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Shell Collector
Chords
Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams
Chords used :
E022100
A002220
F# 1 044200
F# 2 044300
Ab (kind of) 066400
Bm7021202
Okay, there's really only 3 chord progressions to learn. There's only one trick, and
is they changed the intro progression for the live version. In the live version, they
start song with the chorus progression, and in the album version, they start with the
verse progression. By intro, I mean when Aaron is telling the story before they actually
start
song.
Album intro progression :
E F#2 Bm7 E
Live intro progression :
EF#1 AbF#1
Anyway, after that, the verses are the same...
E F#2 Bm7 E
Then when it goes into the "1, 2, 3, 4" (or Uno, dos, tres, cuatro on live ;-) ) you
strumming through the count, and start into this progression :
E F#2 A E
Finally, once you finish the line "...even Clinton was rejected..." you start into this
:
E F#1 Ab F#1 (the intro in the live version)
That's it. The verse after is the same the first, except there's a bit of a percussive
here and there that you have to listen to the song to figure out.
As a note, there's a part between the chorus and next verse where they just strum the
chords. During this part, when I'm playing I like to pick thru the bottom three strings
this on each chord:
--0---x---0-------0-------0-----------|
--0---x---0---------0-------0----0----|
--2---x---2-----------2-------2-------|
--4---x---4---------------------------|
--4---x---4---------------------------|
--0---x---0---------------------------|
And finally, the lyrics with progressions:
Play the intro progression that you like, I personally like the live intro, but if you
like telling the story, hey, by all means.
Live - E F#1 Ab F#1
Album - E F#2 Bm7 E
**** From here, start the verse progression ****
EI love the ocean
F#2I love that beach
Bm7I love the shells there
EThey're pretty neat
EMy name is Ned
F#2I'm a shell collector
Bm7I'm 49 and I'm
ESingle too
EDown at the beach
F#2They call me Crazy Ned
Bm7And everybody's always
EAsking me what I do...(1,2,3,4)
**** After "...I do..." stop strumming, and pause thru the count ****
*** Start the first chorus progression here ****
EIf you wanna see the shells I just collected
F#2You gotta let me see the sand castle you erected
AWhen I make these trips they never go as expected
EI wish they made a sunblock that kept my heart protected
EI go to bed real early so in the morning I'm all rested
F#2Even though it's dark I always get the shells collected
AI wear an orange jacket so the light can be reflected
ESometimes at night it is so bright that even ships detect it
EIn the shell community I'm very well respected
F#2They tell me if I ran for mayor I would be elected
AShell collecting is an art that has been neglected
ENot everyone can get in, even Clinton was rejected
**** Start the second chorus progression which is the same as
the live intro ****
EThis world, this world
F#1Is my home, my home
AbF#1
And I'm just a shell collector
EThis world, this world
F#1Is my home, my home
AbAnd I'm F#1just a shell, F#1just shell collector
**** For the above line, only strum the F# chords once, and then mute
the strings immediately afterward to give a percussive kind of feeling.
Once the lyrics are done, start strumming again during the small break
between the chorus and the next verse. This is where I do that small
pick thru that I mentioned before. ****
**** The progression for this part is the same as the first verse, but
playing it is a bit difficult to explain. So you'll have to listen to
the song to get the pauses. ****
Collecting skeletons from the beach (boom, ba doom, ba doom, ba doom boom boom)
Washed a shore, and delivered straight to me
You know that shells are just like people
They need a home too
You just can't leave them lying there in the sand (that would be wrong)
They come in all shapes and sizes
Pretty colors too
And if you hold them to your ear
They'll tell you 'take me home with you' so
[CHORUS]
After this, you can pretty much do what you want. But for the most part, they just
playing the chorus progression thru 'til they're done.
All chords in this song (5)
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Shell Collector
by Oval Opus
Chords in this song · guitar
E
A
Bm7
F#2
Ab
Chords used :
E
022100
A
002220
F# 1 044200
F# 2 044300
Ab (kind of) 066400
Bm7
021202
Okay, there's really only 3 chord progressions to learn. There's only one trick, and
is they changed the intro progression for the live version. In the live version, they
start song with the chorus progression, and in the album version, they start with the
verse progression. By intro, I mean when Aaron is telling the story before they actually
start
song.
Album intro progression :
E F#2 Bm7 E
Live intro progression :
E Ab
F#1 F#1
Anyway, after that, the verses are the same...
E F#2 Bm7 E
Then when it goes into the "1, 2, 3, 4" (or Uno, dos, tres, cuatro on live ;-) ) you
strumming through the count, and start into this progression :
E F#2 A E
Finally, once you finish the line "...even Clinton was rejected..." you start into this
:
E F#1 Ab F#1 (the intro in the live version)
That's it. The verse after is the same the first, except there's a bit of a percussive
here and there that you have to listen to the song to figure out.
As a note, there's a part between the chorus and next verse where they just strum the
chords. During this part, when I'm playing I like to pick thru the bottom three strings
this on each chord:
--0---x---0-------0-------0-----------|
--0---x---0---------0-------0----0----|
--2---x---2-----------2-------2-------|
--4---x---4---------------------------|
--4---x---4---------------------------|
--0---x---0---------------------------|
And finally, the lyrics with progressions:
Play the intro progression that you like, I personally like the live intro, but if you
like telling the story, hey, by all means.
Live - E F#1 Ab F#1
E F#2 Bm7 E
Album -
**** From here, start the verse progression ****
E
I love the ocean
F#2
I love that beach
Bm7
I love the shells there
E
They're pretty neat
E
My name is Ned
F#2
I'm a shell collector
Bm7
I'm 49 and I'm
E
Single too
E
Down at the beach
F#2
They call me Crazy Ned
Bm7
And everybody's always
E
Asking me what I do...(1,2,3,4)
**** After "...I do..." stop strumming, and pause thru the count ****
*** Start the first chorus progression here ****
E
If you wanna see the shells I just collected
F#2
You gotta let me see the sand castle you erected
A
When I make these trips they never go as expected
E
I wish they made a sunblock that kept my heart protected
E
I go to bed real early so in the morning I'm all rested
F#2
Even though it's dark I always get the shells collected
A
I wear an orange jacket so the light can be reflected
E
Sometimes at night it is so bright that even ships detect it
E
In the shell community I'm very well respected
F#2
They tell me if I ran for mayor I would be elected
A
Shell collecting is an art that has been neglected
E
Not everyone can get in, even Clinton was rejected
**** Start the second chorus progression which is the same as
the live intro ****
E
This world, this world
F#1
Is my home, my home
Ab
F#1
And I'm just a shell collector
E
This world, this world
F#1
Is my home, my home
Ab F#1 F#1
And I'm just a shell, just shell collector
**** For the above line, only strum the F# chords once, and then mute
the strings immediately afterward to give a percussive kind of feeling.
Once the lyrics are done, start strumming again during the small break
between the chorus and the next verse. This is where I do that small
pick thru that I mentioned before. ****
**** The progression for this part is the same as the first verse, but
playing it is a bit difficult to explain. So you'll have to listen to
the song to get the pauses. ****
Collecting skeletons from the beach (boom, ba doom, ba doom, ba doom boom boom)
Washed a shore, and delivered straight to me
You know that shells are just like people
They need a home too
You just can't leave them lying there in the sand (that would be wrong)
They come in all shapes and sizes
Pretty colors too
And if you hold them to your ear
They'll tell you 'take me home with you' so
[CHORUS]
After this, you can pretty much do what you want. But for the most part, they just
playing the chorus progression thru 'til they're done.
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About Shell Collector Chords by Oval Opus
Learn how to play Shell Collector by Oval Opus with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Shell Collector chords”, “Shell Collector guitar chords”, or “Oval Opus Shell Collector 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 Shell Collector chords and for experienced players who want accurate Shell Collector lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, A, F, Ab, Bm7, F#2.
FAQ — Shell Collector by Oval Opus
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The chords for "Shell Collector" show the original chord names (including E, A, F, Ab, Bm7, F#2). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.