Big Star's "Thirteen" chords and cover song

Oh hey! Happy 2018! This is just a beautiful song that I got into so I made my own version:

When I was "researching" this tune, I got interested in Alex Chilton (as one does), and I learned that he got famous at 17 for "The Letter" while he was the lead singer for the Box Tops!? And that song went to #1 for THREE weeks the month after the Beatles "All You Need is Love" had been #1!

The teenage Alex Chilton

And here are the chords. Use mine, as there are lots of crappy/wrong chords out there for this song.

Thirteen by Big Star (transcribed by Amazingly Andrew Yonda)

G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9

G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9     G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9

   Won’t you let me take you home from school?

G    Cadd9    G/B             Em7     C  G/B    Am7

   Won’t you let me meet you at the poooooool?

      Em7    Am7

Maybe Friday I can

    Em7            Am7

Get tickets for the dance

        D  C  G/B  Am7

And I’ll taaaaaaake you

G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9

G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9     G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9

  Won’t you tell your dad get off my back?

G    Cadd9    G/B             Em7     C  G/B    Am7

  Tell him what we said bout Paint It Black

      Em7    Am7

Rock and roll is here to stay

    Em7            Am7

Come inside where it’s okay

        D  C  G/B  Am7

And I’ll shaaaaaaake you

G    Am7    G    Am7

G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9     G    Cadd9    G     Cadd9

  Won’t you tell me what you’re thinking of?

G    Cadd9    G/B             Em7     C  G/B    Am7

  Would you be an outlaw for my love?

       Em7           Am7

If it’s so well let me know

       Em7           Am7

If it’s no, well I can go

        D  C  G/B  Am7

I won’t maaaaaaaaake you

G    Am7    G    Am7

There are some fun things like hammering on the Cadd9 chords that you should consider.

Ondine (They Might Be Giants cover)

Scary Pinata Face

I just keep'em comin' atcha! This is a cover of "Ondine" from They Might Be Giants "Back to Skull" EP. I had this in my head and I had the idea of "Maybe I should be recording just my vocal track first when I record so I can capture all the funk I was envisioning without instrumental or click track limitations!" Not a bad idea, actually!

I could have recorded over the original vocal track of course, and probably should have since I did it a capella, no pitch or tempo reference, but actually it's not half bad! Maybe one third bad?

Want to play along? Here is my transcription of the chords and lyrics to Ondine:

Ondine

[notes]    G Eb C            G Eb C

Ondine             you won

[tacet Cm]

All she left behind was an unloaded gun

        Eb

And my face is blushing

Cm

  From all the things she’s done

Eb

  You couldn’t miss that girl

F

  Cuz here she comes

[notes]    G Eb C            G Eb C

Ondine             back up

[tacet Cm]

Run over my body with your pickup truck

    Eb

And finish what you started

Cm

  Because I’m done

Eb

  I’d search the whole world over

F

  To find these words

        Cm    G        Bb        Cm

She said I had the strangest dream

Eb    F            Cm        G

  I dreamed I killed you again

Cm        G        Bb        Cm

  Don’t make me kill you again

    Eb        F        G

Cuz I could never kill you again

[notes]    G Eb C            G Eb C

Ondine             was here

[tacet Cm]

You couldn’t even take away a souvenir

        Eb

Of what’s left of that sinner

Cm

    She used to call me that

Eb                            

  I’d search the whole world over

F

To find these words

        Cm    G        Bb        Cm

She said I had the strangest dream

Eb    F            Cm        G

  I dreamed I killed you again

Cm        G        Bb        Cm

  Don’t make me kill you again

    Eb        F        G

Cuz I could never kill you again

C    G        Bb            Cm

  I had the strangest dream

Eb    F            Cm        G

  I dreamed I killed you again

Cm        G        Bb        Cm

  Don’t make me kill you again

    Eb        F        G

Cuz I could never kill you again

Bob Dylan: The Man in Me (cover song and transcription)

Have you seen the Big Lebowski? Then you know this song from the amazing bowling intro. Here I've done my own echoey groovy version. Also the chords online are all wrong, so I'm giving you the right ones here!

Now if you want to try something new and different, please visit this youtube page of a slowed-down Bob Dylan version of this song, then speed it up in the video settings to 1.5 speed, and it's a super funky almost Peter Tosh-style song! How wonderful! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV_0ltpWITU

The Man in Me by Bob Dylan
Transcribed this April 15th, 2016 by Amazingly Andrew Yonda
(there are a few unexpected half-measures resulting in 7-bar verses, so I’ve marked each beat with either a chord name or a slash so you can keep track)

G / / / Am / / /
The man in me will do nearly any task
D /C / / /G /
 And as for compensation, there’s little he would ask
 G ////
Take a woman like you
 C /C(D in bass) / G / / / 
To get through to the man in me

G / / / Am / / /
 Storm clouds are raging all around my door
D /C / / /G /
 I think to myself I might not take it anymore
 G ////
 Take a woman like your kind
 C /C(D in bass) / G / / / 
 To find the man in me

Am/ / / G / / /
But, oh, what a wonderful feeling
Am / / /G / / /
Just to know that you are near
Am / / / G / / /
Sets my heart a-reeling
Am / / / D / / /
From my toes up to my ears

G / / / Am / / /
 The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein’ seen
D /C / / / G /
 But that’s just because he doesn’t want to turn into some machine
 G ////
 Took a woman like you
 C /C(D in bass) / G / / / 
 To get through to the man in me

(Don’t forget to do a verse before and after singing la la la)

Your wife don't understand you, but I do

I transcribed this one a while ago. Now I've recorded my very own! I'm singing, you know, an octave lower than the original Simpsons song, which is pretty great. I've never seen whatever episode it's from, but I love the "Songs in the Key of Simpsons" CD and it's on there. I've never seen much Simpsons actually, but I love the music! Here are the chords and lyrics for yo asses!

Your Wife Don’t Understand You

D
You work all day for some old man
                    G
Sweatin’ break your back
         A
Then you go home to your castle
                              D
But your queen won’t cut you slack

That’s why your losin’ all your hair
                        G
That’s why you’re overweight
        E
That’s why you flipped your pick-up truck
                A
Right off the interstate

D
There’s a lot of bull they hand you
                        B7
There’s nothin’ you can do
     E7                A                D      B7
Your wife don’t understand you, but I do
        E                A               D    B7
No your wife don’t understand you, but I do
        E            A                D
I said no one understands you but I do

Too Much Joy week finale! Day 5: "King of Beers"

View fullsize

See? No editing necessary! Vocals 1 and 2, guitar, and three drum mics

Hi! We made it! The last day of our Too Much Joy extravaganza! To cap it off, we have "King of Beers", from their Cereal Killers album. I've chosen to take some parts and really just toss it into a classic singalong drinking song in 3. It's kind of a White Stripes arrangement, guitar, drums, and vocals. I decided to not to overthink it, so I only used full takes, no editing allowed. Check out the graphic above for the proof!!

Check out Tim Quirk's awesome story of the story of "King of Beers". Meanwhile, here are the chords!

King of Beers by Too Much Joy
Transcribed this 18th day of September, 2014
by Amazingly Andrew Yonda
www.amazinglyandrew.com

B
Gonna feel like hell tomorrow
                    E
So I won’t go to sleep tonight
               F#
Na na na na na na sorrow
                     B
Everything’s gonna be alright

       E        F#
I am invincible
        B
I have no fear
       E
I am benevolent
  F#              B
I am the king of beers

E            F#
I love all my friends
B               D#m
I wish they would go away
E            F#
I say stupid things
B                D#m
Forgotten them all by Monday
C#m
Please don’t remind me

B
A man’s bar is his castle
                E
A raised stool is my throne
              F#
Why am I such an asshole?
            B
Why am I here alone?

       E        F#
I am invincible
        B
I have no fear
       E
I am benevolent
  F#m              B
I am the king of beers

E            F#
She’s so beautiful
B               D#m
I swear I’d sleep with her brother
E            F#
I’m so beautiful
  B              D#m
I never met her, but I love her
C#m                C#m  B  A         F#
Please look over here

[Interlude]

D  Dsus4    D    G
Em    G
D  Dsus4    D    G
A  Asus9  Asus4  A

D          G
I’d take a trip
Em           G
  Anywhere I go
D            G                A    
My head would come along with me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

B    Bb    A    Ab    G Gb    F    E    B

B
Gonna feel like hell tomorrow
                    E
So I won’t go to sleep tonight
               F#
Na na na na na na sorrow
                     B
Everything’s gonna be alright

       E        F#
I am invincible
        B
I have no fear
       E
I am benevolent
  F#          B
I am the king of beers

       E        F#
I am invincible
        B
Hear me roar! (grr)
       E
I am benevolent
  F#              B
I am the king of beers
  F#              B
I am the king of beers
  F#              B
I am the king of beers
  F#              B
I am the king of beers

Too Much Joy week, day 3: "Nothing On My Mind"

Pretty fun song featuring inane lyrics that really get to the core of what it's like to let your mind wander. That seems like an old-fashioned concept now, actually!

Their version was actually a single. Mine is basically a stripped down acoustic thang, except for the amazing chorus ending. I don't know if this goes without saying (it doesn't, obv), but these recordings I'm making this week--I'm making them that very day. In the morning I have never played the song, though I may have loved it for years, and by the evening I've figured out how to play it and recorded my own version. Kudos to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chords, for those who are so inclined:

Nothing On My Mind by Too Much Joy
Transcribed on this 17th day of September, 2014

A
It’s not im-
A    E    D
Portant
A    E         D              A
    This love that I’m afraid of
          A    E       D
I’ve got a bugle someplace
        A    E    D    A
Let’s get parade up ohh

A    E                D
        We’re near the water
A       E      D        A
I know a guy, a guy with a boat, it
A    E            D
        doesn’t have any motor
A        E    D    A
We could just sit, sit and float

E    A            C#m        A
        I’ll give you a coloring book
E              F#m    B
You can draw outside the lines
E    A    B    A
I     I     I got nothing on my
E    A                B    A
        Nothing on my mind
F#m        A    E
I got nothing on my mind

A    E            D
    My cousin died at a Who concert
A       E           D           A
He was camping out in line
A    E            D    
      Me and him went camping once
A    E    D    A
I got nothing on my mind

F#m                A
    That’s my favorite song
F#m        A     B
Baby do you wanna dance whoa
A    E                     D    
      If you’re happy and you know it
A            E    D        A
    You’ve got to clap, clap your hands
A    E        D
If you’re happy and you know it
A            E    D        A
    You’ve got to clap, clap your hands

E    A            C#m        A
        I’ll give you a coloring book
E              F#m    B
You can draw outside the lines
E    A    B    A
I     I     I got nothing on my
E    A                B    A
        Nothing on my mind
F#m        A    
I got nothing on my
F#m        A    
I got nothing on my
F#m        A    E
I got nothing on my mind

E    F#m     E    F#m

E
I was in a movie one time
F#m
I didn’t have any lines
E
Just smiled at the leading lady
F#m
Got cut but at least they paid me
E
I’ve got nothing to say
F#m
I hope you have a nice day
E
I’m out of control
E
Je t’aime le rock and roll

E    A    B    E
I    I    I     got nothing on my mind
E    A    B    E
I    I    I     got nothing on my mind
E    A    B    E
I    I    I     got nothing on my mind

[I’ve got nothing to say hey hey hey

Got nothing to say

Have a nice day]

Too Much Joy week continues! Day 2: "Bad Dog"

Bad dog example

Welcome back! As promised, here is another "Too Much Joy" cover song, "Bad Dog". Man those guys really rock, it turns out! And I am relatively acoustic, but I think it's a good mix, friend!

Now a few of these chords are approximate (in the "I hang my head in shame" part), since the band were doing all sorts of who knows what at the time, but they def work with the melody, so hey it's all good.

Bad Dog by Too Much Joy

A   F#m  E A   F#m  E

A           F#m  E
I have been bad dog
A    F#m E
I am a bad dog
D         G        A    
I hang my head in shame
D    A      G/D
Bad dog is my name
D         G        A    
You can hit me with a stick
D    A      G/D
I know I deserve it

G           D/F#
Shame on shame on
A
Shame on me
G           D/F#
Shame on shame on
A
Shame on me

D         G        A    
I hang my head in shame
D    A      G/D
Bad dog is my name
D         G        A    
You can tie me to a tree
D    A      G/D
I know it means you love me

G           D/F#
Shame on shame on
A
Shame on me
G           D/F#
Shame on shame on
A
Shame on me

A           F#m  E
            [I’ve been a bad dog]
A           F#m  E
            [I am a bad dog]
A           F#m  E
I have been bad dog
Bm   G  A
I am a bad dog

interlude

D         G        A    
D    A      G/D
D         G        A    
D    A      G/D

G           D/F#
A
G           D/F#
A

D    A    D
C    G    D

D                A        D
I met this sex nazi she locked me in her room
        C                        G        D
She only has sex with me every other June
G            D/F#        A
I met this sex nazi she wants sex on demand
G                   D/F#     A
When she’s not commanding I can’t even use my hand

G           D/F#
Shame on shame on
A
Shame on me
G           D/F#
Shame on shame on
A
Shame on me

D        Bm     A
I have been bad dog
D    Bm    A
I am a bad dog
D     G    A   
I hang my head in shame
D    A    G/D        D
Bad dog is my name

Too Much Joy week begins! Day 1: "Take a Lot of Drugs"

It's Too Much Joy week here at amazinglyandrew.com! If you didn't know, that doesn't just mean it's a joy-filled week you have to look forward to--Too Much Joy is a band from the 80's and 90's mostly. As I found myself wanting to play a song of theirs called "Bad Dog" I looked it up at Ultimate Guitar and was dismayed to find just 3 songs transcribed!!! (Including one for ukelele, helpfully.) So I thought, hey, uh, if I'm gonna be a transcribin' these here songs, might as well share 'em! And if I'm gonna write them down and play them, might as well record them!

The next thought I had was "Say, ah, Andrew, you know there are real people in that band who may not be super psyched if you post their material online." So I got worried. But guess what! I contacted the leader of the band Tim Quirk and he blessed me! Holy crap! I mean, these are no shrinking daisies we're talking about--they sold hundreds of thousands of albums back when, and Tim Quirk was recently a Google Play executive. So I'm honored!

To start the week off we have my rendition of "Take a Lot of Drugs", a song off of their b-sides collection "Besides". Ha ha. I have processed it through the "hippie-ska" blender, interestingly enough. It's a pretty great!

Every day this week I plan to post another song with chords and lyrics, you're welcome!

Here I am having too much fun recording Too Much Joy covers

Take a Lot of Drugs
by Too Much Joy

G
Take a lot of drugs

You owe yourself some fun
            C
Drink a lot of beer
            G
I won’t tell no one

G
Have a lot of sex

Leave on all the lights
            C
Play a lot of pool
                G
Ignore the change in time

        C
When the world ain’t your friend
        G
And you ain’t got a friend in the world
D
Take a lot of drugs 
        C                G        C    G
And to another world you’ll be hurled

G
Take the day off work

Swear on live TV
            C
Burn all your clothes
            G
Roam naked and free

    C
When life ain’t your friend
        G
And your friends ain’t for life
D
Take a lot of drugs 
        C            G
And everything will be alright

        C
When the world ain’t your friend
        G
And you ain’t got a friend in the world
D
Take a lot of drugs 
        C                G
And to another world you’ll be hurled
    C                   G
To another world you’ll be hurled
    C                   G
To another world you’ll be hurled

Transcribed by Amazingly Andrew Yonda
www.amazinglyandrew.com