For a song that sounds so simple, it is incredibly hard to tab. And naturally Elliott
plays it differently every time. Any one who wants to work out the second guitar part
be my guest but i pretty much melted tabbing this...

Roman Candle is available on the album of the same name, i advise buying it. If you
have an effects pedal (like a tube overdrive that elliott and myself have used) turn
the gain to about 4 up and the high to 8 and low up to about 4. This should produce a
slight crunch at the higher ends. As for the second guitar go and find a decent effects
pedal (a Zoom or a digitech) and programme one with some spacey wah reverb sound.

Elliott Smith - Roman Candle (album version) 
Capo 7th

Chords:

Em9 : X2403(2)              G6/B : X20030

Cm? : X462XX                Em :  022000              

G : 320030                  D   : XX0230

A : 5X0030(or) X00030       Cadd9 :  X32030

 

Brief Intro: roll an Em9...

 

    Cm?     G                  Em9   Cm        G     A

He played himself, didn't need me to give him hell

  

            Em9      Cm       G       A      

He could be cool and cruel to you and me

 

             Em9      Cm      G     G6/B * hit low E four times

Knew we'd put up with every-thing

 

Chorus:

Hit bass note for each chord with quick little strums

(Hit bass note twice for the regular Em chord)

 

G6/B    D         Em          G6/B  D           Em

I        want to hurt him,  I want to give him pain

 

       G6/B    D      Em         G6/B   D       Em       G 

I'm a ro---------man candle, my head is full of flames

 

     Em9     Cm?     G    A        Em9      Cm?   G     A

I'm hallu----cina-----ting,        hallu----cina----ting

 

   Em9     Cm?        G          A

I hear      you       cry,  your tears are cheap 

 

Em9           Cm?             G             *strum A then G fast

Wet    hot    red swollen cheeks,   fall asleep  

 

Chorus:

G6/B        D       Em          G6/B  D           Em

I           want to hurt him,  I want to give him pain

 

      G6/B        D    Em       G6/B     D       Em       G 

I'm a ro---------man candle, my head is full of flames

 

 G6/B    D      Em       G    G6/B     D     Em       G

I wa-----nt to hurt him,     I wa----nt to hurt him

 

  G6/B  D       Em       G    G6/B     D      Em         G

I wa-----nt to hurt him,   I wa----nt to give him pain

 

*For the hmmm, hmmm part repeat first part 3 times

and then;

 

Ending:   G   G6/B (with low E until the end)

 

A                                     G6/B  

Make him feel this pretty burn

 

*rake upward hard and land on G to start the outro and continue this

pattern

(hit bass note and strum each chord 4 times)

 

G  G6/B A Cadd9      *end on Cadd9