The Shins – Australia (Guitar)

Key
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Versions (5)

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Chords

This is the opening riff is like this, the other part is done with la's, but if you want to play it too, just play 9 on the G, 11 then 9 on the D string. The intro is just an E chord. It sounds better with a 5th root barre chord, how James Mercer plays it. When James does the intro acoustically, he sometimes removes all but the barred root while playing, gives a nice sound when played this way. [Intro] N.C. "Time to put the ear covers on!" N.C. "No!"
e|---------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------9-----11-------------|
A|-----7-----9-----11--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------|
[Verse]
E           C#m                     F#m
Born to multiply or born to gaze into night skies,

F#m G#m  A            G#m  F#m
 all you want's one more Saturday.

E                      C#m
But look here, until then

                       F#m
They're gonna buy your life's time

F#m   G#m             A                 G#m       F#m
 So keep your wick in the air and your feet in the fetters
[Chorus]
B                                 E
Til the day, we come in doing cartwheels

                       B                                E
We all crawl out by ourselves, and your shape on the dance floor

                             B
Will have me thinking such filth I'll gouge my eyes.

           C#m         A
You'll be damned to be one of us girl

 C#m            A
Faced with the dodo's conundrum

E     F#m                      A
      I felt like I could just fly

     G#m                          B  A G#m F#m
But nothing happened every time I tried.
[Verse]
E                C#m                                 F#m
Duotone on the wall, the selfless fool who hoped he'd saved us all

F#m  G#m    A            G#m    F#m
   never dreamt of such sterile hands

E                            C#m                      F#m
You keep them folded in your lap, or raise them up to beg for scraps

F#m G#m         A                        G#m           F#m    B
You know he's holding you down with the tips of his fingers, just the same
[Chorus]
                             E                             B
Will you be pulled from the ocean? But just a minute too late?

                  E                                B
Or changed by a potion, and find a handsome young mate for you to love

             C#m                         A
you'll be damned to pining through the window panes, you know

C#m                                 A     E   F#m                        A
you'll trade your life for any ordinary joe's,    well do it now or grow old

                     G#m                         B A G#m F#m
Cos your nightmares only need a year or two to unfold
[Solo] E C#m F#m G#m A G#m F#m x2 [Bridge]
B                             E
Been alone since you were 21, you haven't laughed since January

B                                          E
You try and make like this is so much fun, but we know it to be be quite contrary

B
La la la la la la
[Chorus]
C#m          A                 C#m          A
Dare to be one of us, girl, facing the android's conundrum

E   F#m                           A
   I     felt like I should just cry

G#m                               A
But nothing happens every time I take one on the chin

        G#m                               A
Yeah Himmler in your coat you don't know how long I've been

G#m             A           G#m           A
Watching the lantern dim, starved of oxygen, oh

    F#m                         A            B
so give me your hand and lets jump out the window
[Outro]
E
(until end)