Elliott Smith – A Fond Farewell
I’m not going to take the honor of tabbing this song, 'cause I have actually only made
a few adjustments on other people's work. It’s just that I found it annoying that there
was no real tab out there that combined the chords with the fingerpicking. So, therefore
I combined the works of the UG members: Dires and some other unknown tabber that made the
tabs for “Guitar Pro”.
0:01 min:
Chords playing alongside the 2. guitar:
Gb barré A E Dbm Gb barré A E Dbm Gb barré A E Dbm Gb barré A
2. guitar:
E -----2---2-4-----------2--/4--------2---------|
B -------5------5------5------------------------|
G ---3------------------------------------------| x2
D -4--------------------------------------------|
A ----------------------------------------------|
E ----------------------------------------------|
E -4------------2---2-4-------------2--4--7-7-/9-|
B ----------------5-------5-------5--------------|
G ------------3----------------------------------|
D ----------4------------------------------------|
A -----------------------------------------------|
E -----------------------------------------------|
E -----2---2-4-----9---7-/4--2--0---------------|
B -------5--------------------------------------|
G ---3-------------9---7-/4--2--1---------------|
D -4--------------------------------------------|
A ----------------------------------------------|
E ----------------------------------------------|
E A E
my thoughts now black and white
Gbm Dbm
they took apart a picture that wasn't right
Ab barré A
pitch burning on a shining sheet
Gb barré A
the only maker that you'd want to meet
E A E
dying man in a living room
Gb Dbm
whose shadow paces the floor
Ab barré A
i'll take you out any open door
Chorus:
Gb A
this is not my life.
E
it's just a fond farewell to a friend
Gb A
not what i'm like
E
it's just a fond farewell to a friend
Gb A
couldnt get things right
E Dbm
fond farewell to a friend
1:19 min:
Chords: Gb and A
2. guitar:
E -----2---2-4-----9--7--/4---2--0--------------|
B -------5--------------------------------------|
G ---3-------------9--7--/4---2--1--------------|
D -4--------------------------------------------|
A ----------------------------------------------|
E ----------------------------------------------|
1:23 min:
He said really I just wanna dance
Good and evil matched perfect it's a great romance
I can deal with some psychic pain
If it'll slow down my higher brain
Veins full of disappearing ink
Vomiting in the kitchen sink
Disconnecting from the missing link
1:51 min:
Chorus:
This is not my life
It's just a fond farewell to a friend
It's not what i'm like
It's just a fond farewell to a friend
I couldn't get things right
Fond farewell to a friend
2:14 min:
Chords: Gb and A
2. guitar:
E -----2---2-4----9--7--/4---2--0---------------|
B -------5--------9--7--/4---2--1---------------|
G ---3------------------------------------------|
D -4--------------------------------------------|
A ----------------------------------------------|
E ----------------------------------------------|
2:18 min:
I see you're leaving me
And taking up with the enemy
The cold comfort of the in between
A little less than a human being
A little less than a happy high
A little less than a suicide
The only things that you really tried
2:46 min:
Chorus:
This is not my life
It's just a fond farewell to a friend
It's not what i'm like
It's just a fond farewell to a friend
I couldn't get things right
Fond farewell to a friend
Gb A
This is not my life
E Dbm
It’s just a fond farewell to a friend
3:17 min:
Outro:
Play the chords of the chorus while humming “mmmmmmmmm”
2. guitar
E -----2---2-4----0----0-2---4--------2--2/0-----|
B -------5---------------------5---5-------------|
G ---2------------2----2-----4---4-----------1-0-|
D -4---------------------------------------------|
A -----------------------------------------------|
E -----------------------------------------------|
E -----2---2-4-------------0--2--4---------2----|
B ---2---5-------5-----5------------5---5-------|
G -------------------------2-----4----4---------|
D -4--------------------------------------------|
A ----------------------------------------------|
E ----------------------------------------------|
E -2-0------------2---2-4-----------------0--2--|
B --------------2---5--------5--------5---------|
G -----1-0------------------------5-------2-----|
D ------------4---------------------7-----------|
A ----------------------------------------------|
E ----------------------------------------------|
E -/4---7---7-7--/9--------2---2-4--9--7--/4-2-0-|
B ---------------------------5-------------------|
G -----------------------3----------9--7--/4-2-1-|
D ---------------------4-------------------------|
A -----------------------------------------------|
E -----------------------------------------------|
E: 022100
A: x02220
Gbm: 244222
Dbm: 446654
Ab: 466544
A barré: 577655
Gb: 244322
Am: 002210
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
Coke Average |
#1 by Coke Can at Sep 26, 2007 at 3:10 PM EST |
| i believe this song is about various lives of his friends, but also relates to him. because the song has a pattern of telling the story and going into the chorus which says "This is not my life It's just a fond farewell to a friend" and he goes of to explain that he wasn't talking about himself. Then again, he could've been his own friend. | |
|
No Picture
Millhouse Wanna Be |
#2 by Millhouse van Houten at Sep 29, 2007 at 8:57 AM EST |
| I was listening to this song and I realized something. I think this song IS his goodbye to the world. If you relate all the lyrics to Elliott's life while he was probably writing it, it's like a complete puzzle. That makes me so sad. He's our friend, and this is his fond farewell. God, I wish I would have discovered him sooner than I did. I only knew "Needle in the hay" from the Royal Tennenbaums soundtrack. That is sad. I am a big fan now. I wish I could meet him and tell him that I appreciate him, y'know. | |
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shabobo Wanna Be |
#3 by shabobo at Sep 30, 2007 at 5:17 AM EST |
| nice interpretation, yes | |
|
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mario Average |
#4 by mario ramirez at Sep 30, 2007 at 4:29 PM EST |
| This was the first song on this album to really grab me, and I still can't get enough of it. I think it really exemplifies his constant "leaps-and-bounds" growth as a songwriter. I can't say any more than to say it's perfect. I wish there were more albums coming, and more "Fond Farewell"'s. I'm so glad I got to see him play live once...one of those things to be thankful for, I guess. | |
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Alex Wanna Be |
#5 by Alex Jurek at Oct 1, 2007 at 7:50 AM EST |
| I agree. Except I think that about almost every song on the CD. | |
|
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Forrest Average |
#6 by Forrest at Oct 1, 2007 at 5:30 PM EST |
| I think the song's about heroin addiction. "pitch burning on a shining sheet" "veins full of disappearing ink" "vomiting in the kitchen sink" Really sad when you think about it. | |
|
No Picture
ty Wanna Be |
#7 by ty benson at Oct 2, 2007 at 6:11 PM EST |
| The line "pitch burning on a shining sheet" stands out, often heroin use is sort of glamorized but only in the context of needles, lines like that are rare. Nothing's very glamorous about boiling smack off tinfoil, and the reference is disguised, people probably don't notice it unless they have first-hand experience with it whereas needle/vein references are obvious. The context of the song gives it away more though... but I really like that line. | |
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No Picture
pharaoh shane Rhythm Player |
#8 by pharaoh shane at Oct 4, 2007 at 7:06 AM EST |
| seems, like someone said before, its about elliott saying goodbye to a friend, or habit (he did get clean, right?) i think this song has a rather amazing amount of hope to it, its just too bad that people take it for another depressing song about drugs. | |
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No Picture
Milford Cubicle Average |
#9 by Milford Cubicle at Oct 6, 2007 at 12:17 PM EST |
| this is one of his best songs off of his new cd "from a basement on a hill" | |
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Konner Rhythm Player |
#10 by Konner Holzwart at Oct 6, 2007 at 12:49 PM EST |
| its sad to think of what it would have been if he had lived to finish the intended double album... | |
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Aleksandar Average |
#11 by Aleksandar Radošević at Oct 6, 2007 at 7:49 PM EST |
| This song is so beautiful. I wish there were more songs like this in the world...... | |
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KETcH Average |
#12 by KETcH UP at Oct 6, 2007 at 9:20 PM EST |
| This is such a gorgeous song. The overall tone of it is just amazing. I wish he was still around to make more songs that speak to me and songs that I learn from. | |
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