Chord/Tab song: I'm a Man

Song: I'm A Man
Artist: Pulp
Album: This Is Hardcore (1998)
Writers: Banks/Cocker/Doyle/Mackey/Webber

Transcribed by a little soul
([email protected])

Notes: A quite good song on the Hardcore disc. I must
confess that it is _not_ one of my favorites on this
album ('Dishes' anyone? - I've got to bloody get that
one transcribed), but it is a good song nonetheless
and a lot of people quite like it. I was quite
surprised to find out once I'd got the chords down
that it was not in the OLGA archive because like most
of that album it is fairly easy to play (although Jarv
and company have been known to throw us a few
curveballs in the style of, say, 'Seductive Barry'.) I
love Pulp and this album introduced me to them (I'm
Canadian and Common People barely made a ripple here)
and it still holds a good deal of personal
significance to me as I look back on it because
beneath all the satire, social humor and fretting
about getting old, there is a genuine balladeer's
heart that adds to the hurt of all those previous bits
I mentioned. (And 'Sylvia' and 'Dishes' are romantic,
sort of). Ah well on to the song then!

Effects: For the chords nothing special is necessary;
it really is your call.

Tuning: Standard tuning (EADGBE)

Time signature: 4/4

I've not made an effort to map out the song's
structure as it is quite simple. (The chorus always
follows the verse, etc.) Nor have I given Candida's
keys a shot or Mark's guitars in this transcription as
they are a bit over my head. Forgive any innacuracies
which may be the result of a pair of inexpensive Radio
Shack 'Nova 440' headphones which happened to be on
sale and were all my budget could mustre. :)

Chords:

There really are two ways of playing this song. The
first is the most straightforward method, and it is
with major barred chords which lends the sliding
flavor that the song needs. (I've only printed the
easiest - E shaped - method here and the one most
people are wont to use, but again you can use any
chord shape that suits you).

E - 022100
[A]B [-]- [577655]799877
[G] [-] [355433]
[F#-] [244322]
The second is with power chords. Again, I've used only
the E shaped method, but anything that suits you is
usable. To play these in the stead of the major chords
(it might sound better), insert a '5' after each chord
mentioned above and below. Then, when playing the
chords (assuming you are using the same shaped chords
I've used above) leave the top three (highest pitched
strings) unstruck. (You needn't keep your middle
finger on the strings in this case; you may want it to
rest on the G/third string to mute it).

Verse:

E (2 bars)
A (1 bar)
B (1 bar)

(a few times then):

[E]...me-e-e-[B]e

Chorus:

E (4 bars)
A (4 bars)
B (4 bars)

then:

[B] [A] [E]

...to a ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-an

(this is done a few times)

Towards the end in live versions that last part is
played:

[B] [A] [G] [E]

...to a ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-an

but on the This Is Hardcore CD this is not done,
although it is a nice touch and makes for a more
roughly satirical conclusion. (My source on the above
is a 'napstered' boot, and a rather nasty sounding one
at that. I'm still quite glad that 'Like a Friend' is
on the Canadian This Is Hardcore CD, but then I'm
digressing).

But then at the very end (after all the instruments
are no longer played and just feed back for a bit)
Jarvis says in all versions:

[A] [G] [F#] [E]

...to a ma--a--a--an

and over the 'that's what I am' part no chord is
played.

That's all! :) Enjoy and please do send me an email if
you've got anything you'd like to share...

Bye bye