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Know Your Onion

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C#minor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

1/30

Tempo 80 BPMVol

Sound:

Position

Step 1 / 30Position: 7

1 index2 middle3 ring4 pinkyO openSpace = play/pause

The ground work for this comes from the previous tab, but I've fixed some bits and 
added little touches here and there that were left out. It should be noted that 
James Mercer plays this song high up on the neck, so he uses a 5th root E barre 
chord and the B on the same fret. It also sounds much better this way.
[Intro]
e|------------|
B|------------|
G|-8-6-4-2-1--|
D|------------|
A|------------|
E|-7-5-4-2-0--|
then
   E     Bx4
SEhut oBut, pimpEled and Bangry
I quEietly Btied all my gAuts into knBots
EGave uBp on trEying to maBke them
I FEigured it'd taBke them too loAng to look upB  
C#mAnd besides, it was uG#ndeniably clAear to me, I don't know wEhy
When every oAther part of lEife seemed loDcked behind sAhutters
I knBew the worthless dregs we've always been
ELucked oBut, found my favEourite reBcord
ELying in wBait at the BiArmingham MBall
EThe soBngs that I heEard, the occBasional bEook
Were the oBnly fAun I evBer tookG#  
And I gAot on with maBking myEself
(Instrumental, listen for timing to change from E to A, easy to see when Mercer plays it live)
E                  A    B
E                  A    B
G#Now the tArick is jBust making yourselfC  
CBut when they're parking their cars on your cheGst
GYou've still got a view of the summer skCy
CTo make it hurt twice when your reGstless body caves to it's whCim
CAnd suddenly struggles to take fliBght
[Riff]
e|-------------------|
B|-------------------|
G|-----0-------------|
D|-------------------|
A|---2---------------|
E|-3-----7-----------|
[Alternating Pluck]
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-|
E|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---|
[Rundown]
e|------------|
B|------------|
G|-8-6-4-2-1--|
D|------------|
A|------------|
E|-7-5-4-2-0--|
(Instead of rundown riff, Chords B A G#m F#m can be played here)
EThree thousand miBles north-eEast
I leBft all my frEiends at the moBrning bAus stop shBaking their heEads
E"What kind of lBife you dream Eof? You're aBllergic to Elove"
Yes I kBnow but I mAust say in mBy own deC#mfense
It's been uG#ndeniably deaAr to me, I don't know Ewhy
When every oAther part of lEife seemed lDocked behind shAutters
I kBnew the worthless dregs we are
The selfless, loving saints we are
The melting, sliding dice we've always beEen
I hope this helps. It took me a while to find out which chord the A was in the
"when every other part" section, but I watched a few live performances to get it.
It sounded odd at first, but most definitely right.
NOTE: During the break (C and G, when they're parking their cars on your chest),
during live performances James uses open chords for the C and G and plays the
bottom strings for the B. It gives a different tone and sounds much better.
Alternatively, for the Intro and Rundown, you can simply play B A G#m F#m E.

All chords in this song (8)

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Know Your Onion

by The Shins

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

C#m

The ground work for this comes from the previous tab, but I've fixed some bits and

added little touches here and there that were left out. It should be noted that

James Mercer plays this song high up on the neck, so he uses a 5th root E barre

chord and the B on the same fret. It also sounds much better this way.

[Intro]

e|------------|

B|------------|

G|-8-6-4-2-1--|

D|------------|

A|------------|

E|-7-5-4-2-0--|

then

E B

E B E B

Shut out, pimpled and angry

E B A B

I quietly tied all my guts into knots

E B E B

Gave up on trying to make them

E B A B

I Figured it'd take them too long to look up

C#m G# A E

And besides, it was undeniably clear to me, I don't know why

A E D A

When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters

I knew the worthless dregs we've always been

E B E B

Lucked out, found my favourite record

E B A B

Lying in wait at the Birmingham Mall

E B E B E

The songs that I heard, the occasional book

B A B G#

Were the only fun I ever took

A B E

And I got on with making myself

(Instrumental, listen for timing to change from E to A, easy to see when Mercer plays it live)

E A B

G# A B C

Now the trick is just making yourself

C G

But when they're parking their cars on your chest

G C

You've still got a view of the summer sky

C G C

To make it hurt twice when your restless body caves to it's whim

C B

And suddenly struggles to take flight

[Riff]

e|-------------------|

B|-------------------|

G|-----0-------------|

D|-------------------|

A|---2---------------|

E|-3-----7-----------|

[Alternating Pluck]

e|---------------------------------|

B|---------------------------------|

G|---------------------------------|

D|---------------------------------|

A|---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-|

E|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---|

[Rundown]

e|------------|

B|------------|

G|-8-6-4-2-1--|

D|------------|

A|------------|

E|-7-5-4-2-0--|

(Instead of rundown riff, Chords B A G#m F#m can be played here)

E B E

Three thousand miles north-east

B E B A B E

I left all my friends at the morning bus stop shaking their heads

E B E B E

"What kind of life you dream of? You're allergic to love"

B A B C#m

Yes I know but I must say in my own defense

G# A E

It's been undeniably dear to me, I don't know why

A E D A

When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters

I knew the worthless dregs we are

The selfless, loving saints we are

The melting, sliding dice we've always been

I hope this helps. It took me a while to find out which chord the A was in the

"when every other part" section, but I watched a few live performances to get it.

It sounded odd at first, but most definitely right.

NOTE: During the break (C and G, when they're parking their cars on your chest),

during live performances James uses open chords for the C and G and plays the

bottom strings for the B. It gives a different tone and sounds much better.

Alternatively, for the Intro and Rundown, you can simply play B A G#m F#m E.

About Know Your Onion Chords by The Shins

Learn how to play Know Your Onion by The Shins with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Know Your Onion chords”, “Know Your Onion guitar chords”, or “The Shins Know Your Onion chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Know Your Onion chords and for experienced players who want accurate Know Your Onion lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, B, G, D, A, C#m.

FAQ — Know Your Onion by The Shins

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What key is "Know Your Onion" in?

The chords for "Know Your Onion" show the original chord names (including E, B, G, D, A, C#m). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.