Guitar tab: Peter Fedofsky – Dumb Angel

Well, here’s something I haven’t done yet on this blog: guitar tabs. But I’ve had a little free time now that classes are winding down, and my excuse for not studying for exams is that I’ve got this extremely catchy song called “Dumb Angel” in my head. It’s by Peter Fedofsky, and it’s been there ever since I heard it almost a month ago on NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” where it was featured as part of The Wire’s RPM Challenge. Everything I’ve read about Mr. Fedofsky since then compares him to Brian Wilson — it’s an apt comparison, since (as Bob Boilen notes)., Dumb Angel was a working title for Smile.

Anyway, what better way to get a song out of your head than to listen to it for about an hour, trying to transcribe it? Guitar tab for “Dumb Angel” after the jump. There’s not a huge amount going on here, instrumentally (the best pop is simple, right?). Most of the time I put into this just now was spent trying to decipher the lyrics. At any rate, I’m no good at that, and Peter isn’t the clearest singer (I believe this is only a demo for the forthcoming album, so you can hardly fault him), so some of the lyrics are almost certainly wrong. Nevertheless:

EDIT: Peter himself showed up in the comment section, providing the right lyrics and chords. Awesome! I’ve corrected the tab.

Peter Fedofsky - "Dumb Angel"
Album: The Curious Flying Machine
Tabbed by Dan Ray, http://danray.org/

Arpeggio intro and verse:
e-10---10---10---10-12---------------------------------------------
b----12---12---12--------------------------------------------------
g------------------------------------------------------------------
d------------------------------------------------------------------
a------------------------------------------------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------------

Verse:

G            Em                    Bm                         D
I caught you making out, with your hands on her hips and your legs tied in knots
G                  Em                     Bm                         D
You claimed it was all old news, that the meaning was lost, and that I was confused

Prechorus:
C                     Am                       Em                           D/F#
I heard you turned it around, heard your story collapse, heard it crumbling to the ground
C                        Am                         Em                        D
The way you go with your tongue, telling lies as it hangs, from your mouth in that awful way

Chorus (fast picking, emphasize bass notes, 1-and-a-2-and-a-3-and-a-4-and-a rhythm):

E           Emaj7               F#m        B7
You are the dumbest angel, that I've, ever seen;
E             Emaj7                     F#m           Am
They're gonna clip your wings, and then down, you will go

Verse:

G            Em                     Bm                       D
The news has hit the town, like the stray match starting the forest alight
G           Em                                  Bm               D
You'll find that just like our hearts, that the doors are closed so just turn around

Pre-chorus:
C                     Am                    Em                      D/F#
But why do I see your car, coming down this street, like you didn't learn a thing?
C                        Am                       Em                          D
I'm guessing that it's a fact, that sharks aren't afraid, to go and eat their own

Chorus:

E           Emaj7               F#m        B7
You are the dumbest angel, that I've, ever known;
E             Emaj7                     F#m            B7
They're gonna clip your wings, and then down, you will go

Middle eight (staccato single-note stabs):

G#                             C#m                 /b/g#
    In the beginning, we were charmed by your ways,
G#                                      C#m               /a/f#
    But now the verdict's in, it's the end of those days
F#                            B7
    It's a hell of a lesson; it's a hell of a lesson

Repeat first verse

Repeat first prechorus

Chorus