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Be My Downfall - Del Amitri
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Tabbed by: thetcutkid
E-mail: thetcutkid@yahoo.co.uk
Tuning: DADGAD with capo at 5th fret
Credit should go to Richard Hopton
(http://www.campobassi.com/the5thfret/chords/change/be_my_downfall.shtml) and Neil Parry
(http://www.campobassi.com/the5thfret/chords/change/n_be_my_downfall.htm) for nailing
the correct tuning and putting me on the right road with this transcription.
There is no tab in the correct tuning on UG for this song, hence this upload.
Further to the versions credited above, I've tabbed out the main intro and the four
variations that appear after each chorus, during the middle 8 and at the end, indicating the
approx. strumming pattern and number of strings you should be looking to hit, although
it’s not an exact science and the main thing you need to avoid is catching the bottom E
string when holding down any of the A based chords.
I've added two chords (A and A6) and I've changed all the chord names in line with a
chord app I have on my phone, which I set up for DADGAD with a capo at the 5th fret.
The A and Asus4 chords, particularly in the verses, are almost interchangeable, you
could play either and they would sound OK but I think the subtle difference on line four of
the verses works well leading into the chorus.
| ^
| up stroke strum | down stroke strum
| |
v |
Main intro
e|---0-|--^--4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-^-|--------------------------|
B|---0-|--|--0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|---|-|-|-|--------------------------|
G|---2-|--|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--0-|---|-|-|-|--------------------------|
D|---0-v--|--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-|---v-v-|-v--------------------------|
A|---0----|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0-|--2-|------------------------------------|
E|---0----|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0-v--0-|------------------------------------|
e|---0----4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-^-|-----------------------------|
B|---0----0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
G|---2----2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--0-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
D|---0-^--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-|---v-v-|-v-----------------------------|
A|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0-|--2-|---------------------------------------|
E|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0-v--0-|---------------------------------------|
e|---0----4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^-h-(2)--2-|-^-|--4-^--2-|--0-^--2-|----|
B|---0----0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|--------0-|-|-|--0-|--0-|--0-|--0-|----|
G|---2----2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--0-|--------0-|-|-v--0-|--0-|--0-|--0-|----|
D|---0-^--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-|-h-(2)--2-|-|----2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|----|
A|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0-|--0-|--------0-v-|----0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v----|
E|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0-v--x----------x--------0----0----0----0------|
e|---0-^---|-|-^-|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|---0-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|---2-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------------------------------------|
D|---0-|---v-v-|-v-----------------------------------------------------------|
A|---0-|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---0-|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
Variation 1 (after chorus 1)
e|---4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-^-|--------------------------|
B|---0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|---|-|-|-|--------------------------|
G|---2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--0-|---|-|-|-|--------------------------|
D|---0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-|---v-v-|-v--------------------------|
A|---0-|--0----0-|--0----0-|--2-|------------------------------------|
E|---0-|--0----0-|--0----0-v--0-|------------------------------------|
e|---0----4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-----|-|-^-|-----------------------------|
B|---0----0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
G|---2----2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
D|---0-^--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-v--0-|---v-v-|-v-----------------------------|
A|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0----0-|---------------------------------------|
E|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0----0-|---------------------------------------|
Variation 2 (after chorus 2)
e|----4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-----|-|-^-|-----------------------------|
B|----0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
G|----2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
D|----0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-v--0-|---v-v-|-v-----------------------------|
A|----0-|--0----0-|--0----0----0-|---------------------------------------|
E|----0-|--0----0-|--0----0----0-|---------------------------------------|
Variation 3 (during the short instrumental break in the middle 8)
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/d/del-amitri/360998.html ]
e|---4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-^-|--------------------------|
B|---0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|---|-|-|-|--------------------------|
G|---2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--0-|---|-|-|-|--------------------------|
D|---0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-|---v-v-|-v--------------------------|
A|---0-|--0----0-|--0----0-|--2-|------------------------------------|
E|---0-|--0----0-|--0----0-v--0-|------------------------------------|
e|---0----4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-^-|-----------------------------|
B|---0----0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
G|---2----2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--0-|---|-|-|-|-----------------------------|
D|---0-^--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-v--0-|---v-v-|-v-----------------------------|
A|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0----2-|---------------------------------------|
E|---0-|--0-|--0----0-|--0----0----0-|---------------------------------------|
e|---0----4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-^-|---------------------------------------|
B|---0----0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--4-|---|-|-|-|---------------------------------------|
G|---0----0-|--0-|--0-|--0-|--0-|--0-|---|-|-|-|---------------------------------------|
D|---0-^--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-v--2-|---v-v-|-v---------------------------------------|
A|---2-|--2-|--2----2-|--2----2----0-|-------------------------------------------------|
E|---2-|--2-|--2----2-|--2----2----x---------------------------------------------------|
e|---0----4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^---|-|-^-|---------------------------------------|
B|---0----0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|---|-|-|-|---------------------------------------|
G|---0----0-|--0-|--0-|--0-|--0-|--2-|---|-|-|-|---------------------------------------|
D|---0-^--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-v--0-|---v-v-|-v---------------------------------------|
A|---2-|--2-|--2----2-|--2----2----0-|-------------------------------------------------|
E|---2-|--2-|--2----2-|--2----2----0-|-------------------------------------------------|
Variation 4 (ending)
e|---4-^--0-|--0-^--0-|--0-|--0-^------------------------------------|
B|---0-|--0-|--4-|--0-|--0-|--0-|------------------------------------|
G|---2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|--2-|------------------------------------|
D|---0-|--0-v--0-|--0-v--0-|--0-|------------------------------------|
A|---0-|--0----0-|--0----0-|--0-|------------------------------------|
E|---0-|--0----0-|--0----0-v--0-|------------------------------------|
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| H hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| B Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| br Bend release
| pbr Pre-bend release
| brb Bend release bend
************************************
Chords and lyrics
D A D G A D Capo 5th fret
Main Intro
Verse 1
D E Esus4 D
Well the bus is pulling out and I guess I'd better go
Esus4 A
Before I make a grave mistake and let my feelings show
D E Esus4 D
And twenty miles away she waits alone for me
Esus4 Asus4
But when I try to picture her you're the one I see
Chorus
E D A E
And in another situation I could put up a fight
Esus4 Asus4 D
But you will be my downfall tonight
(Intro variation 1)
Verse 2
D E Esus4 D
So the night is coming down, drowning us in blue
Esus4 A
And it all points towards the things we know we shouldn't do
D E Esus4 D
And as I look at you and I fall under your spell
Esus4 Asus4
Well I know I should be thinking of her lying there herself
Chorus
E D
And when faced with temptation
A E
You know a man should stand and fight
Esus4 Asus4 D
But you will be my downfall tonight
(Intro variation 2)
Middle 8
Bm Asus4
Be my downfall, be my great regret,
Esus4 Asus4
Be the one girl that I'll never forget
Esus4 A D
Be my undoing, be my slow road to ruin tonight
(Intro variation 3)
Bm Asus4
Be my downfall, be my great regret,
Esus4 Asus4
Be the one girl that I'll never forget
Esus4 A D
Be my undoing, be my slow road to ruin tonight
Outro
D E Esus4 D
So the bus is pulling out and I'm grounded here with you
Esus4 A
And I want to say the sweet things babe I've always wanted to
E D A E
So tell me now the tail-lights have gone out of sight
Esus4 Asus4 D
Baby won't you be my downfall once again tonight
(Intro variation 4)
How I play the chords :-
D E E A A Bm A6
sus sus
4 4
0 0 0 2 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 4
2 0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0 2
0 2 2 0 0 4 0
0 0 2 x x 4 x
