Needle In The Hay Chords & Tabs
Lowell Bower
wingjamr@hotmail.com
This tablature is derived from another Elliott Smith tab done by Ryan Ramirez.
Both his tab and my additions were all our own work. I pretty much just took his
tab and then spread it out and fine-tuned it. It's actually a pretty easy song to
learn.
The basic layout is: INTRO x2
CHORUS x2
VERSE 1 x2 (1st time)
VERSE 2
CHORUS x2
VERSE 1 x4 (2nd time)
VERSE 2
CHORUS x2
VERSE 1 x2 (3rd time)
BRIDGE
VERSE 3 x4
CHORUS x2
FINAL CHORUS x2
SHORT BRIDGE x2
OUTRO
Key: /\ = 2 half-notes, 1 down-stroke and 1 up-stroke
Needle in the Hay by Elliott Smith (Aug 6, 1969-Oct. 21, 2003 rest in peace)
from the album Elliott Smith.
_______________________INTRO x2______________________
/ \
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|-0-0-0-0---------|
D|-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|
A|---------3-3-3-3-|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|---------0-0-0-0-|
E|-----------------|-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|
_____________
/
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|---0-0-1-2-2-2-2-|
D|-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-0-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A|---------3-3-3-3-|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-----------------|-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|
Needle in
________CHORUS x2_____________________________________
*last time go to FINAL CHORUS\
e|-----------------|------|----------|-----------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-1-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-0-|
D|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|
A|-0-0-0-0-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-0-0-0-0-|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
the hay Needle in the hay
_VERSE 1_(1ST time x2)_(2nd time x4)_(3rd time x2 to *)_
/ * \
e|-----------------|-----------------|--------|--------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-0-0-0-0---------|-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|
D|-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-|
A|---------0-0-0-0-|---------3-3-3-3-|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-0-0-0-0---------|
Your hand on his arm, the hay stack charm around your neck
Strung out and thin, calling some friend trying to cash some check
He's wearing your clothes, head down to toes, a reaction to you
You say you know what he did, but you idiot kid, you don't have a clue
_______________________VERSE 2______________________
/ *Back to CHORUS
e|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|-|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-0-0-0-0---------|-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|
D|-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-|
A|---------0-0-0-0-|---------2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|
E|-----------------|---------0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0---------|
He's acting dumb, that's what you've come, to expect
Sometimes they just get caught in the eye, you're pulling him through
Am FM7 Am FM7 C E
________________________BRIDGE_______________________
/
e|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0--------|
B|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------0--------|
G|-2\/-/-/-2-/-/-/-|-2-/-/-/\2-/-/-/-|-0-/-/-/\1-/-/-/\-|
D|-2-------3-------|-2-------3-------|-2-------2--------|
A|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-3-------2--------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|---------0--------|
F(bar) G(bar) E Am F(bar)
______________________________________________________
e|-1----------------|-3-------0--------|-0-------1-------|
B|-1----------------|-3-------0--------|-1-------1-------|
G|-2-/-/-/-/-/-/-/\-|-4-/-/-/\1-/-/-/\-|-2-/-/-/\2-/-/-/-|
D|-3----------------|-5-------2--------|-2-------3-------|
A|-3----------------|-5-------2--------|-0-------3-------|
E|-1----------------|-3-------0--------|---------1-------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/e/elliott_smith/needle_in_the_hay_tab_ver_2.html ]
________
\
e|-1---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-1---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-2-/-/-/-0-/-/-/-|-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-|-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-|
D|-3-------2-------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-3-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-1---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-----------------|---------0-------|-0-------0-------|
B|-----------------|---------1-------|-1-------1-------|
G|-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-|-/-/-/-/-2-/-/-x-|-2-/-/-x-2-/-/-x-|
D|-----------------|---------2-----x-|-3-----x-2-----x-|
A|-----------------|---------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Now on the bus
e|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
B|-1-------1-------|-0-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
G|-2-/-/-x-0-/-/-/-|-1-/-/-/-2-/-/-/-|-2-/-/-/-2-/-/-/-|
D|-3-----x-2-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------2-------|
A|-0-------3-------|-2-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
nearly touching this dirty retreat, Falling out
_____________________VERSE 3 x4______________________
/ \
e|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
B|-1-------1-------|-0-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
G|-2-/-/-/-0-/-/-/-|-1-/-/-/-2-/-/-/-|-2-/-/-/-2-/-/-/-|
D|-3-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------2-------|
A|-0-------3-------|-2-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
6th and Powell a dead sweat in my teeth, Gonna walk, walk, walk
4 more blocks, plus the one in my brain Down downstairs
To the man, He's gonna make it all OK I can't be myself
I can't be myself, then I don't want to talk I'm taking the cure
e|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-1---------------|
B|-1-------1-------|-0-------1-------|-1---------------|
G|-2-/-/-/-0-/-/-/-|-1-/-/-/-2-/-/-/-|-2-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-|
D|-3-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-3---------------|
A|-0-------3-------|-2-------0-------|-3---------------|
E|-----------------|-0---------------|-1---------------|
So I can be quiet wherever I want, So leave me alone
*back to CHORUS
e|-3-------0-------|-0-------1-------|---------------|-|
B|-3-------0-------|-1-------1-------|-----------------|
G|-4-/-/-/-1-/-/-/-|-2-/-/-/-2-/-/-/-|-/-/-/-/-0-/-/-/-|
D|-5-------2-------|-2-------3-------|---------2-------|
A|-5-------2-------|-0-------3-------|---------0-------|
E|-3-------0-------|---------1-------|-----------------|
You ought to be proud that I'm getting good marks
____________FINAL CHORUS x2 (2nd time from *)___________
/ *
e|------------------|-|------------0---|-------------0---|
B|------------------|--------------1---|-------------1---|
G|-2-/-/-/-/-/-/-/\-|-0-/-/-/-/\/1-2-/-|-/-/-/-/-/-/\0-/-|
D|-3----------------|-2----------2-2---|-------------2---|
A|-3----------------|-0----------0-----|-------------3---|
E|------------------|------------------|-----------------|
Needle in the hay
____________________________ ________SHORT BRIDGE x2__
\ /
e|----------1-------|---------0--------|-0-------0-------|
B|--------0-1-------|---------1--------|-1-------1-------|
G|-/-/-/\/1-2-/-/-/-|-/-/-/-/\2-/-/-/\-|-2-/-/-/-2-/-/-/\|
D|--------2-3-------|---------2--------|-3-------2-------|
A|--------3-3-------|---------0--------|-0-------0-------|
E|----------1-------|------------------|-----------------|
Needle in the hay
____________________________ _______________OUTRO______
\/
e|-0-------0--------|-0----------------|-----------------|
B|-1-------1--------|-0----------------|-----------------|
G|-2-/-/-/-0-/-/-/\-|-1-/-/-/\-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D|-3-------2--------|-2--------2-2-2-0-|-3-3-3-0-2-2-2-0-|
A|-0-------3--------|-2----------------|-----------------|
E|------------------|-0----------------|-----------------|
______________________________________________________
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|
D|-3-3-3-0-2-2-2-0-|-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-0-0-0-0-|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
_____________________________________________________
\
e|-----------------|-----------------|---------1------||
B|-----------------|-----------------|---------1------||
G|-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-1-/-/-/-2------||
D|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-0-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-2-------3------||
A|-----------------|-----------------|-2-------3------||
E|-----------------|-----------------|-0-------1------||
