BLUE RODEO -- BAD TIMING
Written by Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy.
Published by Thunderhawk Music and Home Cooked Music.
Music transcribed by Darragh Egan
from the CD, "Five Days In July" - 1993, Blue Rodeo Productions/WEA
Lyrics taken from an old OLGA transcription, with credit due to:
drake@sgl.ists.ca (Drake Hirasawa)
If you want to sound like Blue Rodeo, you better check out the tips at the
bottom.
INTRO: |E |D E |A * |A A4||
|D * |
Hey its me, what a big surprise,
|D |A * |A A4|
Calling you up from a restaurant round the bend.
|D * |
Just got in from way up north
|D |A * |A |
Aching and tired now, and I could use a friend.
|C#m |D |E E4 |E E4 |
Might be a fool to think that you do wanna see me again.
|D * |
I know its been a while since I talked to you,
|D |A * |A A4|
Nothing wrong, it's just nothing ever goes as planned.
|D * |
Many times I thought I'd call,
|D |A * |A |
Didn't have your number in my hand.
|C#m |D |E E4 |
I know its true, you'd never do the same thing to me.
CHORUS:
|E E4 |A * |A A4 A |
I never meant to make you cry
|D * |D |
And though I know I shouldn't call,
|Bm |
It just reminds us of the cost
|E |
Of everything we've lost
|A * |A |
Bad timing that's all.
|A * |A A4 A |
And maybe soon there'll come a day
|D * |D |
When no more tears will fall.
|Bm |
We each forgive a little bit,
|E |
Then we both look back on it
|A * |A |
As just bad timing that's all.
INSTRUMENTAL: |D |D |A * |A |
|D |D |A * |A |
|C#m |D |E E4 |E E4 |
Used to have so many plans,
Something always seemed to turn out wrong.
Never could catch up to you,
Moving on and doing all you've done.
I don't know why, the harder I try, the harder it comes.
[REPEAT CHORUS]
OUTRO: |Bm |
We each forgive a little bit,
|E |
And we both look back on it
|A * |A |
As just bad timing that's all.
OUTRO: |E |D E |A ||
A = x02220 A4 = x02230
D = xx0232 D4 = xx0233
E = 022100 E4 = 022200
C#m = xx6654 or x46654 or xx2120
Bm = xx4432 or x24432
Blue Rodeo make liberal use of suspended chords in this song, which makes it
very difficult to notate. I've tried to spell out some of the major uses
here as simply as I can, but you'll have to listen to the song a couple of
times to really catch what's being played and understand the timing.
The asterisks mark important points where you must hammer on to a suspended
fourth two times at the end of a bar. For a novice guitar player, this will
be kind of tricky and will really hurt that little pinky finger, but it's
the only way to express the song with an authentic Blue Rodeo sound. Here
are samples for both "D" chords and "A" chords. In both cases, finger the
chord normally, then use your pinky to hammer on to a suspended fourth where
indicated. You've got to hammer on and pull off TWICE in quick succession,
and time it just right with two double strums in order to get the right sound.
D * D A * A
|2-2-2-3232|2-2-2-2-| |0-0-0-0000|0-0-0-0-|
|3-3-3-3333|3-3-3-3-| |2-2-2-3232|2-2-2-2-|
|2-2-2-2222|2-2-2-2-| |2-2-2-2222|2-2-2-2-|
|0-0-0-0000|0-0-0-0-| |2-2-2-2222|2-2-2-2-|
|----------|--------| |0-0-0-0000|0-0-0-0-|
|----------|--------| |----------|--------|
The bars with suspended "E" chords are split evenly between the E and E4.
This sequence occurs at the end of each verse (sometimes leading into the
chorus) and at the end of the instrumental. You can use your pinky to get
the suspended fourth, or slide your index finger up one fret instead.
E E4 E E4
|0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-|
|0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-|
|1-1-2-2-|1-1-2-2-|
|2-2-2-2-|2-2-2-2-|
|2-2-2-2-|2-2-2-2-|
|0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-|
There are some bars in the verses that end with a suspended A chord, and
some bars in the chorus that have suspended chords on the third beat. In
both cases, they follow a bar marked by an asterisk. Here's how to play
these bars:
A * A A4 A * A A4 A
|0-0-0-0000|0-0-0-00| |0-0-0-0000|0-0-0-0-|
|2-2-2-3232|2-2-2-33| |2-2-2-3232|2-2-3-2-|
|2-2-2-2222|2-2-2-22| |2-2-2-2222|2-2-2-2-|
|2-2-2-2222|2-2-2-22| |2-2-2-2222|2-2-2-2-|
|0-0-0-0000|0-0-0-00| |0-0-0-0000|0-0-0-0-|
|----------|--------| |----------|--------|
This is just a guide to get you started, and I'm sure there's other
suspended chords in the song that I haven't noticed or just don't bother
with. Of course, the strumming patterns don't have to be as rigid as I've
tabbed them out either. If I've made any errors in writing this out, or if
you don't understand what the hell I'm talking about, just send me an e-mail.
- Darragh Egan
Toronto, Canada
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