#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
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this tablature file originally archived at emil's phish tab page, http://www.redmedia.com/chords
last update 19-Jul-2002  22:10
 
Cities
written by David Byrne of the Talking Heads
As performed by Phish on "Slip Stitch and Pass"
Transcribed by Jamey Boike (boikej@ibm.net)
Rake strings and start funk...
{Throughout verses: D (x57775) (often followed by open A->C bass walk-up)}
Think of London
small City
dark...
dark in the daytime
people sleep...
[Fishman] sleeps in the daytime
if they want to
if they want to!!
{Then D->C# (x46664)}
I'm checkin 'em out
I'm checkin 'em out
{Back to D}
I got it figured out
I the one that's got it figured out
there's some...
{Then up to high G (x10 12 12 12 10) followed by F->F# (same A-shape, 8 and fret)}
some good points
some bad points
{low F (133211)}
but it all works out
I'm just a little freaked out
{For chorus: F#m->Em->B on 9th, 7th, 7th fret respectively}
Find your city
find yourself a city to live in
I will
find a city
find yourself a city to live in
{Back to verse}
A lot of bridges in
Birmingham
a lot of ghosts
and a lot of houses
look over there
dry Ice factory
good place to get some thinking done!
I'm checkin' 'em out
I'm checkin' 'em out
I got it figured out
I'm the one that got it figured out
there's some...
some good points
some bad points
{chorus}
{Jam over chorus chords}
{Still another verse:}
Did I forget to mention...
forget to mention Memphis?
home of Elvis and the
ancient Greeks
do I smell?
I smell home cookin'
it's only the river
it's only the river
I'm checkin 'em out
I'm checkin em out
I got it figured out
I got it figured out
there's some...
some good points
some bad points
are those things real?
niiiigh (what??)
{chorus to finish}

Adam Healy ( aheadley@iusb.edu ) submitted this version, which he claims is a little more faithful to the
Talking Heads' version:
Intro:
D

Verse:
D
Chorus:
C#->D
("I'm a little freaked out")
Dm->D6
F
F#m Em Bm
repeat and jam!

chord forms for Cities
From: "Dean" <shlongwoodian@cfl.rr.com>
as performed by Phish    Verse   Bridge    Chorus                   
                                         
    D  C#   G   F     f#  e  b           
                                      
E --------------------9---7--7-------|
B --7--6----12--10----10--8--7-------|
G --7--6----12--10----11--9--7-------|
D --7--6----12--10----11--9--9-------|
A --5--4----10--8-----9---7--9-------|
E ---------------------------7-------|I 

noticed Trey uses hammer-on's during the f# (minor) and the e (minor) chords of 
the chorus, in which you would actually start those chords as a Sus2 bar chord.  
Basically, hammer on from the 9th fret to the 10th fret (utilizing your middle 
finger) on the B string for the f# chord and then like-wise from the 7th fret 
to the 9th fret on the B string as well, for the e chord.  It makes for a 
funkier voicing.  Playing it with a little bit of wah-wah helps too!
Also, while the G (major) chord is going on during the "bridge" (i.e., "Some 
good points, some bad points..."), you can "walk" the individual notes D and F 
between each accented G chord, then leading into the following F chord.  This 
would be 10th fret Low E and then 8th fret A.
This is a real loose, light, funky tune.  I like to add in what Mike would play, 
here and there, try and sort of make up for some of the sparse-ness left when 
playing the song by yourself...or not :)
p.s.  "Niiigh", or nigh, like "the end is nigh", a biblical term.  As in "now", 
present tense.

 

 

this tablature file originally archived at emil's phish tab page, http://www.redmedia.com/chords