Little Motel Guitar Tab

We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank Tabs:

Title: Little Motel
Artist: Modest Mouse
Album: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
tabbed by Steve "SPiV" Perreira IV
Guitar I - Johnny Marr
Guitar II - Isaac Brock
--
Guitar I - Johnny Marr
intro/verse
e--------------------------------------------|
B----8---------8---------8---------8---------|
G--------10--------10--------10--------10----|
D-----------10--------10--------10--------10-|
A--8---8---------8---------8---------8-------|
E--------------------------------------------|
e------------------|-------------------|
B------------------|-------------------|
G--9---9---7---9---|-------9---7---9---|
D------------------|--10---------------|
A------------------|-----------------8-|
E----8---8---8---8-|-----8---8---8-----|
chorus
e-----------------------------------|--------------------------|
B-----------------------------------|----------------12--------|
G--9---9---7---5----7---7---5---4---|------9------9------10----|
D----7---7---5---3----5---5---3---2-|--10-----12---------------|
A-----------------------------------|--------------------------|
E-----------------------------------|--------------------------|
solo
e--------------------------|-------------------------|
B--8-----8-----8-----8-----|-------------------------|
G-----9-----9-----9-----9--|--9--7--9--7--5--7--5b---|
D--------------------------|-------------------------|
A--------------------------|-------------------------|
E--------------------------|-------------------------|x6
pre-chorus fills
e--------------------------|
B--5-------8---------------|
G----7s5-----9s5--4-4-4-4b-|
D--------------------------|
A--------------------------|
E--------------------------|
last chorus
e-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G--7/9-9-9-7/9-9-9------------------|--------------------------5/7-7-7-|
D------------------7/9-9-9-7/9-9-10-|--10s-5-10--5-5-5-3-3-3-3---------|
A-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
e--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G--12s9-7-5-12s9-7-5-------------------|----------------------5/7-7-9-9-9-|
D--------------------7/9-9-9-10-9-10-9-|--10s-5-10--5-5-5-3-3-------------|
A--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
e--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G--12s9-7-5-12s9-7-5-------------------|-----------------------------7----|
D--------------------7/9-9-9-10-9-10-9-|--10s-5-10--5-5-5-3-3-3b----------|
A--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
--
Guitar II - Isaac Brock
intro
e----------------------------|----------------------------|
B----------------------------|----------------------------|
G--5/7--9--9-7--5----/12--9--|--5/7--9--9-7--5/7--9--9-7--|
D--5/7--9--9-7--5----/12--9--|--5/7--9--9-7--5/7--9--9-7--|
A----------------------------|----------------------------|
E----------------------------|----------------------------|
e---------------------------------|
B---------------------------------|
G--5/7--9--9-7--5----/12-12-12-9--|
D--5/7--9--9-7--5----/12-12-12-9--|
A---------------------------------|
E---------------------------------|
second chorus
e-------------------------|------------------------|
B-------------------------|------------------------|
G-------------------------|------------------------|
D-------------------------|------------------------|
A--7----7-7-7--5----5-5-5-|--10----10/12-10--------|
E--5----5-5-5--3----3-3-3-|--8-----8-/10-8---------|x2
verse
e------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G------------------------------|-------------------------------|
D------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A--7---7---7-7--5---5---5--5-5-|--10---10---10-10--3---3---3-3-|
E--5---5---5-5--3---3---3--3-3-|--8----8----8--8---1---1---1-1-|
bridge (pre-solo w/delay)
e--12--12--12--12s10--10--10--10s-|--8--8--8--8-----7-----7--|
B---------------------------------|--------------8-----8-----|
G---------------------------------|--------------------------|
D---------------------------------|--------------------------|
A---------------------------------|--------------------------|
E---------------------------------|--------------------------|
e--12--12--12--12s10--10--10--10s-|--8--8--8--8--7-----7-----|
B---------------------------------|-----------------8-----8--|
G---------------------------------|--------------------------|
D---------------------------------|--------------------------|
A---------------------------------|--------------------------|
E---------------------------------|--------------------------|
e--12--12--12--12s10--10--10--10s-|--8--8--8--8/15--15--15--15-|
B---------------------------------|----------------------------|
G---------------------------------|----------------------------|
D---------------------------------|----------------------------|
A---------------------------------|----------------------------|
E---------------------------------|----------------------------|
solo
e--15s12--15s12--15s12--10--12--|--12--10--12--10------10------10-|
B-------------------------------|------------------13------13-----|
G-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e--/15--12--15--12--15--12------12-|--12------12------8--10-10-8-8-7/-|
B---------------------------15-----|------10------10------------------|
G----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
e--/15-15-12-12-15-15-12-12-|--15-15-12-12-10-10-12-12-|--12-12-10-10-12-12-10-10-|--12-12-10-10-12-12-------|
B---------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------12-13-|
G---------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D---------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A---------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E---------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
e--15-15-12-12-15-15-12-12-|--17-17-15-15-17-17-19-19-|--20-20-19-19-17-17-15-15-|--13-13-12-12-13-13-12-12-|
B--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
G--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
e--15-15-12-12-15-15-12-12-|--17-17-15-15-13-13-------|--12-12-10-10-12-12-15-15-|--12b--10b--12b--10b------|
B--------------------------|--------------------15-15-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
G--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
e--15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-|--13-13b-12b-------12b----|--15-15-15-15-15-15-15-13-|--15b--15-13--15--15------|
B--------------------------|--------------13b---------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
G--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
pre-chorus fills
e----------------------------------|
B----------------------------------|
G--12-9-5--12-9-5--12-9-5--12-9-5--|
D--12-9-5--12-9-5--12-9-5--12-9-5--|
A----------------------------------|
E----------------------------------|
--
tabbed by Steve "SPiV" Perreira IV

Source: GuitarMasta.net
http://www.guitarmasta.net/m/modest_mouse/.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Tim Professional	#1 by Tim Marchant at Sep 27, 2007 at 4:45 AM EST
	kinda shocked that they have such a hopeful / romantic song .... more so hopeful and wishful thinking than anything else.

No Picture Tony Wanna Be	#2 by Tony Danza at Sep 28, 2007 at 7:20 PM EST
	Love can be a wretched, wicked, wench; who gives not even a little kindness.

No Picture Vinny Average	#3 by Vinny Spano at Sep 29, 2007 at 11:22 PM EST
	this song is beautiful. it's what i can only call a love song, and it's really the first i've seen from modest mouse. besides, of course, the cover of sleepwalkin' [and i find myself considering baby blue sedan a romantic song sometimes heh.] it really is beautiful, though.

No Picture julian Average	#4 by julian at Oct 2, 2007 at 1:44 PM EST
	i think everyones covered how i see this song aswell, a relationship where they were in love but they faught alot. yet i dont get why everyone calls a song about breakup a love song? nver the less this song makes the break up sound incredibly beautiful and an awesome one off piece!

No Picture CJ Wanna Be	#5 by CJ West at Oct 3, 2007 at 2:01 AM EST
	This song is about death. Your little motel is a coffin.

No Picture Mike Wanna Be	#6 by Mike at Oct 4, 2007 at 8:17 AM EST
	I don't have much of an idea what this is about, but it's an absolutely beautiful song, very nearly one of my favorites...love the part "i'm very sorry" I don't know, it just sounds soft for something that's coming from Isaac. The melody has a bit of a hopeful theme to it, but the lyrics suggest otherwise. Something that once was good in your life gone...missing it. That nostalgia and loss. Hoping to regain that happiness again... Isaac captures the theme of loss and melancholia brilliantly.

No Picture Tim Rhythm Player	#7 by Tim Hanson at Oct 6, 2007 at 5:25 PM EST
	MrSamurai is correct with his idea of what this song means. I'd just like to add that the chorus "that's what we're waiting for" Is saying that, even though they are fighting against it, they are both waiting for it to get to the point where it is officially over and/or waiting for the part where each will no longer mourn over the death of the relationship. And, in that respect, it is a love song. Not in the traditional "Come Back To Me" or "You Mean The World To Me" sense. It's more along the terms of "This is what happens when love reaches it's end".

No Picture James Wanna Be	#8 by James Pigott at Oct 8, 2007 at 5:40 PM EST
	The beginning is so beautiful.

No Picture Jordan Average	#9 by Jordan S. at Oct 12, 2007 at 4:00 PM EST
	this is one of their best from their new album, the acoustic solo about two thirds of the way through is awesome reminds me of talking shit about a pretty sunset or maybe night on the sun.....

No Picture Basstard Professional	#10 by Basstard at Oct 14, 2007 at 11:36 AM EST
	Wow, this song is really beautiful. At first I thought it was sappy.. I didn't think I would ever hear the word "darlin'" come out of Isaac with sincerity. I'd like to think that the little motel is a coffin, not to obsess over death or anything, but I was wondering where the anchor was on this bubble.

No Picture Garland Rhythm Player	#11 by Garland Cross at Oct 14, 2007 at 10:00 PM EST
	for some reason, i hear "they both tell me THAT WE'RE better than this". it's actually what i wish it said. so it is probably wrong. lol. anyways, nice job with the lyrics. i'm pretty sure you had to do this by ear.

No Picture Perfect Pervers Rhythm Player	#12 by Perfect Perversion™ at Oct 15, 2007 at 6:26 PM EST
	"I hope that you like it in your little motel and I hope that the suite sleeps and suits you well well I can see it as time and a sight through smell and thats why its nice to be by yourself" Can't help but notice the word motel and the idea of life being something that we rent. just a thought.

No Picture Goat Average	#13 by Goat Screwer at Oct 15, 2007 at 11:58 PM EST
	I'm pretty sure that in this song what we are waiting for is not love but it is instead death. We are with our lover waiting to miss him/her. I think Isaac likes to play around with this, writing something that can conventionally be taken in another way but really inverting it and making it negative (see the lyrics to Gravity Rides Everything as another example of this, also a song about death).

No Picture ben Average	#14 by ben doherty at Oct 16, 2007 at 12:09 AM EST
	p.s i think its WOULD be missed. makes more sence as, clearly they were in love or had something special and they will miss it , they had to end it because they faught so much, he dosnt mention cheating or treatin eachother badly which is the only time you wanna forget all about a love. i hope that makes sence but i would have money on would not wouldnt.

No Picture kenzie Professional Badass	#15 by kenzie at Oct 16, 2007 at 10:35 AM EST
	Whoa, never expected Isaac to write a straight love song. And what a surprise, he managed to make it far more original and beautiful than all those cookie-cutter love songs. That said, I really think tenserock's theory has a lot of merit, I'll probably look into it more later.