Breathe - David Gray
Tabbed by: Janne Virtanen, Finland, janne_virtanen_@hotmail.com
Okay everyone, this is a great song by David Gray. There have been a lot of requests in youtube
for this song so I finally decided to share this with you guys. Hope you enjoy!
There are a few interesting points in this song.
a. Capo on 7th fret
b. The strumming pattern is quite challenging, check the video from you-know-where,
and listen how it goes.
c. His guitar is "high-strung" like he says..
So it has the higher octave strings from a 12-string guitar.
I added lyrics in to somewhat exact points to help with the timing of playing.
I'm Finnish so the lyrics might not be totally correct but the ones on lyrics pages are so
crappy that it hurts.
1. CHORDS, Basic ones, Names can be wrong, but are played like this.
Em11* Em11/G Asus2* Asus2/C Asus2/G Em(7) Cadd9 G6 Dadd11? Cmaj/G Dadd9
e|--5---|---5---|---3---|---3---|---3---|---0---|---0---|---0---|---0---|---0---|---2---|
B|--3---|---0---|---0---|---0---|---0---|--(3)--|---3---|---3---|---3---|---1---|---3---|
G|--0---|---0---|---2---|---2---|---2---|---0---|---0---|---0---|---0---|---0---|---2---|
D|--4---|---4---|---2---|---2---|---2---|---2---|---2---|---0---|---4---|---2---|---4---|
A|--2---|---2---|---0---|---3---|---0---|---2---|---3---|---2---|---5---|---3---|---0---|
E|--0---|---3---|---0---|---0---|---3---|---0---|---x---|---3---|---5---|---3---|---x---|
2. INTRO, 16 measures
About the strumming: He strums the lower strings first, maybe from E to G or E to D.
Em11* Em11/G
e|----5--| ----5--|
B|----3--| ----0--|
G|--0----| --0----| Repeat four times
D|--4----|x3 --4----| 'till singing starts.
A|--2----| --2----|
E|--0----| --3----|
Wake, wake and the moment's gone (repeat 4times)
3.VERSE, first strum on lower strings. Ring finger plays the bass notes.
it can be hard to reach at first but you'll get there!
e|----3------------3------------3-------3--|
B|----0------------0------------0-------0--|
G|--2------------2------------2-------2----|
D|--2------------2------------2-------2----|
A|--0------------3------------0-------0----|
E|--0------------x------------3-------3----|
And then the doorbell rings
Somebody asks you 'Could
you spare a little time
to feel the weight that's mine?'
You lower down your guard..
4. CHORUS, you can play the Em as Em7 too, I'm not "100%" sure which is it.
there are a couple of licks here, listen for the timing.
-quickly---
e|--0----------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0-------------|-0--------|-0-----3--|
B|-(3)---------|-3-------|-3----3-3-3-3-|(3)------------|-3--------|-3-----3--|
G|--0----------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0-------------|-0--------|-0-----0--|
D|--2----------|-2-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-2-------------|-2--------|-0-----0--|
A|--2----------|-3-------|-2----2-0-0-0-|-2-------------|-3--------|-2-----0--|
E|--0----------|-x-------|-3----3-3-2-0-|-0-------------|-x--------|-3-----2--|
-You let your heart get snagged Caught in the wheels in dust, dragged
3/4
e|-0--|-0------|-0--0---|-0------|
B|-0--|-3------|-3--3---|-3------|
G|-0--|-0------|-0--0---|-0------|
D|-2--|-2------|-0--0---|-4------| Back to INTRO(two times)
A|-2--|-3------|-2--0h2-|-5------|
E|-0--|-x------|-3--3---|-5------|
Angled on the edge Breathe...
5. 2nd VERSE, *last line, jump to Dadd9 (D fine too!) chord on the last measure.
*
e|----3---------------3---------3---------3--|...-2--|
B|----0---------------0---------0---------0--|...-3--|
G|--2---------------2---------2---------2----|...-2--|
D|--2---------------2---------2---------2----|...-4--|
A|--0---------------3---------0---------0----|...-0--|
E|--0---------------x---------3---------3----|...-x--|
You feel you're in too deep
So I'll full up some crumb
And drop it in the tin
And slither back within
Your crenelated wealth
Your educated self
*Your family rued>>-------------->health
6. 2nd CHORUS
e|--0----------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0-------------|-0--------|-0-----3--|
B|-(3)---------|-3-------|-3----3-3-3-3-|(3)------------|-3--------|-3-----3--|
G|--0----------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0-------------|-0--------|-0-----0--|
D|--2----------|-2-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-2-------------|-2--------|-0-----0--|
A|--2----------|-3-------|-2----2-0-0-0-|-2-------------|-3--------|-2-----0--|
E|--0----------|-x-------|-3----3-3-2-0-|-0-------------|-x--------|-3-----2--|
-And all the joy it brings Aren't we forgetting some..thing
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/d/david_gray/breathe_tab.html ]
e|--0------|-0------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0------|-0------|-0--0---|
B|-(3)-----|-3------|-3----3-3-3-3-|-0------|-3------|-3--3---|
G|--0------|-0------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0------|-0------|-0--0---|
D|--2------|-2------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-2------|-2------|-0--0---|
A|--2------|-3------|-2----2-0-0-0-|-2------|-3------|-2--0h2-|
E|--0------|-x------|-3----3-3-2-0-|-0------|-x------|-3--3---|
feed it on the ledge feed it on the ledge
2/4 Em11 4/4
e|-0-----0--0-|-0---0--0-0-|-0-----0--0-|-0----|-5----------|
B|-3-----1--1-|-3---0--1-1-|-3-----1--1-|-3----|-3----------|
G|-0-----0--0-|-0---0--0-0-|-0-----0--0-|-0----|-0----------|
D|-4-----2--0-|-4---0--2-0-|-4-----2--0-|-4----|-4----------|
A|-5-----3--3-|-5---2--3-3-|-5-----3--3-|-5----|-2----------|
E|-5-----3--3-|-5---3--3-3-|-5-----3--3-|-5----|-0----------|
Breathe... Breathe... Breathe... Breathe... HEY!!
7. C-PART, Strumming is quite massive here.
e|-3------3-0-|-0------3-0-|-0------3-0-|-0------3-0-|
B|-3------5-3-|-3------5-3-|-3------5-3-|-3------5-3-|
G|-2------0-0-|-2------0-0-|-2------0-0-|-2------0-0-| After this,
D|-2------4-4-|-2------4-4-|-2------4-4-|-2------4-4-| INTRO-part twice
A|-0------0-0-|-0------0-0-|-0------0-0-|-0------0-0-|
E|-0------0-0-|-0------0-0-|-0------0-0-|-0------0-0-|
8. 3rd VERSE, same as the second. Dadd9 (D fine too!) chord on the last measure.
Asus2 Asus2/C Asus2/G
And In the heat of noon
You find you're like some dog
Parked up in a field
Medically sealed
Dadd9
Scratching at the wind shield.
9. 3rd CHORUS, two times.
e|--0----------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0---------|-0--------|-0-----3--|
B|-(3)---------|-3-------|-3----3-3-3-3-|(3)--------|-3--------|-3-----3--|
G|--0----------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0---------|-0--------|-0-----0--|
D|--2----------|-2-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-2---------|-2--------|-0-----0--|
A|--2----------|-3-------|-2----2-0-0-0-|-2---------|-3--------|-2-----0--|
E|--0----------|-x-------|-3----3-3-2-0-|-0---------|-x--------|-3-----2--|
1.-And howling at the glass -And anyone might walk past
2.-The sea of broken lives -Mechanics, doctors, housewives
e|--0--------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0---------|-0--------|-0----0-0-0-0-|
B|-(3)-------|-3-------|-3----3-3-3-3-|(3)--------|-3--------|-3----3-3-3-3-|
G|--0--------|-0-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-0---------|-0--------|-0----0-0-0-0-|
D|--2--------|-2-------|-0----0-0-0-0-|-2---------|-2--------|-0----0-0-0-0-|
A|--2--------|-3-------|-2----2-0-0-0-|-2---------|-3--------|-2----2-0-0-0-|
E|--0--------|-x-------|-3----3-3-2-0-|-0---------|-x--------|-3----3-3-2-0-|
1.-Were you not aware? -Were you not aware?
2.-Feed it on the ledge -Feed it on the ledge
e|--0------|-0------|-0--0---|-0------|
B|-(3)-----|-3------|-3--3---|-3------|
G|--0------|-0------|-0--0---|-0------|
D|--2------|-2------|-0--0---|-4------|
A|--2------|-3------|-2--0h2-|-5------|
E|--0------|-x------|-3--3---|-5------|
1.-Were you not aware? Breathe...
2/4
e|--0------|-0------|-0--0---|-0------0-0-|-0----|
B|-(3)-----|-3------|-3--3---|-3------1-1-|-3----|
G|--0------|-0------|-0--0---|-0------0-0-|-0----|
D|--2------|-2------|-0--0---|-4------2-0-|-4----|
A|--2------|-3------|-2--0h2-|-5------3-3-|-5----|
E|--0------|-x------|-3--3---|-5------3-3-|-5----|
2.-Feed it on the ledge Breathe... Breathe...
10. OUTRO, same as the INTRO, repeat four times,
song ends with the basic Em11 chord, slightly increase the power of strumming.
And that is it!! Hope that this helps you out. I have performed this live
with these chords and the other stuff like I have written here, so they're not that bad! :)
I'll put the lyrics here one more time as in conclusion. HAVE FUN!!
Wake, wake and the moment's gone
Wake, wake and the moment's gone
Wake, wake and the moment's gone
Wake, wake and the moment's gone
And then the doorbell rings
Somebody asks you 'Could
you spare a little time
to feel the weight that's mine?'
You lower down your guard
You let your heart get snagged
Caught in the wheels in dust, dragged
Angled on the edge
Breathe...
You feel you're in too deep
So I'll full up some crumb
And drop it in the tin
And slither back within
Your crenelated wealth
Your educated self
Your family rued health
And all the joy it brings
Aren't we forgetting something?
Feed it on the ledge
Feed it on the ledge
Breathe, Breathe, Breathe, Breathe...
HEY!!
And in the heat of noon
You find you're like some dog
Parked up in a field
Medically sealed
Scratching at the windshield
And howling at the glass
And anyone might walk past
Were you not aware?
Were you not aware?
Were you not aware?
Breathe...
The sea of broken lives
Mechanics, doctors, housewives
Feed it on the ledge
Feed it on the ledge
Feed it on the ledge
Breathe, Breathe...
