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Train Wreck

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Bminor

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Tab: "Train Wreck (Demo Version)" by Glen Phillips
He changes how he plays it live but it's mostly just moving the capo. 
a couple of things about this song... first of all, most of the
song (guitarwise) consists of simple arpeggiated chords, so i
won't go into much detail there. if you follow the chord
structure of the song, you'll be fine. i've given the first verse
as an example though... there's also an acoustic guitar during the
bridge and ending that strums the same chords that i've omitted,
but not ignored.
this transcription is based on the recorded demo, but, at the end,
i've also given a few variations that glen does live.
Capo 4 (Guitars 1 and 3)
Except where noted, all tab is for Guitar 1.
Intro:
|--D------------------|--------------------|
|--3--------3--------|--3--------3--------|
|--2--2-----2--2-----|--2--2-----2--2-----|
|--0--4-----2--4-----|--0--4-----2--4-----|
|--------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------|
Verse:
|--D------------|--G------------|--D------------|--Bm------------|
|--------------|--------------|--------3-----|--------3-----|
|--------2-----|--0-----------|-----2--------|-----4--------|
|--0-----------|--0-----0-----|--0-----------|--4-----------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
|--G------------|--Em------------|--D------|--A------|
|--------3-----|-----------0--|--3-----|--2-----|
|-----0--------|-----0--------|--2-----|--2-----|
|--0-----------|--2-----------|--------|--------|
|--------------|--------------|--------|--------|
|--------------|--------------|--------|--------|
Dshe looked just like a train wreck
that Gcould've been avoided
in a Dthird world country
by a Bmlong stretch of farmland
where the Gwaters have run high
run the Emtopsoil down the river
so that Dnext year there'll be no cropsA  
she was as desperate as a salesman
at a company that's folding
but they haven't told the staff yet
they're bankrupt and back-ordered
and they're funneling the pensions
to the CEO's back pockets
so in one week they'll have nothing
Chorus:
|--G------------|--D---|--Bm---------|--F#---------|
|--------3-----|-----|--------3--|--2--------|
|--0-----------|-----|--4--------|--------3--|
|--------------|--4--|-----------|--------4--|
|--------------|-----|-----------|-----------|
|--------------|-----|-----------|-----------|
|--G------A---|--Bm------A---|
|-----------|-----------|
|--5-----2--|-----------|
|--4-----2--|--4-----2--|
|-----------|--2-----0--|
|-----------|-----------|
miss you Gnow
hope you're Dfine
good luck, Bmlove
or goodF#bye
or GgoodbyeA  Bm  A  
|--D--------------|-------------|
|----------------|-------------|
|--------2--2-2--|-----2--2-2--|
|--0-----4--2h4--|-----4--2h4--|
|----------------|-------------|
|----------------|-------------|
Verse:
she was the Dgirl from central casting
always plGayed the sweet young orphan
or the hoDoker with the heart of gold
Bmbut she got her SAG card pulled
turns trickGs down on Cahuenga
she Emtells herself it's research for her nexDt
greatest roleA  
Chorus:
Gmiss your light
your eager eyeDs
good luckBm, love
or goodbF#ye
gooGdbye
The last two measures of the chorus (G A Bm A) are played twice
this time, and Guitar 2 enters, playing the two measures below.
(Guitar 2 is transcribed without a capo).
|---------14--14----------14--14---|---------14--14--14--13--|
|--14h16-----------14h16-----------|--14h16------------------|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------|
Bridge:
Bmshe'll call you up
Bjust to hear you say she's Emfine
then she's Dgone aCway
and you Amknow there's F#only
Bmone more time you'll Ehear about her aAgain
Verse:
well it's lifDe informing art
informing lGife again like every stupid kid
who thinks Dthat they're the first in pain
first to rip Emthemselves apart
first to try to lDive without a heart
Chorus:
wanna seGe your face
even heaDr your lies
good lBmuck love
or gF#oodbye
miss Gyou now
hope yDou're fine
good luBmck girl
or gooF#dbye
or goGodbye
goodbye
Ending:
Guitar 1 continues repeating the last two measures of the chorus.
Guitar 2 plays the same two measure pattern it played before
  throughout the ending.
Guitar 3 enters, playing the first two measures below twice, and
  then repeats the second two measures below, roughly,
  throughout the ending.
||---G---2--2-----A---0--0-----|--Bm------------A-------||
||---3--------3--2--------2--|-----3--3-----2------||
||*--------------------------|--4--------4--2--2--*||
||*--------------------------|--------------------*||
||---------------------------|---------------------||
||---------------------------|---------------------||
||----------------|--------------------------------||
||---3-2--2-2-----|--------------------3-----------||
||*--4p2--2h4-----|--2h4----------2-2--4--4p2-----*||
||*------------4--|--0-0--2h4--2--2h4----------4--*||
||----------------|--------------------------------||
||----------------|--------------------------------||
Live Variations:
The way Glen plays this live now is pretty much like it is on the
demo, except without the extended ending. (and of course, without
the band). One thing that he does is he usually replaces the first
G chord in the chorus with a Gadd9 (32023x)... He also plays the
last three measures of the chorus a little more elaborately:
   F#(add4)            G(maj7)       A             G/B  A/C#  
|-----------------|-----2--------|---------------------------|
|-----------0--2--|-----0--------|----------3----------2-----|
|-----3-----------|--------0--2--|-------------0----------2--|
|--------4--------|-----------2--|-------0-------------------|
|-----------------|-----------0--|--0h2-----------2/4--------|
|--2--------------|--3-----------|---------------------------|
And, not to be excluded, the country version... It's pretty much
the same song, only played on an acoustic with an upbeat strum
pattern... here's the first two measures of the verse, the catchy
guitar part. (The first measure is also the intro).
|--D---2--------0--2--0--2--|--G---3--------5--3--2--0--|
|-----3--3-----3--3--3--3--|-----3--------3--3--3--3--|
|-----2-----2--2--2--2--2--|-----0--0-----0--0--0--0--|
|--0--0--------0--0--0--0--|-----0-----0--0--0--0--0--|
|--------------------------|-----2--------------------|
|--------------------------|--3--3--------------------|
The rest of the song follows the same chord progression, with
lots of walking bass notes. The chorus has a nice country rhythm
to it, complete with alternating bass riffs:
|--G----------------------------------------|
|-----3--3-------3--3-----3--3-------3--3--|
|-----0--0-------0--0-----0--0-------0--0--|
|-----0--0-------0--0-----0--0-------0--0--|
|-----------0h2-----------------0h2--------|
|--3-------------------3-------------------|
|--D---2--2-----2--2-----2--2-----2--2--|
|-----3--3-----3--3-----3--3-----3--3--|
|-----2--2-----2--2-----2--2-----2--2--|
|--0-----------------0-----------------|
|-----------0-----------------4--------|
|--------------------------------------|
... and so on.

All chords in this song (13)

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Train Wreck

by Glen Phillips

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 4 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

G(maj7)

G/B

A/C#

Tab: "Train Wreck (Demo Version)" by Glen Phillips

He changes how he plays it live but it's mostly just moving the capo.

a couple of things about this song... first of all, most of the

song (guitarwise) consists of simple arpeggiated chords, so i

won't go into much detail there. if you follow the chord

structure of the song, you'll be fine. i've given the first verse

as an example though... there's also an acoustic guitar during the

bridge and ending that strums the same chords that i've omitted,

but not ignored.

this transcription is based on the recorded demo, but, at the end,

i've also given a few variations that glen does live.

Capo 4 (Guitars 1 and 3)

Except where noted, all tab is for Guitar 1.

Intro:

|--------------------|--------------------|

|--3--------3--------|--3--------3--------|

|--2--2-----2--2-----|--2--2-----2--2-----|

|--0--4-----2--4-----|--0--4-----2--4-----|

|--------------------|--------------------|

Verse:

D G D Bm

|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|

|--------------|--------------|--------3-----|--------3-----|

|--------2-----|--0-----------|-----2--------|-----4--------|

|--0-----------|--0-----0-----|--0-----------|--4-----------|

|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|

G Em D A

|--------------|--------------|--------|--------|

|--------3-----|-----------0--|--3-----|--2-----|

|-----0--------|-----0--------|--2-----|--2-----|

|--0-----------|--2-----------|--------|--------|

|--------------|--------------|--------|--------|

she looked just like a train wreck

that could've been avoided

in a third world country

by a long stretch of farmland

where the waters have run high

run the topsoil down the river

D A

so that next year there'll be no crops

she was as desperate as a salesman

at a company that's folding

but they haven't told the staff yet

they're bankrupt and back-ordered

and they're funneling the pensions

to the CEO's back pockets

so in one week they'll have nothing

Chorus:

G D Bm F#

|--------------|-----|-----------|-----------|

|--------3-----|-----|--------3--|--2--------|

|--0-----------|-----|--4--------|--------3--|

|--------------|--4--|-----------|--------4--|

|--------------|-----|-----------|-----------|

G A Bm A

|-----------|-----------|

|--5-----2--|-----------|

|--4-----2--|--4-----2--|

|-----------|--2-----0--|

|-----------|-----------|

miss you now

hope you're fine

good luck, love

or goodbye

G A Bm A

or goodbye

|----------------|-------------|

|--------2--2-2--|-----2--2-2--|

|--0-----4--2h4--|-----4--2h4--|

|----------------|-------------|

Verse:

she was the girl from central casting

always played the sweet young orphan

or the hooker with the heart of gold

but she got her SAG card pulled

turns tricks down on Cahuenga

Em D

she tells herself it's research for her next

greatest role

Chorus:

miss your light

your eager eyes

good luck, love

or goodbye

goodbye

The last two measures of the chorus (G A Bm A) are played twice

this time, and Guitar 2 enters, playing the two measures below.

(Guitar 2 is transcribed without a capo).

|---------14--14----------14--14---|---------14--14--14--13--|

|--14h16-----------14h16-----------|--14h16------------------|

|----------------------------------|-------------------------|

Bridge:

she'll call you up

B Em

just to hear you say she's fine

D C

then she's gone away

Am F#

and you know there's only

Bm E A

one more time you'll hear about her again

Verse:

well it's life informing art

informing life again like every stupid kid

who thinks that they're the first in pain

first to rip themselves apart

first to try to live without a heart

Chorus:

wanna see your face

even hear your lies

good luck love

or goodbye

miss you now

hope you're fine

good luck girl

or goodbye

goodbye

Ending:

Guitar 1 continues repeating the last two measures of the chorus.

Guitar 2 plays the same two measure pattern it played before

throughout the ending.

Guitar 3 enters, playing the first two measures below twice, and

then repeats the second two measures below, roughly,

throughout the ending.

G A Bm A

||------2--2--------0--0-----|---------------------||

||---3--------3--2--------2--|-----3--3-----2------||

||*--------------------------|--4--------4--2--2--*||

||*--------------------------|--------------------*||

||---------------------------|---------------------||

||----------------|--------------------------------||

||---3-2--2-2-----|--------------------3-----------||

||*--4p2--2h4-----|--2h4----------2-2--4--4p2-----*||

||*------------4--|--0-0--2h4--2--2h4----------4--*||

||----------------|--------------------------------||

Live Variations:

The way Glen plays this live now is pretty much like it is on the

demo, except without the extended ending. (and of course, without

the band). One thing that he does is he usually replaces the first

G chord in the chorus with a Gadd9 (32023x)... He also plays the

last three measures of the chorus a little more elaborately:

G(maj7) A G/B A/C#

F#(add4)

|-----------------|-----2--------|---------------------------|

|-----------0--2--|-----0--------|----------3----------2-----|

|-----3-----------|--------0--2--|-------------0----------2--|

|--------4--------|-----------2--|-------0-------------------|

|-----------------|-----------0--|--0h2-----------2/4--------|

|--2--------------|--3-----------|---------------------------|

And, not to be excluded, the country version... It's pretty much

the same song, only played on an acoustic with an upbeat strum

pattern... here's the first two measures of the verse, the catchy

guitar part. (The first measure is also the intro).

D G

|-----2--------0--2--0--2--|-----3--------5--3--2--0--|

|-----3--3-----3--3--3--3--|-----3--------3--3--3--3--|

|-----2-----2--2--2--2--2--|-----0--0-----0--0--0--0--|

|--0--0--------0--0--0--0--|-----0-----0--0--0--0--0--|

|--------------------------|-----2--------------------|

|--------------------------|--3--3--------------------|

The rest of the song follows the same chord progression, with

lots of walking bass notes. The chorus has a nice country rhythm

to it, complete with alternating bass riffs:

|------------------------------------------|

|-----3--3-------3--3-----3--3-------3--3--|

|-----0--0-------0--0-----0--0-------0--0--|

|-----------0h2-----------------0h2--------|

|--3-------------------3-------------------|

|-----2--2-----2--2-----2--2-----2--2--|

|-----3--3-----3--3-----3--3-----3--3--|

|-----2--2-----2--2-----2--2-----2--2--|

|--0-----------------0-----------------|

|-----------0-----------------4--------|

|--------------------------------------|

... and so on.

About Train Wreck Chords by Glen Phillips

Learn how to play Train Wreck by Glen Phillips with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Train Wreck chords”, “Train Wreck guitar chords”, or “Glen Phillips Train Wreck 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 Train Wreck chords and for experienced players who want accurate Train Wreck lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, G, Bm, Em, A, F#.

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