Red Apple Falls Album Tab
1. The Morning Paper
Tune down low E to C#
Intro pt. 1 (4x)
E|------------------------------|
B|------------------------------|
G|------------------------------|
D|-----------2-----------2------|
A|-----3---3---3---3---3---3----|
C#---0---0-------0---0-------0--|
Intro pt. 2 (ad nauseum)
E|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|----------------------------|
D|-----------3-----------3----|
A|-----4---4---4---4---4---4--|
C#---0---0-------0---0--------|
Trumpet part (for guitar):
E|--------------------|
B|--------------------|
G|--666-555-333-111~--|
D|--------------------|
A|--------------------|
E|--------------------|
The riff should feel syncopated, like there's a beat missing or a beat too many
The last part of the intro is just variations on the main melody:
E|-----------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------|
D|----6---4---3-------3-------3------------|
A|------4---4---4---4---4---4---4---4---4--|
C#--0-------------0-------0-------0---0----|
Just keep the riff going between melody lines.
After the line "Red Apple Falls", he plays around with these chords:
C#sus4(044xxx), C#(043xxx), C#/B(021xxx), then slides back up to C#.
Then just play around with the C# and C#sus4 chords
(listen and you'll get it) and ad lib.
End on open C#.
Lyrics:
The morning paper is on its way
It's all bad news on every page
So roll right over, and go to sleep
That evening sun will be so sweet
Roll right over, and I had this thing.
Red apple falls.
2. Blood Red Bird
Standard tuning
Chords:
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
E|--2---4---4---7--|
B|--2---4---5---5--|
G|--2---4---6---4--|
D|--4---6---6---6--|
A|--4---6---4---4--|
E|--2---4----------|
C#m7: If you listen to the record, the little high B on the 7th fret of the high E
string is pretty clear.
Also, (----) indicates a pause in the vocals (it's easier to read).
F#m G#m C#m
I was not awoken by the rooster
F#m G#m C#m
Nor by the crow's tough song
F#m G#m C#m
But the midnight cry of a blood red bird
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
Brought this, this sleeplessness on
F#m G#m
Threw open the window
C#m C#m7
Moonlight on a black garden of thorns
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
The cool wet, of my sweat
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
Cries home, ---- where cries from
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
A blood red bird flies in the woods
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
Weeping into dead leaves
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
With wing torn and ---- jutting bone
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
What hand ---- meant it to bust, to be useless?
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
What hand that could've with two fingers?
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
A blood red bird, a blood red bird
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
A blood red bird, a blood red bird
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
We can continually sink into each other - Just
F#m G#m C#m
Deep enough to rip out a bit more flesh when you move away
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
Start for skin ---- chilling out behind
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
Like an arrow, I was only passing through
F#m G#m C#m C#m7
A blood red bird, a blood red bird (4x)
F#m G#m C#m C#m7 (4x)
End on C#m.
3. Red Apples
It's all piano, but the chords are Am - G - F
and then a quick staccato F-G lift.
The absolute closest approximation I can get on the guitar is to
tune down a whole step and use these chords:
Am G F
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
F|-------------|
C|--4---2---0--|
G|--5---4---2--|
D|--7---5---3--|
Of course, you can just play barre chords in standard,
but the alternative tuning more closely emulates the sound
of a piano because the thirds and fifths of the chords
are in the proper relative octave.
Am G F F-G
I went down to the river to meet the widow
Am G F F-G
She gave me an apple, it was red
(Repeat)
Am G F F-G
I slept in her black arms for a century
Am G F F-G
She wanted nothing in return
Am G F F-G
I gave her nothing in return
Am G F F-G
I gave her nothing in return
Middle melody (whole step down):
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
F|------11-9--------9--------------------|
C|--4~-------12-11~---12-11-9-0~--0!-2!--|
G|--5~----------12~-----------2~--2!-4!--|
D|--7~------------------------3~--3!-5!--|x2
Am G F F-G
The ghost of her husband, beautiful as a horse
Am G F F-G
Pulled up an apple ---- cart
(Repeat)
Am G F F-G
For millions ---- of red apples
Am G F F-G
---- ---- For us
(Middle melody)
Fade out... or end on Am.
4. I Was A Stranger
Standard tuning
Capo 4
All chords relative to capo, in name and fret number:
C Em F
E|--0---0---1--|
B|--1---0---1--|
G|--0---0---2--|
D|--2---2---3--|
A|--3---2---3--|
E|------0---1--|
Intro
C Em F
C Em F C
---- I was a stranger when I came to town, just yesterday
Em F C
I was a stranger, they don't come much stranger
(pause for pedal-steel fill)
For this I usually do something along the lines of:
E|-------------------|
B|--3br-1------------|
G|--------2-0--------|
D|------------3-2----|
A|----------------3--|
E|-------------------| (Capo 4 of course!)
C Em F
So why, why did you believe ---- ah, every word I said?
C
Why did you believe?
Em F
Believe a stranger? A stranger. And
C Em
Why do you women in this town let me look at you so bold?
F C
You should've seen what I was in the last town
Em
Ah, in the last town
F
You should've seen what I was...
C Em
If I was a stranger, well, I was worse of a stranger,
F C
I was, I was, I was well-known!
(Pedal-steel fill)
C-Em-F-C C-Em-F-C
End on C.
5. To Be Of Use
Standard Tuning
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/s/smog/red_apple_falls_tab.html ]
Main riff:
E|---------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------|
G|----1------1-----1------1------1----1----1----1----|
D|--2---2--1---2------2------2-----2----2----2----2--|
A|---------------4------2------0-----0----0----0-----|
E|---------------------------------------------------|
And during the "On a horse..." part or "like a candle..." part he plays:
E|---------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------|
G|----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1----|
D|------2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A|--2-----2-----2-----2-----0-----0-----0-----0------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|
Lyrics:
Most of my fantasies are of
Making someone else come
Most of my fantasies are of
To be of use
To be of use
To be of some hard, simple
Undeniable use
Oh, like a spindle
Or oh, like a candle
Or oh, like a horseshoe
Or oh, like a corkscrew
To be of use
To be of use
Most of my fantasies are of
Making someone else come
On a horse
Over palms laid
On the threshold
Of the coming day
Coming day, coming day
Come...
On a horse
Over palms laid
On the threshold
Of the coming day
Coming day, coming day,
Come...
Coming day, coming day
Come...
6. Red Apple Falls
Standard tuning
It's all piano, but you can play it like this:
E|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|--4--6-6---4--6-6---4--3-3---4--3-3--|
A|--7--7-7---7--7-7---4--4-4---4--4-4--|
E|-------------------------------------|
Lyrics:
The widow says it's hard to live
With a man, a man like me
The widow says it's hard to live
On the lonely version of love I give
And I seen the way her eyes light up
When she looks at the man in a family way
He's made of iron, and he knows the way
When I think about my brother dying
And my parents trying to slowly do themselves in
Inch by inch, day by day
And the telephone ring is like a banshee wail
The widow says I broke her first
Of course I say just the reverse
And we can't get past this
No we can't get past this
Something she did on the 14th of June
'Cuz of something I said on the 13th of June
We can't get past this
No we can't get past this
If we could lock our lips and block our noses
And swim beneath the barrier
Come up clean on the other side
But we can't get past this
No we can't get past this
7. Ex-Con
Standard Tuning
Chords:
C F
E|--0---1---|
B|--1---1---|
G|--0---2---|
D|--2---3---|
A|--3---3---|
E|------1---|
Horn part:
E|---------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------|
D|--------------2222-3333333333333333----|
A|--33333333333--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
Intro: C F C F
C
Whenever I get dressed up
F C F
I feel like an ex-con trying to make good
(Repeat)
C
Jean jacket and tie
F
Feel like such a lie
C F
When I go to your house, feel like I'm
C F
Casing the joint
C F C
In the grocery store, in line behind a mother and child
F
I'm gonna take that child
C
I'm gonna take that child
F
I'm gonna take that child
C F C F C F C F
C
Because alone in my room
F
I feel like such a part
C
Of the community
F
But out on the streets
C F
I feel like a robot by the river
C
Alone in my room
F
I feel such a warmth
C
For the community
F
But out on the streets
C
Out on the streets
F C
I feel like a robot by the river
F
Looking for a drink
C F C F C F C F
End on C.
8. Inspirational
Standard tuning
Chords:
E C# A B
E|--0---4---0---2---|
B|--0---6---2---4---|
G|--1---6---2---4---|
D|--2---6---2---4---|
A|--2---4---0---2---|
E|--0---------------|
Intro: E C# A B
E
When you're living
C#
The unlivable
A
By loving
B
The unlovable
E
It's time to start changing
C#
The unchangeable
A
By leaving
B
The unleaveable
Repeat a bunch of times, end on E.
9. Finer Days
Standard tuning (but slightly out of tune)
Play this note ad infinitum: (B)
E|-----
B|-----
G|-----
D|-----
A|--2--
E|-----
Fill 1:
E|-------|
B|--2/4--|
G|--2/4--|
D|-------|
A|-------|
E|-------|
Fill 2:
E|-------|
B|--4\2--|
G|--4\2--|
D|-------|
A|-------|
E|-------|
Lead 1:
E|------------7----------|
B|--7-9-7-5-5---5-4------|
G|------------------6-4--|
D|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|
E|-----------------------|
Lead 2:
E|--7-6-4-2---2----|
B|----------4---4--|
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|
Lead 3:
E|--2---2---2-4---7-6-4-2------------------|
B|----4---4-----4---------4-5-4-0-0-0-0-0--|
G|--------------------------------4-4-4-4--|
D|-----------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------|
Jam:
E|----7-6-4--1-1-1-1-1-1---------------4-6-4----------------|
B|--4--------0-0-0-0-0-0----7---7-4--7-------7---7---7-7-4--|
G|--------------------------4-4----------------4---4---4-4--|
D|----------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------4-6-4----------------------------------------------------------|
B|--7---7-4--7-------7--6-6-6-6--4-4-4-4--5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7-7--4-4-4--4-4-4-4--|
G|--4-4-----------------4-4-4-4--4-4-4-4--4-4-4-4--4-4-4-4-4--4-4-4--4-4-4-4--|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
(I don't think these leads are exactly right, but they work)
Piano Break:
Guitar plays this:
E|-----
B|-(4)-
G|--4--
D|-----
A|-----
E|-----
Jam 2:
E|-------------------------------------|
B|--4\2--2p0----------------------2/4--|
G|--4\2--2p0--4\3--4\3--3/4--4/6--2/4--|
D|------------5\4--5\4--4/5--5/7-------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|
Ending Lead:
E|--7-6-4-------------7-6-4-------------7-6-4------------|
B|--4-----7-5-7-5-4---4-----7-5-4-5-4---4-----7-5-7-5-4--|
G|----------------4-----------------4-----------------4--|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
Intro: (B) with fill 1, lead 1 and 2
(B) throughout
Granted passage (Fill 1)
Into the finer days (Fill 1)
How I got here, I do not know
And if it were all to disappear
(Fill 2)
I would not know how to return (Fill 1)
(B) w/fill 1
(Lead 3)
And all of my old friends
Wanted me to stay down, down, down with them
(Fill 2)
I could extend them a hand (Fill 1)
But they would only pull it off
In their grasp
In their powder
(Fill 2)
(Fill 1)
(Jam)
(Fill 1)
And so I find myself
Isolated
Isolated in these fine, fine days
(Fill 2)
(Fill 1)
(Piano Break)
(Jam 2)
(Ending Lead)
End on (B).
That's it.
There ya go.
