The Old Apartment Chords & Tabs
Capo 3rd fret
This song incorporates a chord that Barenaked Ladies use quite a lot, the Cadd9 chord
(X32033), which many people mistakenly refer to as a C9 chord (X3233X). It works just fine
to play a regular C chord in its place, but personally, I prefer the sound of the add9
chord, and I find it easier to play the add9 chord instead of the regular C, especially if
you play a G chord with the 3rd fret on the B instead of an open B (320033 as opposed to 320003).
This tab is based entirely on the album version. Over the years, Ed Robertson and Steven
Page (and, more recently, Kevin Hearn) have added various embellishments and whatnot
during live performances, but they will not be included in this tab.
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
Broke into the old apartment
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
This is where we used to live
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
Broken glass, broke and hungry, broken hearts and broken bones
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
This is where we used to live
Em7 D Cadd9
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------3-------------------------------3-------------------|
G|-------0-----2-------------------------0-----0-------------------|
D|-----0-------0-------------------0h2-2-------2-------------------|
A|-0h2-----------------------------3-------------------------------|
E|-0---------------------------------------------------------------|
Why did you paint the walls?
Em7 D Cadd9
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------3-------------------------------3-------------------|
G|-------0-----2-------------------------0-----0-------------------|
D|-----0-------0-------------------0h2-2-------2-------------------|
A|-0h2-----------------------------3-------------------------------|
E|-0---------------------------------------------------------------|
Why did you clean the floor?
Em7 D
e|-----------------------------|
B|-------------3---------------|
G|-------0-----2---------------|
D|-----0-------0---------------|
A|-0h2-------------------------|
E|-0---------------------------| Cadd9 D
Why did you plaster over the hole I punched in the door?
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/barenaked_ladies/the_old_apartment_tab.html ]
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
This is where we used to live
G D Cadd9 D
Why did you keep the mouse trap? Why did you keep the dishrack?
G D Cadd9
These things used to be mine, I guess they still are
D
I want 'em back
Repeat everything you've learned so far, with different lyrics.
Em7 D G
e|-------------------------2---3----------------------------------|
B|-------------------------3---3-------3-------3-------3-------3--|
G|---------0-----------2---------------0-------0-------0-------0--|
D|-------------0---0----------------------------------------------|
A|-----2-----------------------------------2-------3-------2------|
E|-0-------------------------------3------------------------------|
I know we don't live here anymore
Am7 D G
e|-------------------------2---3----------------------------------|
B|---------3---------------3---3-------3-------3-------3-------3--|
G|---------0-----------2---------------0-------0-------0-------0--|
D|-----2-------2---0----------------------------------------------|
A|-0---------------------------------------2-------3-------2------|
E|---------------------------------3------------------------------|
We bought and old house on the Danforth
Em7 D G
e|-------------------------2---3----------------------------------|
B|-------------------------3---3-------3-------3-------3-------3--|
G|---------0-----------2---------------0-------0-------0-------0--|
D|-------------0---0----------------------------------------------|
A|-----2-----------------------------------2-------3-------2------|
E|-0-------------------------------3------------------------------|
She loves me and her body keeps me warm
Am7 D
And I'm happy there
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
But this is where we used to live
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
Broke into the old apartment
G D Cadd9 Cadd9
I tore the phone out of the wall
And just continue the G D Cadd9 progression until the very last line, where you end on a
Cmaj7 (X32000) like so:
G D Cmaj7
I want them back
Also, one riff comes up a couple times, over the lines "I tore the phone out of the
wall" and the very first "I want them back". This riff doesn't exactly fit in for solo
performance; for solo play I suggest you just play the chords so as to avoid disrupting
your flow. Since Steven Page's departure from the band, this riff seems to have just
found its
way out of the song, as neither Ed Robertson nor Kevin Hearn cover it. But it goes:
e|----------------------|
B|-----3-1-0------------|
G|-----------2-0--------|
D|---------------0h2-0--|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|