INCUBUS - THE ORIGINAL
From the album 'If not now, when?'
Fantastic alternative-pop song from an incredibly innovative rock band, really wanted to
pick this piece apart, so I'm sharing the tab with you.
Opening electric guitar theme (repeated) This is way I think Mike will have played it,
he seems to love these hand-spanning chords.
A1
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|--------5---------5--------------------5---|
G|-----2---------2-------2-----2------2----X5|
D|--5--------5--------5-----5-----5----------|
A|-------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|
(After playing that 5 times, play this part below, for the final, sixth time of the introduction)
A2
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|--------5---------5--------------------0---|
G|-----2---------2-------2-----2------2------|
D|--5--------5--------5-----5-----5----------|
A|-------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|
Continue to play the above before Brandon's vocals kick in, that is:
A1 X3
A2 X1
This theme reoccurs over the chord progression many times throughout the verse, there
are variations on the theme in terms of entry, I won't patronise you by noting that here.
Piano Chord progression - I did the whole thing with lyrics, because people are kind of
romantic like that..
[C]I only go [G] where I'm wanted
[F] you go only [Dm] where you want
[C]I aim to be [G] more like you [F] [DM]
[C]there is a [G] ghost in my house
[F]rattling handles [DM] on every door
[C]show us an [G] open window or two [F] [DM]
[DM]would you, [C]ho-[F]oh-old?
Doors are [C] starting to close
[G] and you drew a rose my, my [F]
[DM]your mind it is [C] original,[G] ah-ah-ah-[F]ah-ah-ahh[DM]
you're a [C] skeleton key, [G] opening me,
[F]my, my; [DM]your mind it is [C] original,
[G]girl you're the [F] original
[AM]always [F] were
[G]and always will [C] be
[Guitar solo using natural harmonics, as usual, Einzeiger is still incredibly hard to
tab, due to heavy use of delay and sh7tcool technique - It sounds like he's improvising
but I may be wrong]
*If you wish to improvise, then the changes are the same as the verse progression.
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/i/incubus/281735.html ]
[C]The flowers [G] of adaptation
[F]unfold and [DM] lovingly alarm
[C]you effortlessly [G] ring that bell [F] [DM]
[C]your stripes are [G] yours and yours only
[F]the bow ideal [DM] of rare birds
[C]and now I am [G] under your [F]spell [DM]
[DM]oh, [C] [F] under your spell
Doors are [C] starting to close
[G] and you drew a rose my, my [F]
[DM]your mind it is [C] original,[G] ah-ah-ah-[F]ah-ah-ahh[DM]
you're a [C] skeleton key, [G] opening me,
[F]my, my; [DM]your mind it is [C] original,
[G]girl you're the [F] original
[AM]always [F] were
[G] always weer-[DM]eerr
[AM]always [F] were
[G] always weer-[DM]eerr
[AM]always [F] were
[G] always weer-[DM]and will beeee
BRIDGE electric guitar:
This lovely little guitar part is filled with distortion and fuzz (that migrates to the
right pan on the recording], and sound beautiful, play it after the previous section and
into the final choruses.
B1
E|-----------8--7--------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|--5--------5--4--------------------|
D|--5--------------3-----------------|
A|--3[v]-----------3-----------------|
E|-----------------1[v]--------0--3--|
B2
E|-----------8--7--------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|--5--------5--4--------------------|
D|--5--------------3-----------------|
A|--3[v]-----------3-----------------|
E|-----------------1-----------0-----|
B3
E|-----------8--7--------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|--5--------5--4-------*77777777[b]-|
D|--5--------------------------------|
A|--3[v]-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|
*slowly and gradually bending a full bend, into the chorus
Play these chronologically at first, and then play B1 and B2 in that order through the chorus.
Doors are [C] starting to close
[G] and you drew a rose my, my [F]
[DM]your mind it is [C] original,[G] ah-ah-ah-[F]ah-ah-ahh[DM]
you're a [C] skeleton key, [G] opening me,
[F]my, my; [DM]your mind it is [C] original,
[G]girl you're the [F] original
[AM]always [F] were
[G]and always will [C] be
Any feedback are appreciated, this isn't the most thorough tab, but I've laid down the
main themes of the song, and I hope you enjoy this tab and chord chart. xo
