Subject: CRD: "My Life Is Right" (Big Star)
And here we have another great unknown pop gem from the band whose
entire career was based on obscurity. Notes:
1) The Eb in the verses isn't realy a chord, it's just a walkup note.
All you have to do is play the 1st fret on the D string. That's
it. I'd put it in TAB, but it'd be lonely, since it's the only
bit in that area that requires it. So just remember: Eb1st fret,
D string. Got it? Good.
2) There is some very cool acoustic 12-string guitar stuff going on
underneath the "You give me light" part, but I can't get it
exactly. Here is a rough approximation:
E---------------|---0----|-----------------|-----|
B---------------|---2----|-----------------|-----|
G-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2----|-4p2p0---------2-|-(2)-|
D-2-2-2-2-2-2-4-|--------|-------4p2p0---2-|-(2)-|
A-0-0-0-3h4-----|--------|-------------3p0-|-(0)-|
E---------------|--------|-----------------|-----|
q e e e e e e e q.^h e3e3e e3e3e q q (w)
This isn't exact, and that's last bit sounds like "Unskinny Bop"
by Poison (yeah, I know, it's really "I Know A Little" by
Skynyrd), so I don't like it. But this is as good as I can do
with this bit.
3) "My life's fun is wild?" Bell didn't really say that, did he?
Well, it's the best I can do with it. Any better suggestions are
welcome.
4) There is a piano in here, mostly doing the chords.
5) The vocal harmonies are a large part of this (and almost every Big
Star) song. The most amazing bit comes during the "So right" part.
The backing vox (singing "right") go from G to F# over the G-D
change, and then they go back up from F# to G over the D-A
change, making the A chord an amazing dominant 7th. This is, of
course, a very basic expanation of what is going on here. I'm
sure it's a lot more complicated, but this'll get you started.
"My Life Is Right" (Chris Bell/'? Eubanks)
Performed by Big Star
From the album _#1_Record_ (available on CD with the also-godlike
_Radio_City_)
Transcribed without express permission by Marc Hirsh
(piano only)
[D]Once I [Em]walked a [G]lonely ro[D]ad[Eb]
(guitar enters)
[Em]I had no [C]one to share my [G]load
[D]Then you [Em]came and showed the [G]way[D][Eb]
[Em]Now I [C]hope you're here to [G]stay
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
So [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
[D]Lonely [Em]days of [G]uncertain[D]ty[Eb]
[Em]They disap[C]pear when you're near [G]me
[D]When I'm with [Em]you, my [G]life's fun is [D]wild[Eb]
[Em]And now I [C]long to see you [G]smile
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
So [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
[D]Once I [Em]walked a [G]lonely ro[D]ad[Eb]
[Em]I had no [C]one to share my [G]load
[D]Then you [Em]came and showed the [G]way[D][Eb]
[Em]Now I [C]hope you're here to [G]stay
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
So [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
[--]Marc Hirsh (marc@owlnet.rice.edu)
\ /
^ --"It's easy to be nuts. Try being me."
V (_The_Fisher_King_)
And here we have another great unknown pop gem from the band whose
entire career was based on obscurity. Notes:
1) The Eb in the verses isn't realy a chord, it's just a walkup note.
All you have to do is play the 1st fret on the D string. That's
it. I'd put it in TAB, but it'd be lonely, since it's the only
bit in that area that requires it. So just remember: Eb1st fret,
D string. Got it? Good.
2) There is some very cool acoustic 12-string guitar stuff going on
underneath the "You give me light" part, but I can't get it
exactly. Here is a rough approximation:
E---------------|---0----|-----------------|-----|
B---------------|---2----|-----------------|-----|
G-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2----|-4p2p0---------2-|-(2)-|
D-2-2-2-2-2-2-4-|--------|-------4p2p0---2-|-(2)-|
A-0-0-0-3h4-----|--------|-------------3p0-|-(0)-|
E---------------|--------|-----------------|-----|
q e e e e e e e q.^h e3e3e e3e3e q q (w)
This isn't exact, and that's last bit sounds like "Unskinny Bop"
by Poison (yeah, I know, it's really "I Know A Little" by
Skynyrd), so I don't like it. But this is as good as I can do
with this bit.
3) "My life's fun is wild?" Bell didn't really say that, did he?
Well, it's the best I can do with it. Any better suggestions are
welcome.
4) There is a piano in here, mostly doing the chords.
5) The vocal harmonies are a large part of this (and almost every Big
Star) song. The most amazing bit comes during the "So right" part.
The backing vox (singing "right") go from G to F# over the G-D
change, and then they go back up from F# to G over the D-A
change, making the A chord an amazing dominant 7th. This is, of
course, a very basic expanation of what is going on here. I'm
sure it's a lot more complicated, but this'll get you started.
"My Life Is Right" (Chris Bell/'? Eubanks)
Performed by Big Star
From the album _#1_Record_ (available on CD with the also-godlike
_Radio_City_)
Transcribed without express permission by Marc Hirsh
(piano only)
[D]Once I [Em]walked a [G]lonely ro[D]ad[Eb]
(guitar enters)
[Em]I had no [C]one to share my [G]load
[D]Then you [Em]came and showed the [G]way[D][Eb]
[Em]Now I [C]hope you're here to [G]stay
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
So [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
[D]Lonely [Em]days of [G]uncertain[D]ty[Eb]
[Em]They disap[C]pear when you're near [G]me
[D]When I'm with [Em]you, my [G]life's fun is [D]wild[Eb]
[Em]And now I [C]long to see you [G]smile
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
So [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
[D]Once I [Em]walked a [G]lonely ro[D]ad[Eb]
[Em]I had no [C]one to share my [G]load
[D]Then you [Em]came and showed the [G]way[D][Eb]
[Em]Now I [C]hope you're here to [G]stay
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
You give me [A]light
You are my [A]day
You give me [G]light
And that's [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
So [D]righ[A]t
So [G]righ[D]t
My [D]lif[A]e is [G]righ[D]t
[--]Marc Hirsh (marc@owlnet.rice.edu)
\ /
^ --"It's easy to be nuts. Try being me."
V (_The_Fisher_King_)
