Bled White Guitar Tab

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BLED WHITE - Elliott Smith
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Tabbed by: underrated
Email: mattconnellan@yahoo.com
Tuning: Standard
Intro/verse
e|----(3)-------------------------------------------------|
B|----(3)-------------------------------------------------|
G|-12-(0)-----7-7/9-9-9\7--7-7/9-9-9\7--7-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
D|-12-(0)-X16-7-7/9-9-9\7--7-7/9-9-9\7--7-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
A|-10-(2)-----0-5/7-7-7\5--0-5/7-7-7\5--0-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
E|----(3)-------------------------------------------------|
Prechorus
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7-7/9-9-9\7--7-7/9-9-9\7--7-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--7-7/9-9-9\7--7-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
D|-7-7/9-9-9\7--7-7/9-9-9\7--7-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--7-7/9-9-9\7--7-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
A|-0-5/7-7-7\5--0-5/7-7-7\5--0-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--0-5/7-7-7\5--0-3-3-3-0-5-5-5-5-5-|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Bled Whiiii... iiite
e|------5-------3----3-x-x-x-0-0-0-3-3-3-|
B|-----5-------5-----5-x-x-x-1-1-1-3-3-3-|
G|----6-------5------5-x-x-x-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
D|---7-------5-------5-x-x-x-2-2-2-0-0-0-|
A|--7-------3--------3-x-x-x-3-3-3-2-2-2-|
E|-5-------------------x-x-x-------3-3-3-|
Bridge
e|---------3-----2-----2-----0-----3-2-0------3----------------0-0-0----------|
B|---5---5---5-------3-----3-----0-------3--1------1-----------1-1-1----------|
G|-0---0-------0---0-----0-----0---------------------0---------0-0-0----------|
D|----------------------------------------------2------2-0-----2-2-2--0--0--0-|
A|---------------------------------------------------------2-3-3-3-3--2--2--2-|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------3--3--3-|
Bridge (cont'd)
e|---------3-----2-----2-----0-----3-2-0------3---3-------5-----|
B|---5---5---5-------3-----3-----0-------3--1-------1-------3---|
G|-0---0-------0---0-----0-----0----------------------0-------0-|
D|----------------------------------------------2-------4-------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|
Instrumental
e|---------3-------3---2---3---1---------3------0-0-0-x-x-1-1-1-3-3-3-|
B|---3---3---3-----------------------3-----3----1-1-1-x-x-0-0-0-3-3-3-|
G|---------------------------------0---0-----0--0-0-0-x-x-1-1-1-0-0-0-|
D|-5---5-------5-4---4---3---3------------------2-2-2-x-x-2-2-2-0-0-0-|
A|-------------------------------3--------------3-3-3-x-x-3-3-3-2-2-2-|
E|----------------------------------------------------x-x-------3-3-3-|
Outro
e|-2---0-2-3----------------------------------------|
B|---3----------------------------------------------|
G|-------------11-11-9--7----6--5--4----------------|
D|-------------------------------------8-8--7--6--5-|
A|-------------9--9--7--5----4--3--2----------------|
E|-------------------------------------6-6--5--4--3-|
| /  slide up
| \  slide down
| h  hammer-on
| p  pull-off
| ~  vibrato
| +  harmonic
| x  Mute note
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


Hayden Average	#1 by Hayden Martin at Sep 26, 2007 at 2:49 AM EST
	I really fucking love the line 'drinks all night to take away this curse // but it makes me feel much worse'...just. no words. that's the absolute truth.

steve Wanna Be	#2 by steve bassmasta at Sep 26, 2007 at 11:44 AM EST
	the first time i really paid attention to the lyrics in this song, i was in upstate NY visiting some former bandmates who i hadn't seen in a few years. this song came on my car's stereo and it so eerily described the situation i was in that it gave me goosebumps... i live in NYC and i sort of figured he was talking about the (orange line) F train as well. to me it'll always be about nyc but now i know its about oregon...

Jesus Professional	#3 by Jesus at Sep 26, 2007 at 2:34 PM EST
	I think this song is about Portland. "rose city" means portland. pioneer square is pioneer courthouse square, in portland. "white city" is because portland is a very white city, 75% white people. Before WWII other ethnicities were pressured not to live in oregon. that doesn't explain the whole song i guess.

shaepes Wanna Be	#4 by shaepes caepoo at Sep 27, 2007 at 1:11 PM EST
	I've always heard it as "Drinking to distraction's just a waste of time," but maybe I'm crazy. And I love "sitting on the yellow line" - I think I'll play it that way from now on. Maybe it is blasphemous, but Elliott changed his lyrics around a lot, so I don't feel too bad about doing the same.

No Picture Scott Wanna Be	#5 by Scott Michel at Sep 28, 2007 at 12:21 AM EST
	I think it is has something to do with feeling lost. You have stuff to do but you feel lost and out of place and nothing is for you. The whole "im a color reporter, but this whole towns bled white" could mean that. So you just get wasted instead.

Fuck The World Average	#6 by Fuck The World and Pass The Booze. at Sep 28, 2007 at 1:05 AM EST
	I've always thought it was about Portland. He wrote this when he was still somewhat struggling. It's about how the city has some much music and it's so hard to get noticed.

Garland Rhythm Player	#7 by Garland Cross at Sep 28, 2007 at 2:13 AM EST
	My interpretation is that he is a "color reporter"- someone who thrives on color, and yet he's in a city "bled white"- a city void of color, the thing he needs to flourish. Basically he's bored or uneasy about the dismal, uninteresting world surrounding him. The lines "Because I'll have to be high to drag the sunset down/And paint this paling town" suggest that he is going to try and bring life back into the town. How is debatable. His being "high" could either mean being happy and above all the sad, disappointing souls of the city, or it could simply mean high on some form of drug. By Elliott's track record, I would assume the latter, but the lines "I'm never going to become what you became/Don't you dare disturb me" hint that Elliott meant that he is going to try and figuratively be "above" someone or some people. Not Elliott's best, however that doesn't say much as even Elliott's poorest songs are better than most other artists and moving in some way. Seems he tried to create a slightly more upbeat one here. It worked but..I don't know. I kinda prefer the slower tempo for Elliott. 1

Scott Average	#8 by Scott Muir at Sep 28, 2007 at 1:00 PM EST
	In terms of what city this song is referring to... There is an earlier officially unreleased version of this song recorded during ES's "Jackpot! Sessions", which contains different lyrics. I tried my best to transcribe them. Bled White (jackpot! sessions version) there's a glow (???) at the border (ghost city on the 409) but the city's been bled white (white city on the 409) and the doctor ordered (white city on the 409) drinks all night to see who throws up first but left feeling much worse cold white so I wait for the 14 (white city on the 409) and I wait for the 409 (white city on the 409) in a yesterdaydream (white city on the 409) on a nicotine high to drag the sunset down to paint this paling town cold white so here he comes with a blank expression looking for me cuz he thinks I feel the same but happiness pulls me in my direction going to pioneer square to feel the rain don't you dare disturb me (white city on the 409) while i'm balancing my past (white city on the 409) cause you can't even hurt me (white city on the 409) like you already have you didn't treat me right but I'm not fucked - not quite cold white cold white ******** my feeling is that this earlier version of the song takes place exclusively in Oregon, and the lyrics were changed/polished up by the time the song was recorded for XO, incorporating Brooklyn (where ES lived for awhile after Oregon) into the XO lyrics ["So I wait for the f-train (white city on the yellow line)"]. The "F" train is my local subway line here in Brooklyn, and was probably used by ES as well, as he lived what would be a 10 minute walk from my apartment. And while the "F" train is technically on the orange line, I chalk the "yellow line" up to poetic license (yellow just sounds better than orange in the lyrical context of the song). Elliott R.I.P. Sometimes it had to hurt you a lot to be, but thank you for creating something truly beautiful and letting us listen.

No Picture Wacko Average	#9 by Wacko Jacko at Sep 29, 2007 at 5:45 PM EST
	when he sang it, he sometimes said 'there's a girl at the border' in the beginning a sweetie song, which is also really powerful. 'im not fucked not quite' oohh yeah.

Ben Rhythm Player	#10 by Ben Gibson at Sep 30, 2007 at 4:10 PM EST
	white city = chicago eh?

Ciaran Average	#11 by Ciaran Mc Nally at Oct 1, 2007 at 3:56 PM EST
	White city may mean a city where is snows. I'm' not sure what color reporter means. color commentary?? Brilliant lyrics though. I like the counterpoint between the main and background vocals. The background vocals sound a little more depressing. It's like he says something and then in a muttered tone says what he's really thinking. Just like in real life if you have something negative to say you often mumble it or say it in a hushed tone.

Daniel Average	#12 by Daniel Marengo at Oct 2, 2007 at 11:15 AM EST
	i may not seem quite right but i'm not fucked, no quite another excellent elliot smith line..

No Picture mike Wanna Be	#13 by mike daly at Oct 2, 2007 at 11:27 AM EST
	Mary K - i prefered your sitting on the yellow line lyric! Sorry if thats blasphemous!

Sir Badass	#14 by Sir Steel at Oct 3, 2007 at 1:15 AM EST
	I also thought that the line was, 'drinking 'til destruction is just a waste of time' But the other one sounds alot clearer.

No Picture Scott Wanna Be	#15 by Scott Michel at Oct 3, 2007 at 9:17 PM EST
	elliott smith is seriously my idol :)

mike Average	#16 by mike gannon at Oct 3, 2007 at 11:00 PM EST
	about portland oregon? i visted there a little while ago, and it just seemed to fit the city, not only the lyrics but the entire song echoed the lonely feeling that the city can give you.

ashley Wanna Be	#17 by ashley pudding at Oct 4, 2007 at 1:50 PM EST
	For what it's worth, White City is a station on the London underground. But it's on the red (central) line. I always think this song has something of Baby Britain about it, so there you go.

jeremy Wanna Be	#18 by jeremy koss at Oct 4, 2007 at 6:10 PM EST
	pioneer square is a popular place in downtown seattle. like it s part of the city I know he used to live in portland with is only like a couple hours away so i dont know if i helped or not

No Picture Jeremy Rhythm Player	#19 by Jeremy Dosser at Oct 5, 2007 at 9:08 PM EST
	it pretty much explains itself, doesn't it? i mean if you know about some of his life and music, this is about hiding within yourself, drinkin druggin and losing it, but not completely... So I wait for the f-train (white city on the yellow line) i always thought he was singing, "while sitting on the yellow line" like, on the side of the platform, which is actually insane, but loved it! sometimes what i hear is totally diff. than the actual lyrics... I thought he said, "column reporter" not color, He drinks all night to take away this curse But it makes me feel much worse Well, he is him.