Tracy Chapman - Give Me One Reason Chords & Tabs

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Date: Wed, 20 Nov 96 22:10:05 CST
From: Ben Weiss 
Subject: CRD was REQ: Tracy Chapman, "Give Me One Reason"


My guitar just confirmed what my ear told me: It's a simple 12-bar
blues.  There are a few variations on the pattern, but the one I use
is:

   E7 A7 E7 E7  A7 A7 E7 E7  B7 A7 E7 B7

Here's how it fits with the lyrics:


GIVE ME ONE REASON
On: Tracy Chapman, _New Beginning_
Words & Music: Tracy Chapman

INTRO: Blues progression (above)

        E7                             A7                        E7
CHORUS: Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back around
        A7                                                       E7
        Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back around
                 B7
        'Cause I don't want to leave you lonely
            A7                              E7   B7
        But you've got to make me change my mind

Baby I got your number and I know that you've got mine
Baby I got your number and I know that you've got mine
You can call me baby, you can call me anytime (but you got to call me)

CHORUS

I don't want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my life
I don't want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my life
I just want someone to hold me and rock me through the night

This youthful heart can love you and give you what you need
This youthful heart can love you and give you what you need
But I'm too old to go chasing you around, wasting my precious energy

CHORUS

Baby just give me one reason, give me just one reason why
Baby just give me one reason, give me just one reason why I should stay
Because I told you that I love you and there ain't no more to say

End on E7

                     Give Me One Reason
                  written by Tracy Chapman
            originally performed by Tracy Chapman
                 track #9 on "new beginning"
        transcribed by Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)

This song has a pretty intricate and difficult lead.
However, it sounds really good when you can play it.  Tracy
plays the rhythm electric guitar (basic pattern is tabbed
below), and her guitarist plays the blues lead guitar.

Here are the lyrics and the basic chord progressions for the
song.  The guitar parts are tabbed below.

Chords used:
F#=244322 B=x24442  C#=x46664

Lyrics:
F#   B    C#   F#        B    C#   F#   C#   B    F#
[intro]
F#                            B       C#
Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back
F#
around.
F#                            B       C#
Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back
F#
around.
C#
I said I don't wanna leave you lonely,
B                            F#
You've gotta make me change my mind.
F#                   B     C#              F#
Baby I got your number and I know that you got mine.
F#                     B      C#           F#
You know that I called you, I called too many times.
C#
You can call me baby
        B                          F#
You can call anytime, but you got to call me.
F#                            B       C#
Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back
F#
around.
F#                            B       C#
Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back
F#
around.

C#
I said I don't wanna leave you lonely,
B                            F#
You've gotta make me change my mind.
F#                              B         C#
I don't want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my
F#
life.
F#                              B          C#
I don't want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my
F#
life.


       C#
I just want someone to hold me,
B                      F#
And rock me through the night.
F#                            B    C#             F#
This youthful heart can love you and give you what you need.
F#                                   B  C#
I said this youthful heart can love you and give you what
     F#
you need.
        C#
But I'm too old to go chasing around,
B                   F#
Wastin' my precious energy.
F#                            B       C#
Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back
F#
around.
F#                            B       C#
Give me one reason to stay here and I'll turn right back
F#
around.
C#
I said I don't wanna leave you lonely,
B                            F#
You've gotta make me change my mind.
F#                          B      C#            F#
Baby just give me one reason, give me just one reason why.
F#                          B      C#            F#
Baby just give me one reason, give me just one reason why
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/t/tracy_chapman/give_me_one_reason_tab_ver_2.html ]
I should stay here.
C#                               B
Because I told you that I loved you, and there ain't no more
F#
to say.
TAB notation:
P: pull off
h: hammer on
/: slide up
\: slide down
b: 1/4 bend
B: 1/2 bend
Bb: full bend
~: vibrato
r: release bend
<->: hold bend (until released)
*: palm mute
pb: prebend

Tracy's part:
Intro:
        F#       B    C#    F#                    B
E---------2-----2-----2------4-----2-----2-----2-----2------
B---------2-----2-----4------6-----2-----2-----2-----2------
G---------3---3-3-----4----6-6-----3---3-3-----3---3-3------
D---------4---4-4-----4----6-------4---4-4-----4---4-4------
A-------------4---0-2----4-------------4-----------4---0-2--
E-0-0-0-2---2------------------0-2---2-----0-2---2----------

    C#    F#                   C#         B
-2------4-----2-----2-----2-----2-----4-----4-----2-----2---
-4------6-----2-----2-----2-----2-----6-----6-----4-----4---
-4----6-6-----3---3-3-----3---3-3-----6---6-6-----4---4-4---
-4----6-------4---4-4-----4---4-4-----6---6-------4---4-----
----4-------------4-----------4---0-4---4-----0-2---2-------
----------0-2---2-----0-2---2-------------------------------

 F#
-----2-----2------2-----2--|
-----2-----2------2-----2--|
-----3---3-3------3---3-3--|
-----4---4-4------4---4-4--|
-----4---4--------4---4----|
-0-2---2------0-2---2------|
(this pattern repeats throughout the entire song)

lead guitar part:
verse 2:
E-----------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------12B13-----------------------------
G----------11----14h11~---------13B14r13--11h13p11~---------
D----11h13----13--------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------------------------------------
--7\5--------------12B13r12-10----10B11--9b-9b-7-4---7-9b10-
------4B5r4--2-----------------11------------------8--------
----------------4~------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------12-----------------------
-\5---7---9B10--------------12Bb14----14r12p10--12p10-------
---------------11~--9B10r9-----------------------------11~--

------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
-5/7\5--5--5-----5------------------------------------------
--------4b-4b-2--4p2------------4B5--5r4--4p2---------------
----------------------4~----2*----------------4~------------

----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------5b--7Bb9r8B9--9r7h5--------5b--7-7p5------------
-------5--7--7-----------------------7--7-------------7---7-----
---/6---------------------------------------------------6----4--

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------5b-----------9Bb11--11r9-------------7--9--------
---7---7---------------9B10-10r9--7-----10B12--------------/8---8------------------8--


----------------------9b------11b------12-------------------
-9pb10r9p7---7-------10b------12b------12Bb14r13B14---------
-----------8----/11-------11-------11-----------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------12-----------12Bb14------14r12---10--12Bb14--10h12~--10h12--


-----------------------------------------------------------
---12pb14r12p10--12p10b------------------------------------
--------------------------11~---9--------------------------
------------------------------------11--11\9---7-----------
---------------------------------------------------9~~~----
-----------------------------------------------------------

That's basically the entire song.  There are two more riffs
in the last two verses that I thought were neat.  Here they
are (sorry, I don't remember where they go, or what chords
support them).

riff 1:
-------14-------16-------18---------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
--/15------/16------/18-------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------

riff 2:
-17b-17b-14-----------------14------------------------------
------------17p14--------14----------------17---------------
------------------16Bb18-------16B17r16-14-16B17r16-14------
-------------------------------------------------------16---
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------

There rest of the song is just a guitar ad lib.  So, that's
all everybody.  Have fun.

transcribed by: Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)