Morissette Alanis - Ironic tab

#

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Date: Sun, 01 Dec 1996 15:39:33 +0000
From: CYBERIA ealing 7 
Subject: TAB:  Ironic by Alanis Morissette


                      Ironic - Alanis Morissette

                  From the album, "Jagged Little Pill"
    
                  Words and music by Alanis Morissette           
       
               -------------------------------------------

                [Laboriously typed up by Mardi Gras(TNT)]


Notes:  If there are spacing errors...  That's because I didn't type all         this up on a PC or Mac!  Requires a minimum of 2 guitars.  Guitar 1         plays the intro rhythm where required and the sections where the         chords are shown above the lyrics.  Guitar 2 handles all the rhythm         figures and adds the boost in the song by accompanying Guitar 1         with some of the chords in the chorus sections.  Ideally, Guitar 1         should be acoustic and Guitar 2 should have a switch between a soft         neck postion sound and distortion.
        The chords in verse 1 are to be played really softly and smoothly,         almost sweep picking the strings.  In verse 3, Guitar 1 plays the         chords shown, but this time adding a lot of palm muting between         chord changes (listen to the track).  Later on in verse 3, on the         part where "And isn't it ironic...  etc..." is sung, Guitar 1         arpeggiates the chords instead of just strumming the chords (again,         listen to the track). 

    
Tablature explanation:

                        2^4     Hammer on from 2 to 4 

                        4^2     Pull off from 4 to 2

                        2/4     Slide up from 2 to 4

                        4\2     Slide down from 4 to 2

                        2'(4)   Bend up a whole step from 2 to 4
                       
                        (4)`2   Release bend a whole step from 4 to 2
                        
                        2~~~    Vibrato on 2
                        
                        2^^^    Heavy vibrato/Tremelo vibrato on 2

                        +2      Tap on 2

                        2-      Release tap off 2

                        +2/4    Tap 2 and slide up to 4

                        +4\2    Tap 4 and slide down to 2



Suggested chords:   F#   244322
                    B    224442  
                    G#m  466444


Intro 1:
         This is played during the bit where Alanis sings "hi hi hi, la la          la, hi hi"


         E|  7   7   7    7  7 7   9  9  9  | 9 9 9   7  7  7    7  7 7
         B|  O   O   O    O  O O   O  O  O  | O O O   O  O  O    O  O O
         G|  8   8   8    8  8 8   9  9  9  | 9 9 9   9  9  9    9  9 9
         D|  9   9   9    9  9 9   9  9  9  | 9 9 9   9  9  9    9  9 9
         A|                                 |
         E|                                 |            
  
Intro 2:
         E|  7  6              |
         B|          7         |  
         G|                    |
         D|              9~~~  |   
         A|                    |
         E|                    | 

                            

               F#  B   F#            G#m
Verse 1:    An old man turned ninety-eight


                       F#   B      F#            G#m
            He won the lottery and died the next day


                   F#    B      F#          G#m
            It's a black fly in your chardonnay


                   F#        B          F#         G#m
            It's a death row pardon two minutes to late
 


                         F#       B           F#     G#m
            And isn't it ironic...  Don't you think?



                      F# B         F#      G#m
Chorus:   It's like rain   on your wedding day

                       F# B             F#      G#m
           It's a free ride when you've already paid

                         F# B            F#          G#m
           It's the good advice that you just didn't take

               A              G#m               F#
           And who would have thought...  It figures?



Rhythm Fig 1:  
               E|                          |
               B|  2^4    2   2   4        |
               G|           4        1~~~  |
               D|                          |
               A|                          |
               E|                          |

Rhythm Fig 2:  
               E|                          |
               B|  2^4    2   2~~~~~~~~~~  |
               G|           4              |
               D|                          |
               A|                          |
               E|                          |

Rhythm Fig 3:
               E|  2^4    2   2~~~~~~~~~~  |
               B|           4              |
               G|                          |
               D|                          |
               A|                          |
               E|                          |

Rhythm Fig 4:
               E|       9      7           |
               B|  7/9    9\7    7~~~~~~~  |
               G|                          |
               D|                          |
               A|                          |
               E|                          |


                      
              F#      B         F#       G#m  
                         (Rhy Fig 1)   
Verse 2:  Mr. Play-It-Safe was afraid to fly


                        F#  B                   F#       G#m  (Rhy Fig 2)
          He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye

 
                        F#         B            F#        G#m  (Rhy Fig 3)           He waited his whole damn life just to take that flight


                     F#    B                              F#         G#m
          And as the plane crashed down he thought, "well isn't this nice?"



                        F#    B            F#     G#m                              (Rhy Fig 4)
          And isn't it ironic... Don't you think?



Chorus:  (Repeat chorus as before)



Rhythm Fig 5:
               E|  2^4  2                  |
               B|           2^4~~~~~~~~~~  |
               G|                          |
               D|                          |
               A|                          |
               E|                          |

Rhythm Fig 6:
               E|       9      7~~~~~~~~~  |
               B|  7/9    9\7              |
               G|                          |
               D|                          |
               A|                          |
               E|                          |



                                              
        
Bridge: (Play the intro 1 rhythm throughout this part)
                                            
         Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
                       
                                                                (Rhy Fig 5)          When you think everything is okay and everything's going right


                                 (Rhy Fig 6)
         And life has a funny way of helping you out when you think
                                                                 
         Everything's gone wrong and everything blows up in your face

         (Intro 2 rhy)


Rhythm Fig 7:
               E|                          |                          |
               B|        7                 |                          |
               G|  6         8~~~~~~~~~~~  |  6     8                 |
               D|                          |            9~~~~~~~~`~~  |
               A|                          |                          |
               E|                          |                          |



Verse 3:  (Play Rhy Fig 7 throughout)
         
            F#      B                F#      G#m
          A traffic jam when you are already late


               F#      B            F#        G#m
          A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break


                    F#           B                   F#        G#m
          It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife


          (No instruments on these last two lines)         
          
          It's like meeting the man of my dreams

          And then meeting his beautiful wife

          (Bongo drums Fill-in)
 


                        F#    B             F#     G#m
          And isn't it ironic...  Don't you think?


                    F#    B                  F#        G#m
           A little too ironic...  And yeah I really do think...



Chorus:  (Repeat chorus as before)



       

Coda:  (Play the intro 1 rhythm throughout this part)

       Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you

       Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out...  Helping you out

       (Cymbals and ending on guitars)

       (I suggest you end on the intro 2 rhythm s-l-o-w-l-y)


    That's about it for Ironic.  There is only so much that can be explained in words.  I suggest you just listen to the track.  The song itself is fairly easy and sounds great when played with a band.  I'm fairly sure that what I have tabbed out is accurate to the track on the album.  There may be small errors here and there, so corrections are all welcome.
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/m/morissette-alanis/12873.html ]