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Guitar Tab for Independence Day by Elliott Smith

C
G
C
E
G
C

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Independence Day - Elliott Smith

Found on:
XO(2019-08-06)
2000-11-04: Granada, Lawrence, KS, USA
1999-07-17: YoYo a GoGo, Olympia, WA, USA
2003-06-05: Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ, USA
2000-05-08: Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, USA
1999-01-19: London, UK
2000-09-28: L'Olympic, Nantes, France
2000-10-21: The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, USA
2000-09-29: La Cigale, Paris, France
2000-05-10: Ritz Theatre, Raleigh, NC, USA
2000-02-28: The Breakroom, Seattle, WA, USA
2000-11-02: Southgate House, Newport, KY, USA
1999-01-12: Shinsaibashi Club Quattro, Osaka, Japan
2000-04-03: La Boule Noire, Paris, France
1999-02-23: Showbox, Seattle, WA, USA
1999-04-05: Ludlow's, Columbus, OH, USA
2000-10-05: The Forum, London, UK
2000-02-20: Black Cat, Washington, DC, USA
1999-12-30: Maxwell's Hoboken, NJ, USA
1998-05-29: L'Européen, Paris, France
2000-11-03: The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA
2001-12-20: Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR, USA
1998-10-11: 400 Club, Minneapolis, MN, USA
2000-07-04: Embryo Fest, Gothenburg, Sweden
1998-09-16: Showbox, Seattle, WA, USA
1998-08-12: Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ, USA
1998-09-10: Tower Records, Seattle, WA, USA
1999-04-13: DV8, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
1999-03-29: Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2000-03-17: South by Southwest Music Festival, Austin, Texas, USA
2000-11-10: Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR, USA
2003-02-01: Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, USA
1998-06-02: Studion, Stockholm, Sweden
1998-12-04: University of London Union, London, UK
Tabbed by: F# 11th w3
Tuning: Open C --> C-G-C-E-G-C

All chord names are what you’re actually playing, so no 'relative to tuning' 
chord names or whatever.

Chord shapes used:

Cm9th             Dm13th           C                 Bb6th
|--10-|           |--11-|          |--0--|           |--10-|
|---8-|           |--10-|          |--0--|           |--12-|
|--10-|           |--10-|          |--0--|           |--10-|
|---0-|           |---0-|          |--0--|           |--10-|
|---x-|           |---x-|          |--0--|           |--10-|
|---x-|           |---x-|          |--0--|           |---x-|

G#                Fadd9            G                 G7th
|--8--|           |--7--|          |--7--|           |---7-|
|--8--|           |--5--|          |--7--|           |--10-|
|--8--|           |--5--|          |--7--|           |---7-|
|--8--|           |--5--|          |--7--|           |---7-|
|--8--|           |--5--|          |--7--|           |---7-|
|--8--|           |--5--|          |--x--|           |---7-|

C*                Am               G#aug5            D
|--7--|           |--0--|          |--0--|           |--2--|
|--9--|           |--2--|          |--1--|           |--2--|
|--8--|           |--0--|          |--0--|           |--2--|
|--7--|           |--0--|          |--0--|           |--2--|
|--x--|           |--2--|          |--1--|           |--2--|
|--x--|           |--x--|          |--x--|           |--2--|

F                 Fadd9*           Cmaj7             G#flat5/aug5          
|--5--|           |--5--|          |--4--|           |--2--|
|--5--|           |--5--|          |--4--|           |--1--|
|--5--|           |--5--|          |--3--|           |--0--|
|--5--|           |--7--|          |--0--|           |--0--|
|--5--|           |--5--|          |--4--|           |--1--|
|--5--|           |--7--|          |--x--|           |--x--|

Bb                Gsus4/6th        Cflat5            Csus4/no5             
|--10-|           |--7--|          |--0--|           |--0--| 
|--10-|           |--9--|          |--11-|           |--10-|
|--10-|           |--8--|          |--0--|           |--0--|
|--10-|           |--7--|          |--0--|           |--0--|
|--10-|           |--9--|          |--11-|           |--10-|
|--10-|           |--7--|          |--0--|           |--0--| 

================================================================================
The structure of this song is as follows:

Intro

Riff 1

Riff 2 | Verse 1:                                                 
       | Future butterfly, gonna spend the day, higher than high.
      
       | You'll be, beautiful confusion.
       | Ooh oh oh oh oh, once i was you.

Riff 1 (2x)

Riff 2 | Verse 2:
       | I saw you caught between, all the people out, making the scene.
      
       | And a bright, ideal tomorrow.
       | Ooh don't go too far, stay who you are.

Riff 3 | Bridge:
       | Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows.
       | You only live a day.
       
       | But it's brilliant anyway.

Riff 4 | Verse 3:
       | I saw you at, a perfect place.
       | It's gonna happen soon, but not today.

Riff 5 | Verse 4:
       | So go to sleep, and make the change.
       
       | I'll meet you here tomorrow, independence day, 
       | independence day, independence day.

Outro


Except for the intro and outro, don't take every stroke that I tabbed too
literally. Elliott plays this song fingerpicked, but it's very playable with a 
plectrum as well.

For this tab I used some video material from live performances by Elliott 
himself to find the sometimes weird chords. And of course listening to the song 
over and over again helped as well.
================================================================================

Intro:

   Cm9th
e|----10----------10----------10----------10----------10----------10------|
B|----10----8-----------8-----------8-----------8-----------8-----------8-|
G|-------10----------10----------10----------10----------10----------10---|
D|-0------------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0---------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   Dm13th               C              Bb6th             G#
e|---------11---------|------12-11---|--------------10-|-------8-------------8-|
B|---10-------10------|--------------|-12--12----12----|-----8-----12--8---8---|
G|------10---------10-|----0-------0-|-10--------------|---8-------------------|
D|-0-------------0----|-0------------|--------10-------|-8-------8-------8-----|
A|--------------------|--------------|-----------------|-----------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------|-----------------|-----------------------|

   C*      Fadd9                 G            G#            C 
e|-------|-------7---5-------7-|------------|-------10----|------0--0-0-|
B|---9---|-----5---------7h8---|-/7---------|-----8-----8-|------0--0-0-|
G|-----8-|---5-----------------|-/7--8-8--7-|-/8--8-----8-|------0--0-0-|
D|-7-----|-5-------5---5-------|-/7--7-7--7-|-/8----------|-0----0------|
A|-------|---------------------|------------|-------------|-0----0------|
E|-------|---------------------|------------|-------------|---0--0------|

Drums, bass guitar, and some kind of organ kick in from here.


Riff 1:

   C                   Bb6th             G#                    C*           
e|-------10b12--10---|-----------------|-8---10p8--------8-8-|-7--7-7-|
B|-----0-------------|-12---12-12-12-9-|-8------8-12--8--8-8-|-9--9-9-|
G|---0-------------0-|-10---10-10-10-9-|-8------8--8--8--8-8-|-8--8-8-|
D|-0-----------------|-10---10-10-10-9-|-8------------8--8-8-|-7--7-7-|
A|-------------------|-10---10-10-10-9-|-8------------8------|--------|
E|-------------------|-----------------|---------------------|--------|

   Fadd9           G           G#             C             ****************
e|----7-5------5-|-----------|-----10-------|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-----|
B|-5--5-5--7h8-5-|-/7--7-7-7-|------8--8----|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-----|
G|-5--5-5--5---5-|-/7--8-8-7-|-/8---8--8----|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-----|
D|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8------8--0-|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-----|
A|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8---------0-|----0-------------0------------|
E|---------------|-----------|--------------|-0--0----------0--0----------0-|

***** = skip the 1st time when you play this riff twice between verse 1 and 2!


Riff 2:

                Am                       G#aug5
e|-0--0--0----|---0--0-0-0----0--0-0-0-|----0--0-0-0-----0--0-0-0-|
B|-5--4--2--0-|---2--2-2-2----2--2-2-2-|----1--1-1-1-----1--1-1-1-|
G|-0--0--0--0-|---0--0-0-0----0--0-0-0-|----0--0-0-0-----0--0-0-0-|
D|-0--0--0--0-|---0--0-0-0----0--0-0-0-|----0--0-0-0-----0--0-0-0-|
A|-5--4--2--0-|-2-----------2----------|-1------------1-----------|
E|-0--0-------|------------------------|--------------------------|

                         1. Future butterfly,            gonna spend the 
                         2. I saw you caught between,    all the people       

   D                        F             Fadd9*
e|----2--2-2-2-2-----2----|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-5-|
B|----2--2-2-2-2-----2----|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-5-|
G|----2--2-2-2-2-----2--2-|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-5-|
D|----2--2-2-2-2-----2--4-|----5--5-5-5-|----7--7-7-7-|
A|----2--2-2-2-2-----2--2-|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-7-|
E|-2--------------2-----4-|-5-----------|-7-----------|

1. day,           higher than high.             You'll
2. out,           making the scene.             And a    

   G#                          G7th
e|----8--8-8-8------8--8-8-8-|-----7---7--7--7-------7---7--7--7-|
B|----8--8-8-8------8--8-8-8-|----10--10-10-10------10--10-10-10-|
G|----8--8-8-8------8--8-8-8-|-----7---7--7--7-------7---7--7--7-|
D|----8--8-8-8------8--8-8-8-|-----7---7--7--7-------7---7--7--7-|
A|----8--8-8-8------8--8-8-8-|-----7---7--7--7-------7---7--7--7-|
E|-8-------------8-----------|-7-----------------7---------------|

1. be,                 beautiful       confusion.
2. bright,             ideal           tomorrow.   

   Cmaj7                       Am
e|----4--4-4-4------4-4------|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-|
B|----4--4-4-4------4-4------|----2--2-2-2------2--2-2-2-|
G|----3--3-3-3------3-3------|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-|
D|----0--0-0-0------0-0--0-0-|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-|
A|-4-------------4-------2-0-|-2-------------2-----------|
E|---------------------------|---------------------------|

1. Ooh              oh oh oh oh,                once i was
2. Ooh              don't go too far,           stay who you 

   G#flat5/aug5
e|----2--2-2-2------2------|
B|----1--1-1-1------1--1-0-|
G|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-|
D|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-|
A|-1-------------1-----1---|
E|-------------------------|

1. you.
2. are.


Riff 3:

   C                   Bb6th               G#                    C*           
e|-------10b12--10---|------10-10-10-9-9-|-8---10p8--------8-8-|-7--7-7-|
B|-----0-------------|-12---12-12-12-9-9-|-8------8-12--8--8-8-|-9--9-9-|
G|---0-------------0-|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------8--8--8--8-8-|-8--8-8-|
D|-0-----------------|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------------8--8-8-|-7--7-7-|
A|-------------------|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------------8------|--------|
E|-------------------|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------------8------|--------|

   F                           G#
e|----5--5-5-5------5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8------8--8----|
B|----5--5-5-5------5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8------8--8----|
G|----5--5-5-5------5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8------8--8----|
D|----5--5-5-5------5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8------8--8----|
A|----5--5-5-5------5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8------8--8--8-|
E|-5-------------5-----------|-8-------------8-------10-|

                 Everybody     knows,        everybody

   C                               Bb
e|----0--0--0--0------0--0--0--0-|-----10--10-10-10-------10--10-10-10-|
B|---12-12-12-12-----12-12-12-12-|-----10--10-10-10-------10--10-10-10-|
G|----0--0--0--0------0--0--0--0-|-----10--10-10-10-------10--10-10-10-|
D|---12-12-12-12-----12-12-12-12-|-----10--10-10-10-------10--10-10-10-|
A|----0--0--0--0------0--0--0--0-|-----10--10-10-10-------10--10-10-10-|
E|-0---------------0-------------|-10-----------------10---------------|

   knows,          everybody       knows.  You only live a  

   F             Fadd9*        G#            Gsus4/6th
e|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8-|----7--7-7-7-|
B|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8-|----9--9-9-9-|
G|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8-|----8--8-8-8-|
D|----5--5-5-5-|----7--7-7-7-|----8--8-8-8-|----7--7-7-7-|
A|----5--5-5-5-|----5--5-5-5-|----8--8-8-8-|----9--9-9-9-|
E|-5-----------|-7-----------|-8-----------|-7-----------|

   day.  But it's brilliant anyway.        

   Fadd9           G           G#             C
e|----7-5------5-|-----------|-----10-------|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-|
B|-5--5-5--7h8-5-|-/7--7-7-7-|------8--8----|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-|
G|-5--5-5--5---5-|-/7--8-8-7-|-/8---8--8----|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-|
D|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8------8--0-|----0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0-|
A|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8---------0-|----0-------------0--------|
E|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8-----------|-0--0----------0--0--------|


Riff 4:

   Cflat5            Csus4/no5         Cno5             Bb6th
e|-----0---0--0--0-|-----0---0--0--0-|-0--10b12--10---|-----------------|
B|----11--11-11-11-|----10--10-10-10-|-9--------------|-12--------------|
G|-----0---0--0--0-|-----0---0--0--0-|-0------------0-|-10---10-10-10-9-|
D|-----0---0--0--0-|-----0---0--0--0-|-0--------------|-10---10-10-10-9-|
A|----11--11-11-11-|----10--10-10-10-|-9--------------|-10---10-10-10-9-|
E|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0--------------|-10---10-10-10-9-|

                                          I saw you at,

   G#                    C*       Fadd9           G
e|-8---10p8--------8-8-|-7--7-7-|----7-5------5-|-----------|
B|-8------8-12--8--8-8-|-9--9-9-|-5--5-5--7h8-5-|-/7--7-7-7-|
G|-8------8--8--8--8-8-|-8--8-8-|-5--5-5--5---5-|-/7--8-8-7-|
D|-8------------8--8-8-|-7--7-7-|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|
A|-8------------8------|--------|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|
E|-8------------8------|--------|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|

       a perfect place.              It's gonna happen soon,

   G#             C
e|-----10-------|----0--0-0-0-|
B|------8--8----|----0--0-0-0-|
G|-/8---8--8----|----0--0-0-0-|
D|-/8------8--0-|----0--0-0-0-|
A|-/8---------0-|----0--------|
E|-/8-----------|-0--0--------|

      but not today.


Riff 5:

   C                   Bb6th               G#                    C*           
e|-------10b12--10---|-------------------|-8---10p8--------8-8-|-7--7-7-|
B|-----0-------------|-12----------------|-8------8-12--8--8-8-|-9--9-9-|
G|---0-------------0-|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------8--8--8--8-8-|-8--8-8-|
D|-0-----------------|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------------8--8-8-|-7--7-7-|
A|-------------------|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------------8------|--------|
E|-------------------|-10---10-10-10-9-9-|-8------------8------|--------|

       So go to sleep,                         and make the change.

   Fadd9           G           G#
e|----7-5------5-|-----------|-----10-------|
B|-5--5-5--7h8-5-|-/7--7-7-7-|------8--8----|
G|-5--5-5--5---5-|-/7--8-8-7-|-/8---8--8----|
D|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8------8--0-|
A|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8---------0-|
E|-5-------5-----|-/7--7-7-7-|-/8-----------|

      I'll meet you here tomorrow, independence 

   F                                               G#
e|------5--5-5-5--------5--5-5-5--------5--5-5-5-|-----10-------|
B|------5--5-5-5--------5--5-5-5--------5--5-5-5-|------8--8----|
G|----5-5--5-5-5------5-5--5-5-5------5-5--5-5-5-|-/8---8--8----|
D|----5-5--5-5-5------5-5--5-5-5------7-7--7-7-7-|-/8------8--0-|
A|----5---------------5---------------5----------|-/8---------0-|
E|-5---------------5---------------7-------------|-/8-----------|

   day, independence day, independence day.


Outro:

   C                  Bb6th             G#
e|------10b12--10---|-----------------|-------8-------------8-|
B|------------------|-12--12-12-12-12-|-----8-----12--8---8---|
G|----0-----------0-|-10--10-10-10-10-|---8-------------------|
D|-0----------------|-10--10-10-10-10-|-8-------8-------8-----|
A|------------------|-----------------|-----------------------|
E|------------------|-----------------|-----------------------|

   C*      Fadd9                 G            G#             C 
e|-------|-------7---5-------7-|------------|-------10-----|------0-|
B|---9---|-----5---------7h8---|-/7---------|---8--------8-|------0-|
G|-----8-|---5-----------------|-/7--8-8--7-|------------8-|------0-|
D|-7-----|-5-------5---5-------|-/7--7-7--7-|-8---8----8---|-0----0-|
A|-------|---------------------|------------|--------------|-0----0-|
E|-------|---------------------|------------|--------------|---0--0-|

CGCEGC Resources

More CGCEGC Resources

Tuning Map

  • Fret
  • S6
  • S5
  • S4
  • S3
  • S2
  • S1
  • -13
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • -12
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • -11
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • -10
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • -9
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • -8
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • -7
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • -6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • -5
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • -4
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G
  • C
  • -3
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • G#
  • C#
  • -2
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A
  • D
  • -1
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • 0
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • 1
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • 2
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • 3
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • 4
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • 5
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • 6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • 7
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • -4
  • -2
  • -2
  • -3
  • -4
  • -4
            ___________
           q o       o p
           q o   G   o p
           d o   T   o b
           q o   D   o p
           q o   B   o p
           d o       o b
            \!       !/
            |=========|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|              ____    ______  ____    ____
            |!!!!!!!!!|             /\  _`\ /\__  _\/\  _`\ /\  _`\
            |!!!!!!!!!|             \ \ \L\_\/_/\ \/\ \ \/\ \ \ \L\ \
           _|!!!!!!!!!|__            \ \ \L_L  \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \  _ <'
         .+=|!!!!!!!!!|--.`.          \ \ \/, \ \ \ \ \ \ \_\ \ \ \L\ \
       .'   |!!!!!!!!!|   `.\          \ \____/  \ \_\ \ \____/\ \____/
      /     !=========!     \\          \/___/    \/_/  \/___/  \/___/
      |    /|!!!!!!!!!|\    ||
       \   \!!!!!!!!!!!/   //
        )   `========='   ((
      .'    !!!!!!!!!!!    `..
     /      !!!!!!!!!!!      \\
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
     \     =============     //
 hjw  `.    o987654321o    .;'
 & warm `-._____________.-'
    whisky