St. Vincent – The Powers Out (Guitar)

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by St. Vincent tabbed by: Jim Ferraiolo ([email protected]) An excellently moody cut off of All Born Screaming (2024), replete with some real Robert Fripp-like guitar screeching in the background and throughout the track. The basic song form is fairly simple, however. The chords in the chorus are a little tricky to notate, because Annie elongates the word "power" and I didn't want to type 57 o's into the lyrics - just listen to the rhythm of the changes and you should be able to nail it. [Intro] Just a heavily distorted and vibratoed G note at the 12th fret that slowly becomes an Ab as the verse begins.
e|---------------------------|
B|---------------------------|
G|--12~~~~~13----------------|
D|---------------------------|
A|---------------------------|
E|---------------------------|
[Verse 1]
       Ab              Fm
Monday morning, subway station

        Bbm             Db     Eb
Pushers pushing, racers racing

         Ab             Fm
Came the message on the station

             Bbm            Db      Eb
"The power's out across the nation"

      Bbm                                     Eb
And, "Ladies and gentleman, it seems we got a problem"

    Bbm                                     Gb       Eb
The man on my screen said, just as somebody shot him

        Bbm
And the mothers gasped, the children cried

    Gb              Eb
Almost could not believe my eyes
[Chorus]
    Ab         Bbm     Db
The power's out

    Ab
And no one can save us

Ab                  Bbm     Db
No one can blame us now

         Bbm       Gb     Eb
That the power's out
[Verse 2]
       Ab             Fm
It was pouring like a movie

      Bbm                       Db      Eb
Every stranger looked like they knew me

         Ab               Fm
Handsome cowboys praying, Gothic

         Bbm                   Db         Eb
Said, "I just remembered being happy"

     Bbm                                  Eb
And "Ladies and gentleman, do remember me smiling"

    Bbm                                           Gb        Eb
The queer on the train said as she jumped off the platform

         Bbm                  Bbm
And some blind folks held the police, crying

  Gb             Eb
I swear to you I would not lie
[Chorus]
    Ab      Fm   Bbm  Db Eb
The power's out

    Ab
And no one can save us

Fm                  Bbm    Db   Eb
No one can blame us now

          Ab     Fm  Bbm Db Eb
Cause the power's out

    Ab      Fm   Bbm  Db Eb
The power's out

    Ab
And no one can save us

Fm                  Bbm    Db   Eb
No one can blame us now

         Bbm           Eb
That the power's out

Eb     N.C.
That's why I never came home
[Outro] This is kind of the main riff at the end of the song and reflects the bassline throughout. It is also played during the second chorus in the background. The song is in 3/4 time so I've tried to tab the rhythm as best as I can.
e|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------3----3---3-5-6---8----------|
D|---------------------------1----1---1-3-4---6----------|
A|--6----6---6-8-3---3---3-6-----------------------------|
E|--4----4---4-6-1---1---1-4-----------------------------| x2
Repeat Bbm to Eb progression during fade out.