Elliott Smith – Plainclothes Man (Guitar)

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A great Elliott Smith song from Heatmiser's Mic City Sons. I believe that on the recording the song is played tuned a step down, but to me it sound fine in standard tuning. Live video of his chord shapes here Am x02210 Am/B x2x210 C x32010

F     133211
Fmaj7 x33210 - this is used instead of F sometimes

D/F# 200232 Dm xx0231 E7 020100 [Verse 1]

Am
You're everybody's second home

Am/B
Always trying to get me alone

C              D       F
An easy way to lose it all

F
Always there when all else fails

Am                          D/F# F
Over by the west side rails

Am
But I don't really need that now

Am/B
I never really did anyhow

C                    D    F
I only really needed alcohol

F
Something that'll treat me okay

Am                                    D/F# F
And wouldn't say the things you'd say

[Chorus]

Fm                     E
   Please turn out the light

        D
I get a sick confusion headache trying

                    Am
to figure out who's right

[Verse 2]

Am
Dreaming on the silver strand

Am/B
Waking up to plainclothes man

C                          D      F
You little bastard, little boy in blue

F
Someone's gonna get to you

Am                            D/F# F
And fuck up everything you do

Am
Some European son

Am/B
He's furious with everyone

C                                     D    F
And he thinks he'll win you with his angry kiss

F
Acting like he has no needs

Am                             D/F# F  C G
Wanting you to watch him bleed

[Bridge]

C             G              F          C
Made for each other but you pay me any mind

              G          D         F
Just goes to show my continual decline

      C                 G          F                C
They say that I'll recover my love of her once in a while

            Dm
But I don't know

              E7
I don't think so...

[Verse 3]

Am
There's something that I'll tell you now

Am/B
Now that no one else is around

C                         D            F
The sort of lesson that I learned from you

F
Not quite the way you planned

Am                           D/F# F 
But I know you'll understand

Am
Someone takes a photograph

Am/B
A picture while their sweetheart laughs

C                     D        F
A perfect moment in a flash of light

F
Counting back from three to one

Am                              D/F# F
That's exactly what you've done

        Fm        E
And I'm so unsurprised

      D                                       C    G F C
I remember, I remember why I dream in black & white

         G          D          F
Goes to show my continual decline

      C               G             F                C
They say that I'll recover my love of her once in a while

            Dm
But I don't know

              E7
I don't think so

[Outro] Am Am/B C Am