The Decemberists – Down By The Water (Ukulele)
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Song: "Down By The Water"
Artist: The Decemberists
Album: The King Is Dead (Down By The Water Release)-2010/2011
Transcribed by Chris Parker
~~
EDIT: Many thanks to Isabel_W for sending me the correct lyrics. I haven't
been checking my messages lately, nor the Decemberists' website, but they
have made the lyrics available online, which I have now updated.
Thanks again!
~
So, this song was just released for download today by The Decemberists
themselves, and it blew me away. I've listened to it now a total of three
times (about to be four to double-check the lyrics).
It just now occurred to me it would be a lot of fun to learn, so I picked up
my classical and went at it. It's in Em, and the chords you're going to
want to grab are here (God, being in music school and majoring in jazz has
made me hate tab... here they are in not-tab and relative chord fingering
to make me feel better)
Em |0-2-2-0-0-0|
G |3-2-0-0-0-3|
D |x-x-0-2-3-2| or D/F# |2-x-0-2-3-2|
C |x-3-2-0-1-0| or C/G |3-3-2-0-1-0|
The inverted chords are to taste. They fit (obviously) within the song's
progression, and you can add them if you want to. I play the F# in the D
major chord (really it's just a triad with doubled notes) with my thumb.
I'm taking the lyrics from the unregistered chord sheet on this site for
ease of use, but I'm changing the chords since, well, they were wrong. (Note
on the intro, I made it like a lead sheet you'd see in a jazz band: The
upward line is a bar line, the slashes are the same chords based on
rhythm/spacing. The Em is played in the same rhythm as the chords before it,
but the D major chord is played as two staccato quarter notes; you'll hear
it in the song)
Lines in parentheses are words I can't quite make out.
~~~~~~~~~
INTRO
C | Em | C | Em / D / |
VERSE
Em G See this ancient riverbed D C See where all the follies led Em D Em Down by the water, (and) down by the old main drag Em G I was just some towhead teen D C Feelin' 'round for fingers to get in-between Em D Em Down by the water, down by the old main drag
PRECHORUS
Em D Em The season rubs me wrong Em D C The summer swells anon
CHORUS
Em G So knock me down, tear me up D C But I would bear it all broken just to fill my cup Em D Em Down by the water and down by the old main drag
BREAK
C | Em | C | Em / D / |
VERSE
Em G Sweet decsend this rabble 'round D C the pretty little patter of a seaport town Em D Em Rolling in the water and rolling down the old main drag Em G All dolled up in gabardine D C The lash-flashing Leda of pier nineteen Em D Em Queen of the water and queen of the old main drag
PRECHORUS
Em D Em The season rubs me wrong Em D C The summer swells anon
CHORUS
Em G So knock me down, tear me up D C But I would bear it all broken just to fill my cup Em D Em Down by the water and down by the old main drag
BREAK/SOLOS
C | Em | C | Em D |
Em | G | D | C | Em | D
PRECHORUS
Em D Em The season rubs me wrong Em D C The summer swells anon
CHORUS
Em G So knock me down, tear me up D C But I would bear it all broken just to fill my cup Em D Em Down by the water and down by the old main drag
OUTRO/CODA
Em D Em Down by the water and down by the old main drag Em D Em Down by the water and down by the old main drag
(There's a ritardando in the last line, you'll hear it)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's their latest song!
Like I said, totally blew me away, hope you guys have fun with it.