Baby's Breath Chords & Tabs
Baby's Breath - Bill Callahan
Out of all the Bill Callahan's songs I can't believe this beautiful song has not been tabbed yet!
This is my first tab, it's not perfect.
I've tried to tab this song in the hope that someone else may get inspired enough
to tab this song properly.
This tab is for the rhythm guitar only, no lead guitar as yet... Hint, hint...
Does anyone know what effects are used on the lead guitar? I'd really love know.
Play this tab while listening to the song in order to get the correct timing of it.
Cheers & enjoy!!
Adrian R
-Standard tuning-
H = Hammer-on
P = Pull-off
x = Mute note
/ = Slide up
\ = Slide down
CAPO 1st FRET
INTRO
e |----0---0---0---0-------0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-------|
B |------------------------------------------------------------|
G |------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-------------------P----------------------------------------|
A |--7---7---7---7---7^5-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---------|
E |------------------------------------------------------------|
"There grows a weed..."
e |----0-----|
B |----------|
G |----------| x14
D |----------|
A |--7-------|
E |----------|
"Baby's breath on the mirror"
e |----0-----0-----0-----0-----x---x---x---0----------------|
B |------0-----0-----0-----0-----------------0--------------|
G |---------------------------------------------------------|
D |-------------------------------------------------H--5----|
A |--5-----4-----3-----2-----0------------------H--5^7------|
E |------------------------------3---2---0-----5^7----------|
"...My girl and I..."
e |----0---0---0-----0-----|
B |----0---0---0-----0-----|
G |------------------------| x5
D |---------------H--------|
A |--7---7---7---5^7-------|
E |------------------------|
e |----0---0---0-----------|
B |----0---0---0-----------|
G |------------------------|
D |---------------P--------|
A |--7---7---7---7^5-------|
E |------------------------|
"...The sacrifice was made"
e |----------------|
B |--------5-------|
G |--------7-------| x4
D |----7-----------|
A |--5---5---------|
E |----------------|
"...It was not"
e |------------------------|
B |----0---0---0-----0-----|
G |------------------------| x4
D |----5---5---5--H--5-----|
A |--7---7---7---5^7-------|
E |------------------------|
"Easy undertaking"
e |------------|
B |----0-------|
G |------------| x8
D |----5-------|
A |--7---------|
E |------------|
"The roots gripped soft like..."
e |------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |----0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0-|
G |------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0-----|
D |--------------------------------------------------------0---------|
A |--5-----5-----5---4-----4-----4---3-----3-----3---2-----------2---|
E |------------------------------------------------------------------|
e |------------------------------------------|
B |----0-------0---0---0---------------------|
G |------0---------------0-------------------|
D |-----------------------------------H--5---|
A |--0-----0----------------------H--5^7-----|
E |----------3---2---0-----------5^7---------|
"Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh"
e |------------------------------------------------|
B |----0---0---0-----0---0---0---0-----------------|
G |--------------------------------------7---------| x2
D |----5---5---5--H--5---5---5---5---5/7---7\5-----|
A |--7---7---7---5^7---7---7---7-------------------|
E |------------------------------------------------|
e |---------------------------------------|
B |----0---0---0-----0---0---0---0--------|
G |---------------------------------------|
D |----5---5---5--H--5---5---5---5--P-----|
A |--7---7---7---5^7---7---7---7---7^5----|
E |---------------------------------------|
"Oh young girl" "At the wedding..."
e |----------------| e |---------------|
B |--------5-------| B |--------5------|
G |--------7-------| x4 G |---------------| x4
D |----7-----------| D |----5---5------|
A |--5---5---------| A |--7---7--------|
E |----------------| E |---------------|
(Repeat above line x3)
"That will last a day..."
e |----------------|
B |--------5-------|
G |--------7-------| x4
D |----7-----------|
A |--5---5---------|
E |----------------|
"...Good plans are made"
e |------------------------|
B |----0---0---0-----0-----|
G |------------------------| x3
D |----5---5---5--H--5-----|
A |--7---7---7---5^7-------|
E |------------------------|
"...By hand"
e |---------------------------------------------|
B |----0---0---0---0---0-----0---0---0---0---0--|
G |---------------------------------------------|
D |----5---5---5---5---5--H--5---5---5---5---5--|
A |--7---7---7---7---7---5^7---7---7---7---7----|
E |---------------------------------------------|
"I'd cut a clearing in the land..."
e |----------------------------------------------------------------|
B |--0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0-|
G |----0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0-----| x3
D |------------------------------------------------------0---------|
A |5-----5-----5---4-----4-----4---3-----3-----3---2-----------2---|
E |----------------------------------------------------------------|
e |------------------------------------------|
B |----0-------0---0---0---------------------|
G |------0---------------0-------------------|
D |-----------------------------------H--5---|
A |--0-----0----------------------H--5^7-----|
E |----------3---2---0-----------5^7---------|
e |---------------------------------------|
B |----0---0---0-----0---0---0---0--------|
G |---------------------------------------|
D |----5---5---5--H--5---5---5---5--P-----|
A |--7---7---7---5^7---7---7---7---7^5----|
E |---------------------------------------|
"And each day I looked..."
e |----------------| e |---------------|
B |--------5-------| B |--------5------|
G |--------7-------| x5 G |---------------| x4
D |----7-----------| D |----5---5------|
A |--5---5---------| A |--7---7--------|
E |----------------| E |---------------|
(Repeat above line x2)
"Until I saw it was lucky old me"
e |----------------| e |---------------|
B |--------5-------| B |--------5------|
G |--------7-------| x4 G |---------------| x4
D |----7-----------| D |----5---5------|
A |--5---5---------| A |--7---7--------|
E |----------------| E |---------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/bill_callahan/babys_breath_tab.html ]
"How could I run without losing anything"
e |----------------| e |---------------|
B |--------5-------| B |--------5------|
G |--------7-------| x5 G |---------------| x4
D |----7-----------| D |----5---5------|
A |--5---5---------| A |--7---7--------|
E |----------------| E |---------------|
"How could I run without becoming lean..."
e |----------------| e |---------------|
B |--------5-------| B |--------5------|
G |--------7-------| x4 G |---------------| x4
D |----7-----------| D |----5---5------|
A |--5---5---------| A |--7---7--------|
E |----------------| E |---------------|
(Repeat above line x2)
"It was me tearing out the baby's breath"
e |----------------|
B |--------5-------|
G |--------7-------| x4
D |----7-----------|
A |--5---5---------|
E |----------------|
e |-------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------------0-|
G |-------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------------------------------------5-|
A |--7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7----|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------|
e |--------------------------------|
B |--------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------| x2
D |---------------------H----------|
A |--7-7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7-------|
E |--------------------------------|
"Oh I am a helpless man"
e |------------------------------------------------------|
B |------------------------------------------------------|
G |------------------------------------------------------|
D |---------------------------H-------------------H------|
A |--7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7---|
E |------------------------------------------------------|
"so help me"
e |------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------0-----------------------------0-------------------------|
G |------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------5--------------------H--------5--------------H----------|
A |--7-7---7---7-7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7---7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7---7-7-|
E |------------------------------------------------------------------|
"I'm on my knees" "gardening"
e |------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------0--------------------------------------------|
G |------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---------------------5--------------H-------------------------H---|
A |-7-7---7-7---7-7---7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7|
E |------------------------------------------------------------------|
e |-------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------0-----------------------------0----------0---|
G |-------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------5--------------------H--------5----------5---|
A |--7-7---7---7-7---7-7---7-7---5^7-7---7----7-7---7-----|
E |-------------------------------------------------------|
"It was not a weed..."
e |----------------------------------------------------------------|
B |--0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0-|
G |----0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0-----| x3
D |------------------------------------------------------0---------|
A |5-----5-----5---4-----4-----4---3-----3-----3---2-----------2---|
E |----------------------------------------------------------------|
e |------------------------------------------|
B |----0-------0---0---0---------------------|
G |------0---------------0-------------------|
D |-----------------------------------H--5---|
A |--0-----0----------------------H--5^7-----|
E |----------3---2---0-----------5^7---------|
"Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh"
e |------------------------------------------------|
B |----0---0---0-----0---0---0---0-----------------|
G |--------------------------------------7---------| x2
D |----5---5---5--H--5---5---5---5---5/7---7\5-----|
A |--7---7---7---5^7---7---7---7-------------------|
E |------------------------------------------------|
e |---------------------------------------|
B |----0---0---0-----0---0---0---0--------|
G |---------------------------------------|
D |----5---5---5--H--5---5---5---5--P-----|
A |--7---7---7---5^7---7---7---7---7^5----|
E |---------------------------------------|
"And now I know..."
e |----0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---|
B |------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0-------|
G |--5-----5-----5---4-----4-----4---2-----2-----2-----|
D |----------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------|
e |-------------------------|
B |----------0--------------|
G |------------0---H-P------| x4
D |----5----------5^7^5-----|
A |--7---5-7----------------|
E |-------------------------|
"Yes now I know..."
e |----0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---|
B |------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0-------|
G |--5-----5-----5---4-----4-----4---2-----2-----2-----|
D |----------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------|
e |-------------------------|
B |----------0--------------|
G |------------0---H-P------| x4
D |----5----------5^7^5-----|
A |--7---5-7----------------|
E |-------------------------|
e |------|
B |------|
G |------| END
D |------|
A |--7---|
E |------|
There grows a weed, looks like a flower
Looks like baby's breath on a mirror
My girl and I rushed atop the altar
The sacrifice was made
It was not easy undertaking
The roots gripped soft like a living grave
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh x2
Oh young girl at the wedding
Baby's breath in her hair
A crowning lace above her face
That will last a day
Before it turns to hay
Good plans are made by hand
I'd cut a clearing in the land
And for a little bed
For her to cry comfortable in
And each day I looked out on the lawn
And I wondered what all was gone
Until I saw it was lucky old me
How could I run without losing anything?
How could I run without becoming lean?
It was agreed, it was agreed
It was me tearing out the baby's breath
Oh I am a helpless man, so help me
I'm on my knees gardening
It was not a weed, it was a flower
My baby's gone, oh where has my baby gone?
And she was not a weed, she was a flower
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh x2
And now I know you must reap what you sow, or sing
Yes now I know you must reap what you sow, or sing
