• Song:

    The Old Apartment

  • Artist:

    Barenaked Ladies

  • Album:

    Extended Versions

Capo 3rd fret

This song incorporates a chord that Barenaked Ladies use quite a lot, the Cadd9 chord
(X32033), which many people mistakenly refer to as a C9 chord (X3233X). It works just fine
to play a regular C chord in its place, but personally, I prefer the sound of the add9 
chord, and I find it easier to play the add9 chord instead of the regular C, especially if
you play a G chord with the 3rd fret on the B instead of an open B (320033 as opposed to 320003).

This tab is based entirely on the album version. Over the years, Ed Robertson and Steven
Page (and, more recently, Kevin Hearn) have added various embellishments and whatnot
during live performances, but they will not be included in this tab.

G (320003@1)      D (xx0232@1)         Cadd9 (x32030@1)  Cadd9 (x32030@1)Broke into the old apartment
G (320003@1)      D (xx0232@1)                Cadd9 (x32030@1)Cadd9 (x32030@1)This is where we used to live
G (320003@1)     D (xx0232@1)              Cadd9 (x32030@1)         Cadd9 (x32030@1)Broken glass, broke and hungry, broken hearts and broken bones
G (320003@1)      D (xx0232@1)                Cadd9 (x32030@1)Cadd9 (x32030@1)This is where we used to live

Em7         D (xx0232@1)                 Cadd9e|-----------------------------------------------------------------| (x32030@1)B|-------------3-------------------------------3-------------------|
G|-------0-----2-------------------------0-----0-------------------|
D|-----0-------0-------------------0h2-2-------2-------------------|
A|-0h2-----------------------------3-------------------------------|
E|-0---------------------------------------------------------------|
         Why     did you paint the walls?

Em7         D (xx0232@1)                 Cadd9e|-----------------------------------------------------------------| (x32030@1)B|-------------3-------------------------------3-------------------|
G|-------0-----2-------------------------0-----0-------------------|
D|-----0-------0-------------------0h2-2-------2-------------------|
A|-0h2-----------------------------3-------------------------------|
E|-0---------------------------------------------------------------|
         Why     did you clean the floor?

Em7         De|-----------------------------| (xx0232@1)B|-------------3---------------|
G|-------0-----2---------------|
D|-----0-------0---------------|
A|-0h2-------------------------|
E|-0---------------------------| Cadd9    D
         Why     did you plaster over the hole I punched in the door?

G (320003@1)      D (xx0232@1)                Cadd9 (x32030@1)Cadd9 (x32030@1)This is where we used to live
G (320003@1)  D (xx0232@1)              Cadd9 (x32030@1)         D (xx0232@1)Why did you keep the mouse trap? Why did you keep the dishrack?
G (320003@1)           D (xx0232@1)                Cadd9 (x32030@1)These things used to be mine, I guess they still are
            D (xx0232@1)I want 'em back

Repeat everything you've learned so far, with different lyrics.

Em7             D (xx0232@1)             Ge|-------------------------2---3----------------------------------| (320003@1)B|-------------------------3---3-------3-------3-------3-------3--|
G|---------0-----------2---------------0-------0-------0-------0--|
D|-------------0---0----------------------------------------------|
A|-----2-----------------------------------2-------3-------2------|
E|-0-------------------------------3------------------------------|
           I       know   we don't live here anymore

Am7 (x02010@1)           D (xx0232@1)             Ge|-------------------------2---3----------------------------------| (320003@1)B|---------3---------------3---3-------3-------3-------3-------3--|
G|---------0-----------2---------------0-------0-------0-------0--|
D|-----2-------2---0----------------------------------------------|
A|-0---------------------------------------2-------3-------2------|
E|---------------------------------3------------------------------|
           We      bought  and old house on the Danforth

Em7             D (xx0232@1)             Ge|-------------------------2---3----------------------------------| (320003@1)B|-------------------------3---3-------3-------3-------3-------3--|
G|---------0-----------2---------------0-------0-------0-------0--|
D|-------------0---0----------------------------------------------|
A|-----2-----------------------------------2-------3-------2------|
E|-0-------------------------------3------------------------------|
           She    loves me and her body    keeps me warm
Am7 (x02010@1)    D (xx0232@1)And I'm happy there

G (320003@1)          D (xx0232@1)               Cadd9 (x32030@1)Cadd9 (x32030@1)But this is where we used to live
G (320003@1)      D (xx0232@1)          Cadd9 (x32030@1) Cadd9 (x32030@1)Broke into the old apartment
G (320003@1)         D (xx0232@1)               Cadd9 (x32030@1)Cadd9 (x32030@1)I tore the phone out of the wall

And just continue the G D Cadd9 progression until the very last line, where you end on a
Cmaj7 (X32000) like so:

G (320003@1)D (xx0232@1)       Cmaj7 (x32000@1)I want them back

Also, one riff comes up a couple times, over the lines "I tore the phone out of the
wall" and the very first "I want them back". This riff doesn't exactly fit in for solo
performance; for solo play I suggest you just play the chords so as to avoid disrupting 
your flow. Since Steven Page's departure from the band, this riff seems to have just 
found its
way out of the song, as neither Ed Robertson nor Kevin Hearn cover it. But it goes:

e|----------------------|
B|-----3-1-0------------|
G|-----------2-0--------|
D|---------------0h2-0--|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|
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