Chord/Tab song: This Island Life

Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 22:24:23 -0500
From: Bryson Meunier
Subject: TAB:"This Island Life" by "Violent Femmes"

"THIS ISLAND LIFE" by the Violent Femmes

>From the album "NEW TIMES"(1994)
Written by Gordon Gano
Transcribed by Bryson Meunier

Here's a pretty cool song off of "New Times." It should be right but
if it's not(or if you just have additions, comments or questions) e-mail me
at meunier.1@osu.edu

intro(clean electric)-
B5 (palm mute)

E-----------------------------|
B-----------------------------|
G-----------------------------|
D------------4--4--4--4-------| (strum quietly)
A-----0---2--2--2--2--2-------|
E-----------------------------|

A lot of the verse just sounds like straight bass. The guitar
pattern that I could decipher sounds like this:
verse-
"This tea is too strong for me..."

E----------------------------------------------|
B----------------------------------------------|
G----------------------------------------------|
D-----------------4---4---4\5---4----2----4----|
A----0---2----2--------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------|

repeat that a couple of times and then go into this:

E-----------------------------------------------|
B-----------------------------------------------|
G-----------------------------------------------|
D--------------9--9--9\10---9---7---9-----------|
A----0--7--7------------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------|

The chorus is just an A chord followed by a B5
"This Island Life..."
[A] [B5]

E-----------------------------------------------|
B----2------------------------------------------|
G----2-----(strum)----------4-------------------|
D----2----------------------4-------------------|
A---------------------------2-------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------|

The overdub part of the solo sounds like this:

E----------------------------------------------------|
B--7~~~~~~~----8p7~~~~~~~------7p0-------------------|
G-------------------------7h9---------------7--------|
D--------------------------------------7h9------(9)--|
A----------------------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------------|
B--------------------------------7--7\8----7--7--7\8-|
G---------------7-------8--------7--7\8----7--7--7\8-|
D---------7h9-------9--------------------------------|
A---7h9----------------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------------|
E--0--0--0-------9h10----7h9p7----5h7p5-------------|
B--5--8--7--------------------------------7---------|
G---------------------------------------------7---4-|
D---------------------------------------------------|
A---------------------------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------------------|

lyrics:

This tea's too strong for me
As I await yoir company
I had too much sun today
Ocean waters wash away
Nothing but the present
Presenting its presence
This island life
Separate my right from my wrong

No I am not pagan
but my heart has been forsaken
And the hand of God was on my mind
It took some time from time to time
Now in the course I know
Time itself will go when
(chorus)
You forgot your shoes and I
I have sent a message but I
There's so many stars in the sky
It's the truths that will not lie
There's a young wild native maiden
Running mad and barefoot to the sea until

(chorus)

This island life
Finally separates my right from my wrong

(guitar solo)
This tea's too strong for me
As I await more company
I had too much sun today
Dream of lands lying far away
Pregnant with the present
Presenting its presents
This island life
Separate my right from my wrong
This island life
Will separate my rights from my songs
Separate my right from wrong

(electric sitar outro)