• Song:

    Breakin Up

  • Artist:

    Violent Femmes

Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 17:03:01 -0500
From: Bryson Meunier 
Subject: TAB:"Breakin' Up" by violent femmes

        For this song I worked out the electric solo and then went back and
did my best on the acoustic lead-in. I'm pretty sure that the solo is
correct(although extraordinarily easy) but I'm not certain about the
lead-in. So even if it's not exactly the way that Gordon plays it,it sounds
pretty close. You be the judge. If you work out a different way of playing
it, or if you just have questions or comments, e-mail me at meunier.1@osu.edu

                     "Breakin' Up"(Gordon Gano)

Performed by the violent femmes on "New Times"(1994).
Guitar solo and lead-in transcribed by Bryson Meunier

chorus(acoustic)-
                 "...easy to do"        "...easy to do"
   E------------------------------|--8--7---5-------------|
   B-------3---------------x6-x5--|------------6-6-6-5----|
   G---5--------5--2--------------|------------5-5-5-4----|
   D------------------5-----------|------------7-7-7-6----|
   A------------------------------|-----------------------|
   E------------------------------|-----------------------|
 

  "...breakin up..."          "It's easy to do you know I"

      A
   E------------------------------------------------------|
   B--2-2-2--------7--5--7--5--------6--6--6--5--5-5-5p0--|
   G--2-2-2--------7--5--7--5--------5--5--5--4--4-4-4p0--|
   D--2-2-2--------------------7--5--7--7--7--6--6-6-6p0--|
   A------------------------------------------------------|
   E------------------------------------------------------|
   
   "Break up... Time   I           Break up with you

        A         Fm           Em
   E--------------1--1--1--1------0-----------------------|
   B----2-2-2-2---1--1--1--1------0-----------------------|
   G----2-2-2-2---1--1--1--1------0-----------------------|
   D----2-2-2-2---3--3--3--3---2--2-----------------------|
   A--------------3--3--3--3---2--2-----------------------|
   E--------------1--1--1--1---0--0-----------------------|
  
   Guitar 2(played overtop of last acoustic chord(Em))
   (distorted electric)
                                   A(volume swell)
   E------------------------------------------------------|
   B-------------------------------2~~~~~~~~~~~~----------|
   G-------------------------------2~~~~~~~~~~~~----------|
   D-------------------------------2~~~~~~~~~~~~----------|
   A------------------------------------------------------|
   E------------------------------------------------------|
   
   Guitar solo(flip pickup switch to top position)-
   (guitar 2)
   E------------------------------------------------------|
   B----2-----2-5---5-4---5\4--2~~~~~~~--2-5~~~\\12~~--2--|
   G----2-----2-5---5-4---5\4--2~~~~~~~--2-5~~~\\12~~--2--|
   D------------------------------------------------------|
   A------------------------------------------------------|
   E------------------------------------------------------|


   E------------------------------------------------------|
   B---2-5---5-4--5\4--2----2-5~~~~~~\\12~~~\14~~~~~~~~~b-|
   G---2-5---5-4--5\4--2----2-5~~~~~~\\12~~~\14~~~~~~~~~b-|
   D------------------------------------------------------|
   A------------------------------------------------------|
   E------------------------------------------------------|

   Symbols used in transcription-
   
   x = make percussive sound with fretting hand
   p = pull-off
   ~ = let ring
   \ = slide
   ~b = bend gradually 

   
   Lyrics:
   
   Now every once in awhile
   There's a crack in my smile
   Dark voices are talking to me
   Dark voices tell me the way 
   It's supposed to be
   They said "Breakin' up"
   They said it's hard to do
   But what they say about Breakin Up 
   You know it's just not true

   Breakin Up, it's easy to do
   Breakin' Up, it's easy to do

   Why if you know
   Why'd you have to go
   And leave me on the floor 
   'Bout as sick as a dog
   I'm feeding my face
   Like a bleary-eyed hog
   Why'd it have to stop
   When it's just begun
   Why'd it have to stop
   With so much good undone
   
   Chorus(3x)

   You know I break up every time I 
   Break up with you (guitar solo)

        Please consider posting the chords for the verse if you know them.
Thanks. Enjoy the tab!
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