1----------------------------| Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Eb Eb F# G G# G Eb Eb F# G G# Bb * or you can play 2001 [C/B] or 2000[Em7] [i would suggest varying between these 3 forms of the second chord. it smudges the harmony and keeps it from feeling too blocky. also always vary how you play a C chord. i am a fan of playing most straight C chords as C9s. the "indigo girls" tonic. -em] Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---------------1------1--------0-----0----------------1-------1--| g |---------------0------0--------0-----0----------------2--------2-| d |---------------2-----(2)(0)(0)-0----------------------3---------3| a |--------3---3--3--3-----—2—-2--2--2------------------------------| E |----------------------------------------1--1------1-------1-----1| In a moment he was gone I could see that he had died G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |------------------------------------------------3----------3------| b |--------------1------1--------0-----0----------------0------------| g |--------------2------2--------------------------0----0-------0----| d |--------------3--------(2)--2--2----2----------------0------------| a |-----------------------(2)---------------------------2------------| E |------1-1----------1----0-0----0---------3--3--------3---3--------| by the quickening of blood and the fluttering of eyes Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---------------1------1--------1-----1-----------1------1-------1| g |---------------0------0--------0-----0-----------2-------2-------| d |---------------2-----(2)(0)(0)-0-----------------3--------3------| a |--------3---3--3--3-----—2—-2--2--2------------------------------| E |-----------------------------------------1-1---1--1-----------1--| So I held him to my breast like all the better wives G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |------------------------------------------------3----------3----3| b |1-------------1------1--------0-----0----------------------------| g |-2------------2------2--------------------------0-----0------0---| d |--3-----------3--------(2)--2--2----2-------------------0--------| a |-----------------------(2)---------------------------------------| E |------1-1----------1----0--------0------3--3----------3----------| who furnish men with love and never leave their side Again… Eb[C] * G#[F] Eb[C] * G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---1-----1-------1----------1----1----1-----------------------| g |---0-----0-------2----------0----0----2-----------------------| d |---2-----0-------3----------2----0----3------------------------| a |---3-----2-------3----------3----2----3----------------------------| E |-----------------1--------------------1----------------------------| Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Interlude at 1:27: Continue verse rhythm as above, as indicated supra metron.* Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |--------5-------------------3--------------------1---------------| g |------------------------------------------------(0)--------------| d |-----------------------------------------------------------------| a |--------3-------------------2------------------------------------| E |-------------------------------------------------1---------------| *[i've added some extra juicy notes to this section to give you an idea of how you can use the open strings to make the chords less predictable] G#maj7[Fmaj7] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |-------1-------------------3---------------1-----3---------------| g |-----------------------------------------------------------------| d |------(2)-----------------(2)------------------------------------| a |--------------------------(2)--------------0-----2---------------| E |-------1-------------------0-------------------------------------| Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |--------1-------------------3--------------------1---------------| g |------------------------------------------------(0)--------------| d |-----------------------------------------------------------------| a |--------3-------------------2------------------------------------| E |-------------------------------------------------1---------------| G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] Eb[C]* e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |-------1-------------------0---------------1-----3--------5------| g |------(2)--------------------------------------------------------| d |------(3)-----------------(2)------------------------------------| a |--------------------------(2)--------------0-----2--------3------| E |-------1-------------------0-------------------------------------| I’m * this last note is the first note of the new verse Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---------------1------1--------0-----0----------------1-------1--| g |---------------0------0--------0-----0----------------2--------2-| d |---------------2-----(2)(0)(0)-0----------------------3---------3| a |--------3---3--3--3-----—2—-2--2--2------------------------------| E |----------------------------------------1--1------1-------1-----1| I‘m just something else he tried G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |--------------------------------------------------3----------3----| b |--------------1------1----------0-----0----------------0----------| g |--------------2------2----------------------------0----0-------0--| d |--------------3----------(2)--2--2----2----------------0----------| a |-------------------------(2)---------------------------2----------| E |------1-1----------1------0-0----0---------3--3--------3---3------| The salt that’s left behind after tears have dried Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---------------1------1--------1-----1-----------1------1-------1| g |---------------0------0--------0-----0-----------2-------2-------| d |---------------2-----(2)(0)(0)-0-----------------3--------3------| a |--------3---3--3--3-----—2—-2--2--2------------------------------| E |-----------------------------------------1-1---1--1-----------1--| And I suppose that I’ll go on, after all it was my life G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |------------------------------------------------3----------3----3| b |1-------------1------1--------0-----0----------------------------| g |-2------------2------2--------------------------0-----0------0---| d |--3-----------3--------(2)--2--2----2-------------------0--------| a |-----------------------(2)---------------------------------------| E |------1-1----------1----0--------0------3--3----------3------3--3| And all that I supposed I held, has come to be untied Eb[C] * G#[F] Eb[C] * G#[F] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |---1-----1-------1----------1----1----1--------------------------| g |---0-----0-------2----------0----0----2--------------------------| d |---2-----0-------3----------2----0----3--------------------------| a |---3-----2-------3----------3----2----3--------------------------| E |-----------------1--------------------1--------------------------| Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Postlude at 2:20: Watch chord changes, as indicated supra metron. I am not too sure about these changes, and I do have to return to reality some time and get some actual work done, so if these are off, forgive me. In this section, it’s not the notes that she does play, but the ones that she doesn’t. *[again, as in the interlude, i would vary your forms, going "up" the neck the first time, "down" the second. take the chord instructions loosely and find other notes to add as well as different places on the neck to play the same pattern. this song is just crying out for pretty guitar things i don't really know how to do, so take it and run! -em] Eb[C] Eb[C] G#[F] e |------------------------------------------------------------------| b |--------1-1--1--------------1-1--1---------------1----------------| g |--------------0-------------------0--------------2----------------| d |---------------2-------------------2-------------3----------------| a |--------3-3-3---------------3-3-3---------------------------------| E |-------------------------------------------------1----------------| Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |------------------------------------------------------------------| b |--------1--------------------1-------------------1----------------| g |-------------------------------------------------2----------------| d |-------------------------------------------------3----------------| a |--------3--------------------2------------------------------------| E |-------------------------------------------------1----------------| fortior Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |------------------------------------------------------------------| b |--------1--------------------1-------------------1----------------| g |-------------------------------------------------2----------------| d |-------------------------------------------------3----------------| a |--------3--------------------2------------------------------------| E |-------------------------------------------------1----------------| G#[F] Gm[Em] Bb[G] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |-------1-------------------0------------------1----3-------------| g |------(2)--------------------------------------------------------| d |------(3)-----------------(2)------------------------------------| a |--------------------------(2)------------- ---0----2-------------| E |-------1-------------------0-------------------------------------| Eb[C] Eb/D[C/B] G#[F] e |------------------------------------------------------------------| b |------1-----------8/9-----------6------4------4--3----------------| g |-------------------------------------------------------2----------| d |------------------------------------------------------------------| a |------3-----------------------------------------------------------| E |------------------------------------------------------------------| Eb[C] e |-----------------------------------------------------------------| b |--------1--------------------------------------------------------| g |-----------------------------------------------------------------| d |-----------------------------------------------------------------| a |--------3--------------------------------------------------------| E |-----------------------------------------------------------------|