Ben Harper - Diamonds On The Inside Chords & Tabs

Diamonds on the Inside

Ben Harper (album "Diamonds on the Inside", 2003)
Tabbed by lsw444, Milan 2004.

Basic chords for rhythm:

Verse
A Bm C#m Bm A

Chorus
G D A

These chords ornamented by the lead (eg Marc Ford in Hollywood Bowl concert)
In Hendrix style, eg his embellishments on Watchtower

Riff

--------------|
--------------|
--------------|
--7p4---------|
-----7p4------|
--------7p5-2-|

thats how I prefer to play it, could be played open(ish) neck position


D lick in chorus

G--7-----------|
D--7-----7h9p7-|
A--5--/9-------|
E--------------|


Solo chords

E   D   F#m    D  E  F#m  D   E   F#m   D D D  E E E  F#m


A                 E          D        F#m
--------------------------------------------2--------2-----5-----------------|
--10----10--------------------------------2---2--5(7)--5(7)-(7)5p2-----------|
---9h11--9------------------------------4(6)----------------------4(6)-4-2---|
-----------11p9-7---------9---------7--------------------------------------4-|
------------------7-7-/11----5-5-/9------------------------------------------|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  D        E     F#m
------------------------------------------------------------------------------12----------|
------------------10h12-10--------------------------------------10-12-10-12(14)-(14012-10-|
-(similar licks)-----------11-9-11-9h11-9------------9-9h11p9h11--------------------------|
------------------------------------------11-9---9-11-------------------------------------|
-----------------------------------------------12-----------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/ben_harper/diamonds_on_the_inside_tab_ver_3.html ]
                                                 D
----------------------------------------------   -----------------------|
--12(14)-10--12(14)-10------------------------   -8p7-------------------|
-----------11---------11--9h11p9------------9-   ----9p7------------7-7-|
---------------------------------11p9---9h11--   -------9p7------7/9-9--|
--------------------------------------12------   ----------9-9-9--------|
----------------------------------------------   -----------------------|

E
------------------------------|
-10p9-------------------------|
-----11p9----------------9--9-|
---------11p9--------9/11-11--|
-------------11-11-11---------|
------------------------------|


Verse

i knew a girl
her name was truth
she was a terrible liar
she couldnt spend one day alone
buut she couldnt be satisfied
when you have everything
you have everything to lose
she made herself a bed of nails
and she's planning on putting it to use

Chorus

but she had diamonds on the inside
she had diamonds on the inside
she had diamonds on the inside
diamonds

verse

a candle throws its light into the dark
in a nasty world so shines a good deed
make sure the fortune that you seek
is the fortune that you need
tell me why the first to ask
is the last to give every time
what you say and do not mean
follows you close behind

chorus

solo

verse

like the soldier long standing under fire
any change comes as a relief
let the giver's name remain unspoken
she is just a generous thief

chorus

NOTES

OK, by my own admission I am not the most accurate tabber.
I have always preferred to approximate solos,etc, reproducing
the feel overall and the memorable bits where you have to.
The first lick in the solo - the F#m pentatonic lick - is not
accurate, but I have provided an approximate alternative.I don't
think (in fact I am sure) Marc Ford plays each solo the same
every night - he'd die from boredom! But the last lick of the solo
is quite accurate, apart from my tabbing of timing; i can't do that,
i rely on drums and the band feel when I play.

Oh, and its down a semitone to Eb.