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Life of Arctic Sounds
By Modest Mouse
Tabbed by Jamie Couture residue06@hotmail.com
couture@cs.mun.ca
e---__----
B--/ --- An example of pull-off:
G-17--15-- note 15 is not plucked, however it is heard when the finger
D--------- that played 17 is released
A---------
E---------
As long as you're gone
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
G|------------------------------11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11----------------.||
D|--4--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x-----------------.|| x3
A|--x---x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9------------------||
E|--2--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5------------------------------------------||
e|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|.--------------------------.|
D|--4--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7----4-0----4-0----|.-7--4------------0-----0--.|
A|--x---x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--5------5--------|--x--x--------4-7---4-7-----|
E|--2--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5---------------5--|--5--2--------------------5-|
Listen to the song to get the strum pattern for guitar 2 (G2)
e|------------------------------------------------------------------------
B|------------------------------------------------------------------------
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|--4--7--0--4--7--0--4--0--------0--------0------------------------------
A|--------------------------4--7-----4--7---------------------------------
E|--------------------------------------------5---------------------------
And a 100 miles is a long drive inside a car...
F# E F#
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------.||
G1 D|--4--7--0--4--7--0--4--0--------0--------0---------------------------.||
A|--------------------------4--7-----4--7-------------------------------||
E|--------------------------------------------5-------------------------||
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
G|--(11)--------------------9--------11--------------------------------.||
G2 D|--(x)---------------------x--------x---------------------------------.||
A|--(9)---------------------7--------9----------------------------------||
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
pm
After this isaac plays around with this scale, guitar two plays the same chords as before.
I will show different variations of it so you can put it together when you play.
e|------------------------------------------------------------------------
B|------------------------------------------------------------------------
G|--------------------------------_---------_----------_----------_-------
D|--4--7--0--4--7--0--4--0-------/ -------/ --------/ --------/ ------
A|--------------------------4--h7--4--4--h7---4--4--h7---4--4--h7---4-----
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------
pull-off
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B|--------_---------_---------_---------_--------------------------------------------------
G|-------/ -------/ -------/ -------/ ---------_---------_----------_----------_-------
D|--4--h7--4--4--h7--4--4--h7--4--4--h7---4-------/ -------/ --------/ --------/ ------
A|-------------------------------------------4--h7--4--4--h7---4--4--h7---4--4--h7---4-----
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
During this part, the 2nd guitar just plays around where these chords are played
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
G|--11--------------------9--------------------------------------------.||
D|--x---------------------x--------------------------------------------.|| x7
A|--9---------------------7---------------------------------------------||
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------||
Outro:
get mute-scrape patter from song - after each chord stab, lasts for one measure.
x2
e|------------------------------------------------||-------
B|------------------------------------------------||-------
G|--11--x-x-x-x-x--------------6--x-x-x-x-x------.||---11--
D|--x---x-x-x-x-x--------------x--x-x-x-x-x------.||---x---
A|--9---x-x-x-x-x--------------4--x-x-x-x-x-------||---9---
E|------------------------------------------------||-------
Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
Zach Average |
#1 by Zach at Aug 24, 1970 at 3:37 AM EST |
| a regret. not confessing my feelings at the moment they were present because of the situation. so i leave. i cant do anything about it cos shes not here. it doesn't get any easier driving away bc the silent moments are spent thinking about her and listening to this song sorta helps. 500 miles is a long drive inside a car. | |
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Lyssa CHAOS Average |
#2 by Lyssa CHAOS at Jun 3, 1974 at 7:47 AM EST |
| I think the songs about doing what you want to in life. It's too short to not do what you want. You have to remember to be alive. | |
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Taylor Lead Player |
#3 by Taylor Dutton at Jul 31, 1974 at 1:58 AM EST |
| And 1200 miles is a long drive inside a car. | |
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No Picture
Wacko Average |
#4 by Wacko Jacko at Feb 27, 1975 at 7:57 AM EST |
| damn good | |
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No Picture
kelson Average |
#5 by kelson white at Apr 23, 1978 at 2:50 AM EST |
| God, I love how Isaac repeats his metaphors throughout his songs, especially long-distance driving (life of arctic sounds, this is a long drive..., long distance drunk, ohio, out of gas, interstate 8). Sitting in a car on a flat road for hours is a situation we've all been in and it has certain feelings attached to it that Isaac conveys so perfectly. | |
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marc Professional |
#6 by marc at Dec 5, 1978 at 3:39 PM EST |
| Well, I should probably add that it made sense as a song about long distance relationships because umm, the must and the lyrics give of an impression of driving many many miles through flat boring places without much excitement in your destination. But then again, that applies to most of the songs. A sense of futility and sadness. Boy is what I'm writing here ever lame. Haha, I try to interpret meaning from other people's obfuscated emotional statements. Whatever. | |
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Dr. Jack Average |
#7 by Dr. Jack at Mar 5, 1980 at 6:02 PM EST |
| Brilliant. He's damn right though, 1100 miles really is too far inside a car... | |
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Katie Wanna Be |
#8 by Katie St. Michel at Oct 9, 1982 at 3:28 AM EST |
| this song is all over the place. I would say he is trying to get away from someone he let down. Traveling to the sun and to the arctic. | |
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No Picture
Simon (Si) Lead Player |
#9 by Simon (Si) Brown at Nov 30, 1982 at 5:04 PM EST |
| This guys girlfriend had an abortion and it turned out to be really bad and eventually break them up because of it. She has to leave and moves 1100 miles away. Because 1100 miles is too far in a car he feels like he is in the artic. Even if he isn't really physically in the artic it feels that way to him because he isn't with the girl he loves. | |
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No Picture
Conar Wanna Be |
#10 by Conar Gillard at Jun 24, 1983 at 6:44 PM EST |
| this song sounds like it should be on the "This is a long drive.." CD.. wait.. which came first .. this song or the "this is a long drive.." CD?? | |
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No Picture
~Ivy Loves Shav Rhythm Player |
#11 by ~Ivy Loves Shavo~ at Mar 22, 1985 at 2:34 PM EST |
| this song is so honest. it makes you stop and think about how you're living your life, and maybe you shouldn't take so many things for granted....at least that's what i got out of it. | |
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No Picture
Andrew Rhythm Player |
#12 by Andrew Clayton at Dec 2, 1986 at 7:50 AM EST |
| look at those lyrics. jesus christ, it's a great song. | |
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nathan Average |
#13 by nathan skidmore at Feb 27, 1989 at 6:09 AM EST |
| this song is about the length of different distance drives inside a car, i think hey allright i might be goddamned | |
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No Picture
bradley Wanna Be |
#14 by bradley goodman at Aug 9, 1989 at 5:28 PM EST |
| This isn't a breaK up song, per se. But it does follow something like that. It seems the person in the song has done something permanent to someone else, maybe even commited murder. So, he tries to run away in a car as far as he can. But at the end, he knows he's damned. He gives up and it shows in the song. It also seems he tried to leave an impression of some sort. But it all ended up fruitless. | |
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floyd Lead Player |
#15 by floyd lloyd at Mar 31, 1990 at 11:14 AM EST |
| This is my absolute favorite song. It's completely about the universal depression. No matter what you do you won't be satisfied, and the kind of closeness that people claim exists between soulmates just doesn't exist. No one wants to hear everything you think or feel or want. He tries to remind himself to be happy because, you know, he's alive for the last time, but it's useless. by the way, it's "I like this" not "I fought this" | |
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anthony Average |
#16 by anthony clark at Mar 16, 1991 at 6:48 AM EST |
| I see the obvious break up refrences but whats with the line "all the sad comedians"? | |
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Dan The English Wanna Be |
#17 by Dan The English at Jul 4, 1993 at 9:40 PM EST |
| With you all the way surfinnoodles. This is my all time favorite Modest Mouse song. (You didn't even mention Convenient Parking) | |
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alex Rhythm Player |
#18 by alex Smith at Dec 23, 1993 at 3:24 PM EST |
| well, the song title points to meaning pretty well a life of arctic sounds, the sounds you hear in the arctic-nothing but wind, a desert i think the car thing could either be distance or the feeling of being trapped on some kind of trip | |
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Ashley Rhythm Player |
#19 by Ashley 666 at May 14, 1994 at 4:45 PM EST |
| the "Life of Arctic Sounds" 7" was put out a year after the "This a Long Drive..." LP, but the song was probably written around the same time. | |
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No Picture
Dudevill Average |
#20 by Dudevill at Aug 14, 1996 at 6:49 PM EST |
| something i noticed today listening to it once he its 1000 miles, its reached the point where he doesnt need to get excited anymore. regardless how many more miles if he went to 2000, it wouldnt make much of a difference because it is generalized. ya with 1000 miles he goes LONG FUCKING DRIVE but with 1100 over those 100 miles hes calmed down and realized he needs to go through bad to get to good so he says this is just too much to handle and stays int he ride. | |
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No Picture
Tim Rhythm Player |
#21 by Tim Hanson at Apr 10, 1997 at 5:39 AM EST |
| This song makes me laugh so hard | |
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No Picture
Niks Average |
#22 by Niks at Jun 2, 1998 at 1:42 AM EST |
| the "Modest Mouse EP" released in 2003 that is on iTMS has it listed as "Your Life." It's a different take than the one that's on M+A | |
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No Picture
Josh Average |
#23 by Josh Smith at Jul 24, 1999 at 10:32 AM EST |
| I absolutely love this song. Its one of my favorites. | |
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Josh Professional |
#24 by Josh Wilson at Oct 8, 1999 at 10:18 AM EST |
| ^----Hee hee, I agree with the above | |
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Alex Lead Player |
#25 by Alex Russo at Jan 25, 2000 at 7:41 PM EST |
| modest mouse never ceases to amaze me. A REALLY long drive inside a car. hey, i might be god damned.. | |
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david Average |
#26 by david maynard at Jul 3, 2000 at 10:26 PM EST |
| The sad comedians line is about how some people deal with sadness by making jokes and laughing. Perhaps he will be one of the sad comedians if she is more than 1100 miles away. | |
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Spanky Lead Player |
#27 by Spanky Man at Jun 9, 2001 at 11:41 AM EST |
| This song is about creating isolation for yourself. Surrounding yourself with dead space really, wind blowing, mind turned off. Isaac has a clear inability to cope with his faults, to accept that he is wrong even when he knows he is. This is definitely alluded to with the comment about being a sad comedian: avoiding sad, torturing thoughts by projecting it as humor. | |
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No Picture
Josh Professional |
#28 by Josh Wilson at Nov 19, 2002 at 2:37 AM EST |
| ummm, possibly a break up song? or an attempt to not have one? "as long as your gone" as in, if you're away i won't be able to apologize. so, maybe he's talking about having said something and she left, so, now he's going all this way there. but along the way he starts to loose hope "and 1100 miles is too far inside a car" so he turns around and is just like: "i'll write my name in the sun" or, i'm going away, watch me into the sunset (western style) and he'll live alone "life of arctic sounds" and he sees the humor in this irony (going miles for nothing) and he says, "hey, alright. so i screwed up. whatever." maybe something like that. | |
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No Picture
amy Average |
#29 by amy at Dec 15, 2002 at 9:29 AM EST |
| Thank God there are still some Modest Mouse songs stupid emo kids don't like. I'm happy for the band's fame, but wow are some of the comments on this site on newer songs idiotic. This is a great song, and the lyrics are cool and surreal. I do wish I had managed to get that set of limited edition bumper stickers they had been selling on the official site with the "100 Miles..." part. Oh well. | |
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No Picture
Average |
#30 by vix at Jan 7, 2007 at 8:22 AM EST |
| Well, I went an interpretted it as the feelings of guilt that come from breaking off a long distance relationship. But then again, that doesn't explain all the lyric-like nonsense towards the end. | |
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James Average |
#31 by James Newsome at Jun 13, 2007 at 4:58 AM EST |
| I've always thought it was about a girl he broke up with that moved away and he had regrets and wanted to see her again but she was too far away and his shitty car might not make it that far. How silly it is something like distance can keep you from possibly finding happiness. | |
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