This is a favorite, I'm glad I can contribute it for the benefit of others because
it's been a simple but satisfying song to play. There are a couple recordings of this
song and Jeff Mangum sings different lyrics for some of the lines but the chords are
the same.
G-A-C
It's the same three chords repeated throughout, he holds the C chord in a couple places.
G A C G
For I am an engine and I'm rolling on
A C G
the world is all bending and breaking from me
(or:through endless revision to say what I mean)
A C G
for sweetness alone who flew out through the window
A C G
and landed back home in a garden of green
A C G
A C G
you're riding alone in the back of a steamer
A C G
and steaming yourself in the warm shower spray
A C G
and water rolls on off the round captains belly
A C G
who's talking to tigers from his cafeteria tray
A C G
A C G
and your sweet babies cry for the cool taste of milking
A C G
that milky delight that invited us all
A C G
and if there's a taste in this life more inviting
A C G
than wake up your windows and watch as those sweet babies crawl
A C G A C G
awaaay yeah mmm mmm mmm dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee
A C G
A C G
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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Julian Average |
#1 by Julian . at Sep 27, 2007 at 11:28 PM EST |
| This is the version he did at the in-store show at Aquarius. You can download it at elephant6.com and it's pretty clear what he's saying. I haven't heard the Hype City recording. Do you know where it is possible to get those cassette albums? | |
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sebastian Wanna Be |
#2 by sebastian Shamburg at Sep 28, 2007 at 10:26 AM EST |
| it was holland 1945's b-side. also, there is a very old album that jeff did with robert of apples in stereo, where he talks about the songs... the version of this song on that is by far my favourite version. It's about four and a half minutes long, much slower and beautiful. | |
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Faiz Average |
#3 by Faiz fender at Sep 30, 2007 at 8:41 PM EST |
| Engine is the most impressive piece of music I've ever heard as a live recording. It pains me to realize that I was living in NC when the Carrboro recording was made and hadn't yet discovered NMH. Odd that it was written to _elevate_ mood; largely due to time and circumstances it's always going to have a sobering, levelling, disabling effect on me, but it's not bitter or aching, just... Awe-inspiring, I guess. The first version I found I'm not sure I can identify; it's a live recording in which a happy new year is bade to the audience, followed by a couple of shouts for "Scotty". This is in my opinion still the best performance of the track, the poor mic quality, picking up constant but low chatter from the venue is perfect, it couldn't have been engineered, and Mr Mangum is in absolute top form. | |
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Christian Wanna Be |
#4 by Christian Chavez at Oct 2, 2007 at 1:20 AM EST |
| I find it strange because in the Jeff Mangum Live at Jittery Joes you can hear a baby in the audience crying or yelling or something in this song, maybe it means less to us because we arent children anymore. | |
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birdman Average |
#5 by birdman ethdh at Oct 6, 2007 at 6:27 AM EST |
| hahaha-agreed | |
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Will Wanna Be |
#6 by Will Hay at Oct 7, 2007 at 12:59 AM EST |
| I love all of Jeff's songs, no matter how different or the same they all tell a story | |
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eric Rhythm Player |
#7 by eric christian at Oct 8, 2007 at 9:26 PM EST |
| Only Jeff Mangum can get away with such lyrics in a childrens song... | |
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KELSO Wanna Be |
#8 by KELSO Is a COOL kid at Oct 12, 2007 at 9:58 PM EST |
| The version from the Hype City Soundtrack definately goes, "For I am an engine and I'm holding on, through endless revisions to state what I mean..." On a live version he talked about how he wrote this song when he was really depressed to make himself feel better; he even recorded it on his answering machine so he wouldn't forget it. I can see what he means, though, because it always makes me feel better. | |
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tristan Rhythm Player |
#9 by tristan drew at Oct 13, 2007 at 10:46 PM EST |
| this really sounds like it should have been on ITAOTS. | |
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Dylan Average |
#10 by Dylan Donovan at Oct 15, 2007 at 7:39 PM EST |
| He was in Carrboro? Awesome! | |
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Bloody Mess All Musical Thunder |
#11 by Bloody Mess All Over My Clothes at Oct 16, 2007 at 7:30 PM EST |
| just for the record, "scotty" refers to The Gerbils member and NMH collaborator Scott Spillane who plays various brass instruments, most notably the trumpet. I've actually seen a video of that performance, and i assume it was one of his later as it was for New Year's 1999 and that was about the end up Jeff's live perfomances. I love this song, it's simple yet brilliant. | |
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Adrian Lead Player |
#12 by Adrian Ortega at Oct 17, 2007 at 2:15 PM EST |
| Also, the third line is something like, "To sweet Mrs. Jones who flew out through the window." | |
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$~Andrew~$ Average |
#13 by $~Andrew~$ at Oct 18, 2007 at 3:55 PM EST |
| it seems to say that in both versions i have, actually no matter how hard i try, i can't hear 'the world is all bending and breaking from me', although it does sound very mangum-esque | |
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