Absence Of God Guitar Tab

More Adventurous Tabs:

The Absence of God
==================
by Rilo Kiley
=============
Tabbed by Philip Lee
Philip2136@yahoo.com
This song does not yet have an official title.  The following is based
upon a live recording on 10/15/2002.
Chord Definitions
-----------------
D  D7  Dmaj7  Dmaj9  Em  F#m  G  A  A/C#  A7  Asus4 Bm
2  2   X      0      0   2    3  0  0     0   0     2
3  1   2      2      0   2    0  2  2     2   3     3
2  2   2      2      0   2    0  2  2     0   2     4
0  0   0      0      2   4    0  2  2     2   2     4
X  X   X      X      2   4    2  0  4     0   0     2
X  X   X      X      0   2    3  X  X     X   X     X
Chords With Lyrics
------------------
D  Dmaj9  G  A
D  Dmaj9  G  A
D               Dmaj7             G        A
The absence of God will bring you comfort, baby
D                  Dmaj7            G                F#m
and planning's for the poor so let's pretend that we're rich
Bm x 2               Asus4        A
and I'm not my body or what I choose to do with it
D                 Dmaj7          G       A
Folk singers sing songs for the working, baby
D              Dmaj7               G                   F#m
We're just recreation for all those doctors and those lawyers
Bm x 2
there's no relief for their heavy hearts
Asus4     A
cause they'll be losing bodies tonight
D  Dmaj9  G  A
D  Dmaj7  G  A
D  D
Em          A            F#m      Bm
And Rob says maybe love won't let you down
Em          A           F#m       Bm
all of your failures are training grounds
Em   F#m  G    A      Bm            A/C#   A7
and just as   your back's turned you'll be surprised he says
A
as your solitude subsides
D Dmaj7 G A
D                      Dmaj7
We could be daytime drunks if we wanted,
G                   A
we'd never get anything done that way baby
D         Dmaj7         G         F#m
And we'd still be ruled by our dueling perspectives
Bm x 2
and I'm not my story or perspective
Asus4          A
or the lies I'll tell you every time
D D7
Em            A                  F#m       Bm
And Rob says you love, love, love and then you die
Em      F#m G     A   Bm   A/C# A7         A
I've watched him while sleeping and seen him cry with closed eyes
D Dmaj7 G A
D Dmaj7 G A
D                           Dmaj7            G             A
And you're not happy but you're funny and I'm tripping over my joy
D                   Dmaj7           G    A
but I just keep on getting up again
D Dmaj7 G A
D Dmaj7 G F#m
Bm Bm Asus4 A
F#m               Bm
Teach you how to swim
F#m            Bm
you turn the bad in me into good again
Em F#m G A Bm A/C# A7 A
D D7
Em             A            F#m          Bm
And I say there's trouble when everything is fine
Em           A               F#m             Bm
the need to destroy things creeps up on me every time
Em   F#m G     A     Bm   A/C#   A7
and just as love's silhouette appears
A           D       D7
I close my eyes and disappear with you tonight
F#m                  Bm
and something's got to change
F#m                   Bm
cause our love's the slowest moving train
Em F#m G A Bm A/C# A7 A
D
28 Seconds of Tablature
------------------------
h = hammer on
p = hammer off
D                Dmaj9            G                A
hp               hp               hp
------232-------|------020-------|------232-------|------------5---|
3---------3-----|2---------2-----|0---------0-----|2-----3-------2-|
--2---------2---|--2-------------|----------------|----------------|
0---0---------0-|0---0-------0---|--0-------------|----------------|
----------------|--------------0-|--------------0-|0-0-0---0-0-----|
----------------|----------------|3---------------|----------------|
D                Dmaj9            G                A
hp               hp               hp
------232-------|------020-------|------232-------|5-3-2-0---------|
3---------3-----|2---------2-----|0---------0-----|--------3-3---2-|
--2---------2---|--2-------------|----------------|----------------|
0---0---------0-|0---0-------0---|--0-------------|----------------|
----------------|--------------0-|--------------0-|----------------|
----------------|----------------|3---3-----------|----------------|
D                Dmaj7            G                A
----------------|----------------|------3---------|------0---------|
3-----3-----3---|2-----3-----2---|0-----0-----0---|2-----2-----2---|
----------------|----------------|------------0---|----------------|
0-0-0---0-0---0-|0-0-0---0-0---0-|--0-------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|0---0-----0---0-|
----------------|----------------|3---3-----3-----|----------------|
The absence of God will bring you comfort,         baby         and
D                Dmaj7            G                F#m
------0---------|----------------|------3---------|------2---------|
3-----3-----3---|2-----3-----2---|0-----0-----0---|2-----2-----2---|
----------------|----------------|------------0---|----------------|
0-0-0---0-0---0-|0-0-0---0-0---0-|--0-----0-------|--4-------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----4-----------|
----------------|----------------|3---3-----3-----|2---------2-----|
planning's for the poor so let's pretend that we're rich and I'm

Source: GuitarMasta.net
http://www.guitarmasta.net/r/rilo_kiley/.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Alex Wanna Be	#1 by Alex Jurek at Jan 17, 1972 at 1:45 AM EST
	This guitar in this song kicks arse totallllly

No Picture Tyler Average	#2 by Tyler at Feb 20, 1985 at 11:19 AM EST
	amazing...that's all I can say

No Picture Thomas Average	#3 by Thomas Buckman at Oct 5, 1986 at 6:50 PM EST
	"folk singers sing songs for the working, baby we're just recreation for all those doctors and lawyers" love that. it's reality for songwriters or anyone in music anywhere. it's pretty funny and brilliantly worded. We struggle to make money with our art, and who are the people who pay-- the doctors and lawyers and everyone who is rich. sooo great jenny.

No Picture Shotgun Average	#4 by Shotgun Joe at Oct 25, 1987 at 7:23 PM EST
	I love when she's singing about Rob, who seems lonely yet hopeful about love. The whole song is just very well-written and beautiful.

No Picture rikiscorner Average	#5 by rikiscorner at Jul 23, 1988 at 6:29 PM EST
	probably so, the entertainment industry pushes demands

No Picture †grave† Lead Player	#6 by †grave† f at Aug 27, 1988 at 3:31 AM EST
	ohpioneer, i'd like to think that's what it means too. Especially because of one of the last lines "and something's got to change." I want to believe that its saying...a lot of the things in the song need to be changed, and weren't necessarily true. "and i'm not my perspective, or the lies I'll tell you every time." However, I think the title is probably just them denouncing God. I haven't been able to find anything on their beliefs, really.

No Picture James Wanna Be	#7 by James Makowiecki at Jun 20, 1997 at 3:40 AM EST
	on light inspection, I would say that this song explains that without the idea of some omnipotent, objective being watching our actions here on earth, we don't feel guilty for the stupid, mean, and wasteful things we do. it's the same idea behind the concept that if our actions aren't remembered, they are meaningless. this is the atheist's one saving grace. while the religeous person has the advantage of 'knowing' that they have life after death, and an absolute scale of good and evil, the atheist has the wondeful advantage of 'knowing' that none of their actions mean shit, and as long as none of it bites them in the ass before they die, they are ok.

No Picture Eric Rhythm Player	#8 by Eric at Feb 17, 1998 at 2:08 AM EST
	pretty song

No Picture Rebecca Average	#9 by Rebecca Lira at Sep 25, 1999 at 12:27 AM EST
	And Morgan says, maybe love won't let you down All of your failures are training grounds And just as your back's turned you'll be surprised she says As your solitude subsides I love that line. it gives me chills everytime i hear it. Every failure i've made i've learned from it and as i look back on it, it wasn't such a big deal after all.

No Picture Vinny Average	#10 by Vinny Spano at Apr 27, 2001 at 7:34 AM EST
	right you are, luckymrbriteside. thats what i think the songs about too. i tend to think this song is about different philisophies on life. every few lines is a different perspective or idea... we love love love and die, were just recreations for doctors and lawyers, love wont let you down, youre not what you do to your body, you learn from your failures...etc. etc. i think it about what you believe when you dont believe in god (hence the name of the song). but i could be way off.

No Picture devon Average	#11 by devon at Sep 28, 2007 at 4:33 PM EST
	"And I'm not my body or how I choose to destroy it" I think this could be a reference to abortion (as in the stance that the fetus is just another part of the woman's body and not a separate person).

No Picture Ĵǿ Wanna Be	#12 by Ĵǿħŋ Ĝęřđěŋĭţš at Oct 3, 2007 at 6:27 AM EST
	Some parts do sound religious, but some sound like they are agnostic, or atheist. The first line "The Absencse of God will bring you comfrot, baby" makes me think that, since there is an abesence of God, whoever "baby" is can now relax and there is no need to always worry of being a sinner in God's eyes. Someone brought up a poing similar to mine. The Absence of God, is a relief.

No Picture HammerOffFreak Professional	#13 by HammerOffFreak at Oct 6, 2007 at 8:56 AM EST
	I agree with xedenx. I love this song.

No Picture Ultra Violet Average	#14 by Ultra Violet at Oct 7, 2007 at 12:06 AM EST
	Does anyone know what religion they are?

No Picture Mike Average	#15 by Mike Dawgg at Oct 7, 2007 at 9:30 PM EST
	And I say there's trouble When everything is fine The need to destroy things Creeps up on me every time ...so true

No Picture David Average	#16 by David Tims at Oct 8, 2007 at 9:23 AM EST
	"And I'm not my body or how I choose to destroy it" there are other lines like this in Accidetnal Deth and I'm sure other songs... Does anybody know if Jenny ever had an eating disorder?

No Picture Senour Average	#17 by Senour Dakota at Oct 10, 2007 at 1:45 AM EST
	coming from a recovering drug addicts perspective, she says, "I am not my body, or how I choose to destroy it," I think she's basically saying that only you are truly responsible for what you do. Nobody can make excuses and blame anyone else, because in the end all you have is you. You can think your way out of anything, and this song chronicles the thought processes of someone who realizes this.

No Picture James Rhythm Player	#18 by James T.H. at Oct 12, 2007 at 8:21 AM EST
	here's my opinion. the concept of the song is that living a secular life will "bring you comfort," in that it frees you from the confines of religion. jenny is emphasizing that, while her friends are living bohemian, secular lifestyles, she is realizing that there is has got to be something bigger out there in order to reconcile the careless lives they have been living.

No Picture Lenny Judd (Pap Wanna Be	#19 by Lenny Judd (Papa Smurf) at Oct 13, 2007 at 1:04 AM EST
	This song makes me so sad, like I want to cry. And at the same time, it makes me so happy. I can't describe it but it's incredible.

No Picture David Average	#20 by David Turner at Oct 16, 2007 at 1:03 PM EST
	"and something's gotta change cuz our love's the slowest moving train" is possibly the most heartbreaking line

No Picture Matt Lead Player	#21 by Matt Spencer at Oct 19, 2007 at 3:24 AM EST
	this song means so many things "The absence of God will bring you comfort, baby " I believe Jenny is saying that people are living for themselves. People are comforted by the fact that they arent living to impress anybody but themselves. "And we'd still be ruled by our dueling perspectives And I'm not my perspective Or the lies I'll tell you every time " Jenny could be saying to a person is defined by their perspective, but she lies about her perspective so the way she is seen is inaccurate. Also, obviously from the titel, she is saying there is an absence of god. "And Mike I'll teach you how to swim If you turn the bad in me into good again " she is asking mike to help her become a good person as opposed to asking god. so much to say about this song. i love it.