Brave New World Michael Penn
Wow, is this a good song. This is actually a transcription of an
acoustic version only available on the promo single of "Seen The
Doctor," which I recommend you look for in used CD stores. Anyway,
as always, some notes:
1) Why am I transcribing a version that nobody has heard from a
single that nobody has? Well, several reasons. First off, it's
just a cool damn version. Second, I actually had this CD before I
got _March_, which has the original (and I saw him on _Unplugged_
in the early early days playing this and was blown away). Third,
and maybe most importantly, this version has only one guitar. The
album version has many, with changes in dynamics and all that
stuff using electric and acoustic guitars. Here, we have just one
simple acoustic. This makes it easy to figure out what's going on
(you don't have to figure out how each guitar part contributes to
the song) and easy to play, since many of us can only play one
guitar at a time. This isn't *too* much different from the album
version. If nothing else, this will give you a good stepping
stone to The True Way.
2) Feel is much more important than accuracy. Don't concentrate on
hitting exactly what I've got here. Missing a note or two or
hitting a string accidentally makes the song sound much more
authentic than a perfect rendition of what I've transcribed.
Especially during the solo. Listen to the recording and try to
replicate the attitude, not the notes.
3) TECHNICALLY, this song is in 12/8 (with a little 9/8 during the
"solo"). That would be an absolute bastard to write out and
nobody would understand it. Therefore, I'm making it 4/4 (and 3/4
during the solo) with a swing feel. Folks seem to understand
that. Trust me, it makes things a lot less confusing.
4) The main difference between this and the album version is the
middle section. It's a pain in the ass because it keeps changing
time signatures, which I've tried to point out. This version is
much simpler, though still tough.
5) The falsetto bits in the chorus ("*This* ain't no Golden...,"
"*Let's* drive into...") is really annoying for those of us with
extremely bad falsettos. You may have to fake it somehow.
6) Yes, there are a *lot* of words. You will be very surprised at how
fast you can memorize them. Don't sweat it too much.
"Brave New World" (Michael Penn)
Performed by Michael Penn
the album _March_)
Transcribed pointlessly and without permission by Marc Hirsh
Notation:
s - sixteenth note
e - eighth note
q - quarter note
h - half note
w - whole note
. - play note for one and a half times the value before it (just like a dot in
standard notation)
^ - ties two note lengths together
NOTE LENGTHS IN CAPITAL LETTERS MEAN REST FOR THAT VALUE OF TIME!
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
4/4 with a swing feel (swing 8ths)
(acoustic guitar - heavily palm muted)
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------| E-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
(just barely palm muted)
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0---------------|-0---3---0-------|-0---------------|-0---3---0-------| E-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0---------------|-0---3---0-------|-0---------------|-0---3---0-------| E-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
(This is figure A - don't play it right now, play it over the verses
where there's an A5 chord)
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------| E-----3---0---3---|-----3---0---3---|-----3---0---3---|-----3---0---3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
[A5]Baby's busy hiding in the bassinet
[A5]Wondering if the Third World War's started yet
I [A5]told her I was pulling up and heading West
She [A5]said she would have come but she was overdressed
I [A5]sent a picture postcard of a Midwest bank
She [A5]wrote me that she showed it to her new friend Frank
Who [A5]noticed in a window on the nineteenth floor
A [A5]guy my age about to prove that Man can't soar
D7 (start playing full chords, not muted)
And he would also like to know
If I could [C7]just check around before I left this town
For [Em]slow-mo footage of the tumbledown
[A]This may not be my [Amaj7]best day
[D]
E-2-2-|-2-x-0-2-0--| (this fill isn't on the album, B-3-3-|-3-x-3-3-3--| if I remember, but it's on G-2-2-|-2-x-2-2-2--| this version and is very D-0-0-|-0-x-0-0-0--| cool. It's as if everything A-----|------------| stops while the acoustic E-----|------------| sets everything back up)
F#m h h e e q q q
But this ain't no Golden Age
[A]You looked pretty on the [Amaj7]freeway
[F#m]Let's drive into that [F]Brave New World
(just barely palm muted)
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0---------------|-0---3---0-------|-0---------------|-0---3---0-------| E-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
[A5]A van pulls up and someone offers me a ride
The [A5]driver lost the map and he was terrified
[A5]Everybody whispering to save his pride
Say, "[A5]Son, would you be kind enough to be our guide?"
The [A5]driver yells, "The man in back already tried,
But his [A5]memory is rusty and his vision tied."
[A5]Glasses and a lubricant were by his side
The [A5]Tin Man was inanimate, the Lion lied
D7 (full chords, not muted)
They did not want to see me go
But I did [C7]not want to be another muskateer
Plus the [Em]gas runs out before the van's in gear
[A]Please don't hit me if I [Amaj7]do say
[D]
E-2-2-|-2-x-0-2-0-| B-3-3-|-3-x-3-3-3-| G-2-2-|-2-x-2-2-2-| D-0-0-|-0-x-0-0-0-| A-----|-----------| E-----|-----------|
F#m h h e e q q q
That this ain't no Golden Age
[A]You looked so pretty on the [Amaj7]freeway
[F#m]Let's drive into that [F]Brave New World
SOLO
(3/4 time) (back to 4/4)
E-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-|---------|---0--0-0-|---0--0-0-| B-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-|---------|---0--0-0-|---0--0-0-| G-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-|---------|---0--0-0-|---0--0-0-| D-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-|---------|-2----2-2-|-2----2-2-| A-0-1-2-|-------|-0-1-2-|-------|-0-1-2---|-2----2-2-|-2----2-2-| E-------|-------|-------|-------|-------3-|-0----0-0-|-0----0-0-|
q q q h e e q q q h e e q q q q q q. e q q q. e q
(back to 3/4)
E---------|---------|-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-| B---------|---------|-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-| G---------|---------|-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-| D---------|---------|-------|-3-3-3-|-------|-3-3-3-| A-7-7-5-5-|-4-3-2-1-|-0-1-2-|-------|-0-1-2-|-------| E---------|---------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
q q q q q q q q q q q h e e q q q h e e
(and back to 4/4)
E---------|---7---7-|---7---7-| B---------|---8---8-|---8---8-| G---------|---9---9-|---9---9-| D---------|---------|---------| A-0-1-2---|---------|---------| E-------3-|-0---0---|-0---0---|
q q q q q q q q q q q q
(heavily palm muted)
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------| E-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
(there's a horse neighing here somewhere, though I have no idea why)
(just barely palm muted)
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0---------------|-0---3---0-------|-0---------------|-0---3---0-------| E-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
[A5]Buster and his company look good in black
[A5]Trying to find a way out of the cul-de-sac
[A5]Tearing through the phone book and the almanac
They [A5]all have dusty noses 'cause they sniff shellac
They [A5]finally found the number of a matador
Who [A5]rode in a Beemer with a pricey whore
But [A5]Buster wasn't quick enough, he locked the door
And [A5]rode off saying he'd be back before the war
D7 (full chords, no muting)
By then the night was falling slow
And I did [C7]not want to stick around and just look old
When I [Em]saw you pulling onto my soft shoulder
(now, on the album, everything kinda stops while a single guitar
takes over for the full band. On this version, the acoustic just
keeps on chugging at full speed. Kinda changes the mood of the song)
[A]This may not be my [Amaj7]best day
[D]
E-2-2-|-2-x-0-2-0-| B-3-3-|-3-x-3-3-3-| G-2-2-|-2-x-2-2-2-| D-0-0-|-0-x-0-0-0-| A-----|-----------| E-----|-----------|
F#m h h e e q q q
But this ain't no Golden Age
[A]You looked pretty on the [Amaj7]freeway
[F#m]Let's drive into that [F]Brave New
(just barely palm muted)
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0---------------|-0---3---0-------|-0---------------|-0---3---0-------| E-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
World
[A5]
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2-| A-0---------------|-0---3---0-------|-0---------------|-0---3---0-------| E-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|-----3---0---3---|-------------3---|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
(repeat and fade - or end suddenly on an A5)
All of the chords you'll need to know:
[A5] [D7] [C7] [Em] [A] [Amaj7] [F#m] [D] [F]
E---|-2-|-0-|-0-|-0-|--0--|-2-|-2-|-1-| B---|-1-|-1-|-0-|-2-|--2--|-2-|-3-|-1-| G-2-|-2-|-3-|-0-|-2-|--1--|-2-|-2-|-2-| D-2-|-0-|-2-|-2-|-2-|--2--|-4-|-0-|-3-| A-0-|---|-3-|-2-|-0-|--0--|-4-|---|-3-| E---|---|---|-0-|---|-----|-2-|---|-1-|
[--]
\ /
^ --"I'm breathing but it's become a chore."
V (Michael Penn)
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