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A Thousand Matches - Passenger (Mike Rosenburg)
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Tabbed by Tom Nichols October 2013
Email: tom@tomnichols.com
Based on his recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RncRYO9dbSQ
Tuning: Standard, Capo on 4
Notes:
Tab designed to allow fingerpicking (original) or strumming (simpler)
The Fmaj7 is easiest to play if your thumb holds down the bottom E string
For the Gadd11:
Fingerpicking - notes in brackets are not plucked so you need not hold the strings
Strumming - it will sound more natural to hold the full chord
Chords: (shapes relative to capo)
C Fmaj7 Gadd11 Am Em G
0 0 (3) 0 0 3
1 1 1 1 0 3
0 0 0 2 0 0
2 3 0 2 2 0
3 3 (2) 0 2 2
3 1 3 0 0 3
For fingerpicking, where I have added notes in brackets, they are optional and can
be taken out for variation.
Riff#1
In this riff, only the bottom E of the Em is plucked / strummed
C Em Fmaj7 Gadd11
e|---------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|-----1--------(1)----1-----------|-------1---------------1----------1-|
G|-----------0------------0--------|-------------0----------------0-----|
D|-----0h2-----2-------2-----------|-------2-------2-------0--------0---|
A|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------0---|---1-------1-------3-------3--------|
Riff #2
Am Em Fmaj7 G
e|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----1--------(1)----0---------0-----1---------1-----3--------(3)-|
G|-----------0---------------0---------------0---------------0------|
D|-----2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------0-------0----|
A|-0-------0--------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------0-------0--------1------1-------3-------3--------|
Intro
Riff#1 is played three times, Riff#2 once before returning to 2 bars of C
Verse 1
C Em Fmaj7 Gadd11 C
Lying on the mattress 'cause my friend's crazy sister took my bed away
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/p/passenger/370114.html ]
Em Fmaj7 Gadd11
C Em Fmaj7 Gadd11
Sleeping, she looked like an actress, a theory I didn't practice, I said
C Em Fmaj7 Gadd11
"There's gotta be a better way"
C Em Fmaj7 Gadd11
She said: "You light a thousand matches when you finally set fire while you
C Em Fmaj7 Gadd11
run away
Am Em Fmaj7 G C
So why'd you go and do it when you knew that you would go and I would stay
I hit the wall in frustration - the conversation had been circling for days
She said: "Don't take it out on him, for the wall has always been supportive in the best
of ways"
We're laughing and crying like mad men dying in the snow
For just one second it was funny that she would have to stay and I would go.
Chorus
Fmaj7 C G C
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----1---------1-----1---------1-----3---------3-------1---------1-|
G|-----------0---------------0---------------0-----------------0-----|
D|-----3-------2-------2-------2-------0-------0---------2-------2---|
A|-----------------3-------3-------------------------3-------3-------|
E|-1-------1-----------------------3-------3-------------------------|
She said" I love you know I love you so; when you love someone well you've got to let
them know."
And I said "Nothing's changed I love you the same, but when you love someone sometimes
you gotta let 'em go"
Bridge
Riff #1*3, Riff #2, 2 bars of C
Verse 2
She handed me a stone in the perfect shape of a heart
She said "I'm gonna take this home for I know you'll only lose it somewhere after dark
I some faceless hotel room you seem to lose everything you own"
She didn't mean it how it sounded, what she meant was she would stay and I would go
I said "I love you know I love you so. When you love someone well you've got to let them know
She said "Nothing's changed I love you the same, but when you love someone sometimes you
gotta let them go"
Refrain
Riff#1 *3
Sometimes you tear it all apart, to see the wood from the trees.
Sometimes you break your own
C Gadd11 Am
e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----1-------1------1--------(1)-----1---------|
G|-------------------------0----------------0---|
D|----2-------0------2-------2--------2---------|
A|3-------2------0-------0--------0-------0-----|
E|--------------------------------------------0-|
heart
Fmaj7 Gadd11
e|----------------------------------|
B|-----1---------1------1---------1-|
G|-----------0----------------0-----| return to Riff #1
D|-----3-------3--------0-------0---|
A|----------------------------------|
E|-1-------1--------3-------3-------|
to set yourself free
Verse 3 (quietly - single plucking / strums)
I walked her to the station, hesitation in our movements and our tongue
Words finally left after realized how uncomfortable they've grown
What you want and what you need, well they seldomly succeed to grow
We reluctantly agreed that when you love someone, you've got to let them go
