"WOKE UP IN A STRANGE PLACE"

(attributed here to J. Buckley)

This is played in a dropped-D tuning; the same tuning used for "Mojo Pin" and "Grace". It is almost certainly Rohan Davidson's favourite song, and he has driven me to distraction for months -- years, even -- to get me to tab this sucker for him.

So, Rohan, this one's for you.


"Woke Up In A Strange Place" Chord Chart

All the chord charts I present here are designed for simplicity and ease of use for those not
wanting to jump straight into difficult tabs.  This one I have particular reservations about -- 
the chords I'm presenting here are fairly crude approximations to what's really going on, and are
barely adequate, it has to be said.

But, having said that, here they are.  If anyone can come up with a better -- but still simple -- 
set of chords in standard tuning for use in this song, I'd be grateful!

Bm7                                                F#m  E7
ghost calls to visit with my keys in his pocket
Bm7                                                          F#m  E7
kisses in my mouth with his eyes hanging out of his sockets
Bm7                                            F#m  E7
my memories crumble under still resistance
Bm7                                                  F#m  E7
i was torn out like pages from the book of existence

F#m  Em                           F#m
     i woke up in a strange place
D                                        F#m
my mind a blur and some blood on my chin
Em                                 F#m
i made a call for a blackened cab
D                                 F#m
some destination was moving on in
Bm              F#m
i remember the words that you told me,
          G#m                        F#m
how they come down so hard, so plain
Em                                              Bm7
fate is going to find your love in a glass of champagne


I lied to my host i told him i knew how far i could go
when i emptied my guts out on his brand new stereo
well he paid me to go upstairs and spend a night with his friend
i never want to see my face in the mirror again

i woke up in a strange place
music so loud that i spilled all my beer
i met a ride in that blackened cab
some destination was all that he had
easy now, this car is speeding up
for my last chance, crashing to freedom
fate is going to find your love in a glass of champagne

sweat pours down, you're in the back seat sleeping
and she waits by the window, on an empty bed, weeping
the ghost guns the motor to the land that he promised me
I guess this is the time when your best intentions become facts again

this is no song for the dislocated
the one you loved but it turned to be hated
because the lies of the spirit possessed you
because the eyes of your lover resist you
listen now, you keep your aim steady
as your temple turns to kiss the pistol
fate is going to find your love in a glass of champagne
fate is going to find your love in a glass of champagne

 



"Woke Up In A Strange Place" Tab

Luke McMahon, Gloria Gamboz and I all did similar tabs for parts of this some time ago. Much much later, I've managed to write down this version, which is much more detailed. I've used several versions to tab from, two just Jeff on an acoustic -- in which he wanders all over the place and makes stuff up as he goes along, I swear -- and one with the full band, which, lemme say now, kicks ass!

Jump right in and swim like crazy.


*Introduction (from acoustic solo version on "Idiot's Delight" -- 
this is definitely the best I can do with this!)

E---2--2-2------------------------------------------------|
B---0--0-0---3-3-3----------2--3-2---2--2-2-3-2---2--3-2--|
G---0--0-0---0-0-0--4--2-0--0--0-0---0--0-0-0-0---0--0-0--|
D---0--0-0---0-0-0--0-------0--0-0---0--0-0-0-0---0--0-0--|
A---2--2-2---2-2-2----------------------------------------|
D---------------------------------------------------------|

E---2--2-2------------------------------------------------|
B---0--0-0-------------2--0-2--2-2-2-0-2--2---------------|
G---0--0-0--0-0--0--0--0--0-0--0-0-0-0-0--0---------------|
D---0--0-0--X-X--X--X--0--0-0--0-0-0-0-0--0---------------|
A---2--2-2--5-5--4--4--2--2-------------------------------|
D---------------------------------------------------------|


*Verse

E----------------------------------------------
B----0--0--0--0---0--0--0--0-- and repeat -----
G----2--2--2--0---2--2--2--0-------------------
D----0--0--0--0---0--0--0--0-------------------
A----2--2--2--2---2--2--2--2-------------------
D----0--0--0--0---0--0--0--0-------------------

"...Ghost comes to visit.." etc., until the instrumental bit (below):

E------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------
G---2--2--2--2-----------------------------
D---4--4--4--4--X--2----------2--------2---
A---0--0--0--0--X--2-------5-----2--5------
D---4--4--4--4--X--2----2------------------

Listen to the song to get the rhythm of this bit.  The key is to get a 
constant chunk-chunk-chunk rhythm going while playing the notes tabbed.  Where 
I've got those Xs marked, just mute the strings and hit them.

Then there is the preamble to the chorus (which, as it happens, doesn't appear 
to feature in the version Jeff played at the Mercury Lounge New Year's Eve gig 
in 1995, except prior to the final chorus):


E--------------------------------------------------------
B---------0-0----0-0----------0--------------------------
G---------X-X----0-0----------X-----------------0-0-0-0--
D----2>4--7-7--4>2-2-----2>4--7---7>11-11-11--7>9-9-9-9-- etc.
A----X-X--X-X----0-0-----X-X--X--------------------------
D----2>4--7-7--4>2-2-----2>4--7---7>11-11-11--7>9-9-9-9--

(In my peculiar notation, > means slide.)

In the version I have of Jeff playing this with the full band (Selinas, 
Sydney, February 1996), he skips the doodling around at fret 11 and just 
slides from fret 7 to 9, hits it about a dozen times and moves right into the 
chorus.


*Chorus:

E---------------------------------------2---
B---------------3-----------------------3---
G---0--0--0--0--3-------------0--0--0---2---
D---4--4--0--2--2-------------4--4--4---0---
A---4--4--0--2--2-------------4--4--4---0---
D---4--4--0--2--2-------------4--4--4---0---

"...........I woke up in a  .............my mind a blur ....."
(repeating as necessary)

E----------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------
G---0-----0------------------0-------------4---------------
D---4-----9------------------4-------------6---------------
A---4-----9------------------4-------------6---------------
D---4-----9------------------4-------------6---------------

"....... I remember   the words...how they come down so hard, so plain.."

E---------------------------------------------------//-2-----
B------3----------------------------------------0---//-3-----
G------3----------------------------------------2---//-2-----
D--4---2-------------------------------------4--0---//-0-----
A--4---2-------------------------------------4--2---//-0-----
D--4---2-------------------------------------4--0---//-0-----

"....fate is going to find..... a glass of champagne"


*Middle 8 thingie (in the Selinas version, this comes just prior to the
"sweat falls down" verse).

E----------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------3-------
G---0---0---0-0-0-0-0----0--0---0---0---0---0-0-0--3-------
D---7---9---5-4-2-0-2>4--2--0---4---7---9---5-4-2--2-------
A---7---9---5-4-2-0-2>4--2--0---4---7---9---5-4-2--2-------
D---7---9---5-4-2-0-2>4--2--0---4---7---9---5-4-2--2-------

This is very very approximate, but it's enough to be getting on with!


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