Lay It Down

Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 14:23:10 -0600 From: Brian Davies Subject: Latest version of "cowboy-junkies/lay-it-down-album" file Welcome to my ever-expanding transcription of the Cowboy Junkies album "Lay It Down". I started this in honor of my first Cowboy Junkies concert at the Riviera in '96, and posted 5 songs and 2 fragments the day of the show. It has slowly grown to include 8 complete songs and 3 fragments. The latest improvements are Gabriel Simonet's much appreciated chords to Bea's Song and a correction on Hold On To Me. My annotations are in . - Brian LAY IT DOWN THE COWBOY JUNKIES Transcriptions by Brian Davies Comments & corrections to davies@ils.nwu.edu For the latest versions of my transcriptions, check my home page: http://www.ils.nwu.edu/~davies/ SOMETHING MORE BESIDES YOU by the Cowboy Junkies {The verses are all G and C chords, though the fingerings are a bit out of the ordinary and there are a lot of odd little runs. The chorus is easy -- here it is.} D I guess I believe that there's a point C to what we do. Am But I ask myself is there G something more besides you? A COMMON DISASTER by the Cowboy Junkies {This is arranged for a single guitar -- they play the first bit of the riff on the bass, and have the guitar playing the synchopated chords. For Bb the lines I've marked , the guitar actually stays on Cm, with the second and fourth notes of the main bass line reversed, so that there's a Bb bass note under the chord, but that sounds a bit weird if you're playing it solo.} (e) |-----------------|-----3-----3---3-| (B) |-----------------|-----4-----4---4-| Let the last chord ring. (G) |-----------------|-----5-----5---5-| Play twice for intro. (D) |-----------------|-----5-----5---5-| (A) |-----------------|-3---3-----3---3-| (E) |-----------3-6-3-|-----------------| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Cm A candle burning for everything I've ever wanted. Cm A tattoo burned for everything I've ever wanted and lost. Bb I had a long list of names that I kept in my back pocket, Cm but I've cut it down to one and your name's at the top. F Eb Cm Won't you share a common disaster Eb F Bb Share with me a common disaster Dm Eb Cm Oh oh, common disaster Cm I found myself a friend, but he's crooked as a stick in water. Cm So now I'm writing fairy tales to catch the spirit of revenge. Bb He's got a plan to steal my little sister, Cm but I'm not too concerned 'cause I will get him in the end. Chorus Solo on First Half Of Verse, First Line of Chorus Cm Going to find me someone to share a common disaster. Cm Run away with me from a life so cramped and dull. Bb Not worry too much about the happily-ever-after. Cm Just keep the Caddy moving 'til we're well beyond that hill. Chorus LAY IT DOWN by the Cowboy Junkies {Play around with your chord voicings on this. I've been getting a good sound playing D as x077x5 and just sliding that form up and down, so C is x055x3, etc. You can play the second string open on the E chord, but the rest of the time it sounds better muted. Also worth a try is playing D x/0/0/14/10/0. I've written the chorus as D's on the fifth and tenth frets, but play around with that as well.} DCBD DCBDFED D C He left his dead in the cottonwood trees Bm D the ground grown too hard with the years. D C Falling down was not what it used to be Bm D FED the ground grown too hard with the years. DCBD D C He told his children those little white lies Bm D FED the truth would only paralyze them. D C He told himself those little white lies Bm D the truth would only paralyze him. Dv Dx Lay it down, Dx Dv lay it down. DCBA DBAD D C He sold most of what he cherished, Bm D FED the rest he let them steal. D C Shot his dog out in the open field Bm D the rest he let them steal. DCBDFED D C He broke all of his promises, Bm D under a sea green sky. D C They never thought to ask him why, Bm D under a sea green sky. Chorus Solo over a drone in D D C Please bury me in the cottonwood trees Bm D the ground grown too cold for me. D C Going to sleep tonight in a warm feather bed Bm D the ground grown too cold for me. Chorus HOLD ON TO ME by the Cowboy Junkies EA One thing more: In HOLD ON TO ME it isn't how you said, or at least i heard sometingh else, it sounded, for me, more like 022100 022200 022100 022200 E E4? E E4? {The lyric sheet has two repetitions of "Hold on to me" at the end, but drag the ending out as long as you'd like. The coda keeps repeating EEEEs4 the pattern.} EEEEEEs4 E Es4 E Es4 If you offered me a shade of blue E Es4 E Es4 would I return it saying that it was too G#m dark or light? B G#m Or would I see it for the precious thing F#m G#m A that it might one day be? E EEEs4 Hold on to me. E Es4 E Es4 If you offered me a point of view E Es4 E Es4 would I dismiss it saying that it was too G#m black and white? B G#m Or would I see it as the special thing F#m G#m A That it would no doubt be? E EEEs4 Hold on to me. B A I'll hold on to this gift we share B C#m it is as slippery as it is rare. B A I'll hold on to that feeling G#m C#m of waking and finding you there. F#m G#m A E EEEs4 I'll hold on to you and you hold on to me. E Es4 E Es4 If I asked you for a simple thing E Es4 E Es4 G#m would you do it without too much thinking or fuss? B G#m Would you see it for the precious thing F#m G#mA that it would surely be? E EEEs4 Hold on to me. Hold on to me. Hold on to me. COME CALLING by the Cowboy Junkies CABB CBAA C#m The stillness here, A B B like what he sometimes finds inside her, C#m B A A hits so hard it can steal your breath forever. C#m He sometimes wonders A B B is the sum of their lives together C#m B A A him on the floor and her lost to a mind in tatters. F# A These days he's drinking for the pleasure of falling F# A and he's falling for the pleasure of pretending F# A that she's sitting by the window waiting C#m ABB for him to come calling. CBAA C#m A B B If I could fix me up a week of twilight hours C#m we'd sit on the point B A A and watch the sun continually flounder. C#m A B B Bathed in gold we'd plug into some kind of power C#m and connect with those days B A A back before all of this went sour. F# A 'Cause I'm drinking for the pleasure of falling F# A and I'm falling for the pleasure of pretending F# A that you're sitting by the window waiting C#m ABB for me to come calling. CBAA C#m A B B Odd how the darkness always makes us whisper C#m and with the last of the sun B A A you can feel the approach of the winter. C#m A Now is the time of each day that I B B desperately miss her. C#m B A A I suppose I will learn how to live my life without her. F# A So you're drinking for the pleasure of falling F# A and you're falling for the pleasure of pretending F# A that I'm sitting by the window waiting C#m ACAm for you to come calling. C#m ACAm for you to come calling. C#m ACAm for you to come calling. C#m ACAm for you to come calling. JUST WANT TO SEE by the Cowboy Junkies {This is fragment number two. Marking where the chord changes occur is a D bit of a pain, since there are two vocal tracks -- the on "guilt" and the following "just" mean that the vocals overlap, not that you should play two bars of D. The chords for the chorus are real sketchy.} EEDC EEDC EEDC EEDC E I don't want to be no patch on no quilt D C (I just want to see...) E D Tear-stained stitching linking memories to guilt D C (I just want to see...) E I don't want to be no hair on no wall D C (I just want to see...) E Blood-stained note saying fuck you all D C E DC (I just want to see what kills me) D? G? Tommy, are you ready we better head to town Am? Am? J.D.'s box is waiting to be lowered down Dm? G? Am G and you know how he hates to be kept waiting 'round EEDC EEDC E D I don't want to be no chalk line drawing D C (I just want to see...) E D Toe-tagged question mark, until identifying D C (I just want to see...) E I don't want to fuse with no economy seat D C (I just want to see...) E fuel some fireball at 30,000 feet D C E DC (I just want to see what kills me) [] Tommy, did you catch his face [] before they closed the lid? I [] swear I saw him wink once and [] flash me that old grin. Oh, you [] know, that would [] be just like [] him. [] Solo EEDC EEDC E D I don't want to face no hollow-eyed ending D C (I just want to see...) E Loved ones buried, empty days of waiting D C E DC (I just want to see what kills me) Tommy, darling, come to bed we'll try and sleep away this sadness. These memories, too, are bound to die so our dreams will have to serve us. Tomorrow may be the day that our love betrays us. LONELY SINKING FEELING by the Cowboy Junkies {Fragment number three, though this time I've included all the lyrics. These chords work, but are oversimplified -- there's a lot more going on than this. I also haven't done the bridge yet.} C F She says, "I'm getting that lonely sinking feeling, G G you know what I mean?" G F With his hand on her back he's thinking, C C "Where does that leave me?" C C "Just when I think I've uncovered the secret F G to peace and tranquility G F C that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me." He says, "I'm seeing those [] doubt filled questioning [] eyes and I can't be[]lieve it's true." With her [] head in her hands she [] sighs, "It's [] me, not you." [] "Just when I thought that I'd dis[]covered the joy of [] loving one so com[]pletely that [] lonely sinking [] feeling creeps [] up on me." Here in this silent room we wait on ancient ritual. Staring at our hearts as if they were two caged animals. If I am the first to unlock those rusty doors will I be the first found bleeding on the floor? She says, "I'm getting that lonely sinking feeling, you know what I mean?" With his hand on her back he's thinking, "Where does that leave me?" "Just when I think I've uncovered the secret to peace and tranquility that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me. Just when I thought that I'd discovered the joy of loving one so completely that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me. that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me." ANGEL MINE by the Cowboy Junkies Introduction on Verse Twice C Am He searched for those wings that he knew Em Em that this angel should have at her back. F And although he can't find them C he really don't mind G G because he knows they'll grow back. C Am And he reached for that halo that he knows Em Em that she had when she first caught his eye. F Although his hand came back empty C he's really not worried G G because he knows it still shines. F G I can't promise that I'll grow those wings C G F or keep this tarnished halo shined F G but I'll never betray your trust C C angel mine. C Am I search all the time on the ground Em Em for our shadows cast side by side. F C Just to remind me that I haven't gone crazy G G that you exist and are mine. C Am And I know that your skin is as warm and as real Em Em as that smile in your eyes. F C But I have to keep touching and smelling G G and tasting for fear it's all lies. Chorus Solo on Verse C Am Last night I awoke from the deepest of sleeps Em Em with your voice in my head. F And I could tell by your breathing C that you were still sleeping G G I repeated those words that you had said. Chorus Chorus Solo on Verse Twice and Fade BEA'S SONG (RIVER SONG TRILOGY: PART II) {The guitar part here is mostly arpeggios; the intro is the middle four strings on a C chord.} C Speed River at my feet running low and flat Am I'm sitting here burning daylight, thinking about the past F and that distance out there C where the earth meets the sky. G The slightest move and this river mud F pulls me further down. G F C John's at my side, but he's sitting on firmer ground. C John says I look at the moon and the stars Am these days more often than I look into his eyes F C and I can't disagree so I don't say nothing. G F I just stare on past his face at Venus rising, G F C like a shining speck of hope hanging over the horizon. C With each passing year that I sit here Am that horizon seems to inch just that much nearer F C and all that appears on it seems as clear as spit. G But if there's one thing in my life F that these years have taught G F it's that you can always see it coming C but you can never stop it. Solo on Verse C Speed River at my feet running low and flat Am I'm sitting here burning daylight, thinking about the past F and that distance out there C where the earth meets the sky. G The slightest move and this river mud F pulls me further down. G John's at my side, F C but he's not noticing that I'm drowning. G The slightest move and this river mud F pulls me further down. G John's at my side, F C but he's not noticing that I'm drowning. SPEAKING CONFIDENTIALLY by the Cowboy Junkies {Each chord in the main riff gets two beats except for the last pair, where the A and the G#m combined get two beats, and the G#m is really just a grace note back into the riff.} CABGAFGAG#m CABGAFGAG#m C#m A B G#m Speaking confidentially A F#m G#m A G#m the fire that burnt inside of me C#m A B G#m has turned to ash the tortured tree A F#m G#m A G#m that grows beside the anguished sea. CABGAm F#m G#m AG#m Speaking confidentially. C#m A B G#m Speaking metaphorically A F#m G#m A G#m the earth I trust beneath my feet C#m A B G#m is moving now ever so slightly A F#m G#m A G#m I shift my feet but feel no relief. CABGAm F#m G#m AG#m Speaking metaphorically. CABGAFAG#m