VAUGHAN STEVIE RAY - "life by the drop" Tablature

From: Mario Kefalopoulos <U15708@uicvm.uic.edu>

It took this song to make me find my forgotten 12-string Eko which was deep
buried in a closet for quite some time. I had it serviced and sat down to
learn the song. Here are the results:


Fist, the general outline. The intro and a couple more licks are after it.

|A |E7 |F#min |D7
|/ / / / |/ / / / |/ / / / |/ / / /
|Hello there |my old friend, |not so long ago it was |still the end

|A |E7 |F#min |D7
|/ / / / |/ / / / |/ / / / |/ / / /
|late outside|in the pouring rain|on our way up the road|we started over again

|F#min |D7 E7
|/ / / / |/ / / /
|living a dream |as though you're on top (?)

|F#min |D7 E7
|/ / / / |/ / / /
|my mind is aching |Lord it won't stop

|F#min D7 |E7 |A |A
|/ / / / |/ / |/ / / / |/ / / /
|that's how it happened living |life by the |drop |
^---- only 2/4 here


|Up and down the road in our |worn out shoes
|talking about good things and |singing the blues
|you went your way and |I stayed behind
|we both knew it was just a |matter of time
|living a dream as |though you're on top
|my mind is aching |Lord it won't stop
|that's how it happens living |life by the |drop / / /| / / / /|

|No waste of time we |??...?? the day
|turning up the past, there's no |easier way
|time's been between us a |means to an end (???)
|God, it's good to be here, walking |together my friend
|living a dream | <fill>
|my mind starts thinking| <fill>
|that's how it happened living |life by the |drop / / /|
|that's how it happened living |life by the |drop / / /|


<fill>
/ / / / | F#min
---------------------------------------|-------2-
---------------------------------------|-------2-
---------------------------------------|-------3- ...
0---2--2h4------2----------2-2h4--2----|-------4-
-------------------------------------4-|-------4-
---------------------------------------|--2--2---


Intro:
/ / / / |/ / / / | A
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-------
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-------
------------0---------------0-h2-|0-------------------------2-|------- ...
-----0-1-h2---0-h1-p0---0--------|--2-1-0-h1-0---0---0--------|---2---2h4-
0-h3------------------3---3------|-------------3---3---3-p0---|---0---0-0-
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------

Rythm:
D7
A / / / /
/ / / / G -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-|
D -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-| D -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-|
A -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-|... A ---------------------------|
E ---------------------------| E ---------------------------|

E7
/ / / / F#min: 244222
A -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-|
E -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-|

For the D7 he's using both xx0212 and xx7575 (EADGBE)
For the E7, I'm not sure, but probably the x7675x.


That's it. There are a couple of licks missing but with a little messing
around with the chords you'll be able to get them.

Have fun.


From: Paul D <S3BZ@MUSIC.TRANSY.EDU>
Subject: SRV's "Life By the Drop"...


The intro is just some 'A pentatonic' stuff:
(this may not be exact)

E-|------------------------------------------------------|
B-|------------------------------------------------------|
G-|----------0-----------2---0---------0--------------2--|
D-|------0h2---0h2p0------------2--0h2----0h2p0----------|
A-|--0h3-------------3p0------------------------3--0-----|
E-|------------------------------------------------------|

Then there's this thing that I call "standard blues riff" (because I'm
basically musically illiterate) throughout the verses:

A E F#m D
E-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2-----------------------|
B-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2-----------------------|
G-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2--2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2---:-|
D-|-2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2--------------------------4-4---4-4--0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0---:-|
A-|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0--2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2---4-4--4-4---4-4-----------------------|
E-|-------------------0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0---2-2--2-2---2-2-----------------------|


Here's the chorus part ("Livin' your dreams, wo' you on top."):
(there's some words at the bottom to help keep up)


E-|------2-2---2-2--------------------------2-2---2-2-------------------------|
B-|------2-2---2-2--------------------------2-2---2-2-------------------------|
G-|------2-2---2-2---2-2-4-2----------------2-2---2-2---2-2-4-2---------------|
D-|------4-4---4-4---0-0-0-0----------------4-4---4-4---0-0-0-0---------------|
A-|-4-4--4-4---4-4-----------2-2-4-2---4-4--4-4---4-4------------2-2-4-2------|
E-|-2-2--2-2---2-2-----------0-0-0-0---2-2--2-2---2-2------------0-0-0-0------|
Livin'... Wo'... My mind... Lord...


Then here's where he says "That's how it happens livin' life by the drop":

E-|----------2--------------2-----------------------|
B-|----------2--------------3-----------------------|
G-|----------2------2--2----2------------------2----|
D-|----------4------0--0----0------2-----------2----|
A-|-4-4------4---------------------2-----------0----|
E-|-2-2------2---------------------0----------------|
That's how it happens livin' life by the drop.


I hope that helped some. Sorry I don't know any other SRV songs. I just
figured this one out as a favor to a friend of mine who is kinda tone-deaf. You
You're own with some of the lyrics though, they're hard to hear.
Good luck...
Paul D. (s3bz%transy@ukcc.uky.edu) OR (phuckwheat@aol.com)