#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation #
# of the song. The owner of this website has not reviewed the contents of #
# this file. If you feel that the content of this file may be violating #
# copyright law, you may not use the information displayed here in any way. #
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
SMILING AT STRANGERS ON TRAINS
(standard tuning)
verse riff:
6E -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7-7-7---------------------
5B -5-5-5-7-7-7-8-8-8-0-0-0---------------------
4G -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7-7-7-7-11-11-11-11-
3D -5-5-5-7-7-7-9-9-9-------0-0-0-0-0--0--0--0--
2A -3-3-3-5-5-5-7-7-7-------0-0-0-0-12-12-12-12-
pre-chorus riff 1:
4G ----------0-
3D -/9-9---9---
2A ------0-----
pre-chorus riff 2:
4G ------7---9--------7---9--------7---9-------9---9---7-
3D -/9-9---9-----/9-9---9-----/9-9---9---9---9---9---9---
2A --0------------0------------0-----------0-------------
chorus riff:
5B ------------------7-8-7-0-------
4G ----------7-9-7-0---------7-9-7-
3D -/9-9---9-----------------------
2A --0---0-------------------------
chorus ending:
5B ------0-0-0-0-
4G ------x-x-x-x-
3D ------9-9-9-9-
2A --------------
1E -/8-8---------
bridge riff
5B ------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-0-------0--0--0--0-
4G ------x-x-x-x-----x-x-x-x-------x-x-x-x-------x--x--x--x-
3D ------9-9-9-9-----9-9-9-9-------9-9-9-9-------10-12-10-10
2A ---------------------------------------------------------
1E -/8-8---------8-8---------10-10---------12-12------------
outro riff:
6E -0- -0-- -0--
5B -0- -0-- -0--
4G -x- -x-- -x--
3D -9- -9-- -10-
2A -x- -x-- -x--
1E -8- -10- -12-
song structure:
verse riff x4
pre-chorus riff 1 x4
pre-chorus riff 2
chorus riff x3, then chorus ending x2
chorus riff x3, then chorus ending x4
verse riff x4
chorus riff x3, then chorus ending x2
chorus riff x3
bridge riff x4, ending with a stop on the snare fill
outro riff, where you hammer the chords in the same pattern as the bridge riff x8
end
Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
mike Average |
#1 by mike rojas at Jun 10, 1977 at 1:21 AM EST |
| I've always felt that the meaning is along those lines too. That line about "as far as mongolia, as close as my clothes" seems to reflect that, how even when you're not alone you can still be lonely. Great band, worthy of the Refused song they're named after. | |
|
No Picture
Max Average |
#2 by Max Benton at Dec 1, 1978 at 8:01 AM EST |
| frank played this acoustically on the 8th august at the barfly. it was so moving. to me it sounds like whether frank is writing it as himself in the narrating seat - about losing someone but they are always with him - guiding him through hard times? oh well. you interpret it how you want to. if the lyrics aren't crystal clear, maybe thats how the author wants you to to think, how you interpret it. | |
|
No Picture
chris Average |
#3 by chris jenko at Jul 22, 1979 at 12:02 AM EST |
| let me give this one a go. this song is about loneliness. we are all alone, all the time, but we don't always feel alone, and this song is about finding happiness in the realisation that there is someone who makes you feel love and empathy, but more importantly, that that person is close. i think it's also about the fact that you don't have to know someone to feel empathy with them. i think that's where the title comes from and i think that smiling at strangers on trains is great. the end. | |
|
No Picture
chris Average |
#4 by chris at Feb 28, 1985 at 7:24 AM EST |
| I know that officially their named after a line from one of their songs, but after hearing "Come On Sharon" I'd of thought they were named after the victims of the Holocaust. They even mention their own name someway into that song. What does anyone think? As for "Smiling At Strangers On Trains", 'greenplastic' said all that needs to be said. If I got the meaning of "A Song To Ruin" right (which I doubt somehow), then this is the perfect contrast to it. I love this song, its just sad that smiling at strangers on trains will in reality probably get you into trouble. | |
|
No Picture
Ryan Average |
#5 by Ryan Jones at May 1, 1987 at 1:05 PM EST |
| When Frank played this live at The Marquee, February 2006, he said something along the lines of "This song is about someone that I used to be close to, and then she stopped talking to me, but it wasn't my fault, and then I wrote the song, and she's since started talking to me again" (and may have since stopped talking to him again haha) So basically it's about how you never get rid of someone who was close to you properly, they're always just around the corner of your mind, metaphorically speaking, and the title and last few lines are obviously about how they are sometimes literally just around the corner, and the awkwardness that can ensue when you bump into each other and one or both of you aren't acknowledging the other or there's an uncomfortable acknowledgement and no communication beyond that. | |
|
No Picture
Jordan Lead Player |
#6 by Jordan Gadsby at Oct 30, 1987 at 11:46 PM EST |
| The name's taken from 'The Apollo Programme was a Hoax' by Refused. "Suck on my words for a while and choke on the truth of a million dead" But you're right about it meaning different things, one of the attraction of the name was probably that it's in line with their political streak, and it lends itself to additional meanigns or associations with some of their songs' themes. | |
|
No Picture
Dan Professional Badass |
#7 by Dan Hudspith at Sep 22, 1990 at 8:36 PM EST |
| my favourite MD song ever :D | |
|
No Picture
Venti Average |
#8 by Venti at Mar 21, 1993 at 2:07 PM EST |
| hm. it is a rubbish name though. | |
|
No Picture
†§ean† Average |
#9 by †§ean† at Nov 10, 2003 at 10:01 AM EST |
| "You were a single red blood cell but I lost you in the knot of capillaries But you were bringing me oxygen when I needed it most in the smoke" We all know what this song means like we've always had run ins with people on trains. x | |
|
No Picture
DemolitionLover Wanna Be |
#10 by DemolitionLover ^^v^^ at Nov 11, 2004 at 11:34 AM EST |
| This song rocks like a mother!! No clue on it's meaning mind | |
Top 7 Million Dead Guitar Tabs
Popular Guitar Tabs