After The Fall - Elvis Costello
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transcribed by John Kean (keanj@agresearch.cri.nz).
Uses acoustic guitar on chords,
and classical guitar on fills (tabbed below).
6/8 timing.
Bm Bm
Bm F#
In an anonymous rendezvous
F#7 Bm
Where the forbidden lovers repair
D A
They're burning down another damn candle
F# G
They're melting the tables and chairs
|----------------------|
|----------------------|
Classical |----------------------|
Guitar: |----------------------|
|----------------------|
|----------------2h3h2-|
Approx Timing: , . . , . .
Bm F#
Beneath them applause from the balcony
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------4--------------|
|--2-----------------------------|---------------4------7----5----|
|--------------------------------|--2-------2-6-------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#7 Bm
Whenever they accomplished making love
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|------------7----7----5---------|
|--------------------------------|------------7----7----6----6----|
|--------------------------------|---------------------------7----|
|--4-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
D A
Other times they thought they heard laughter
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--7-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F# G (bass run: G F#)
Coming from the balcony above
|--------------------------------|-----------------7---------7-10-|
|--------------------------------|---------------8---------8---12-|
|--------------------------------|------------7---------7---------|
|--------------------------------|----------9---------9-----------|
|--------------------------------|------10------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
Em
She
|-10-----------10-10---9-------7-|
|-12-----------12-12--10-------9-|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
, . . , . .
A E
lies to his right and she carelessly recites
|--9-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|-10-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#m C#m
All of her brand new appetites She seems
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|---------------7-9----7---------|
|--------------------------------|----------6s9-----------------9-|
|--------------------------------|-----2s6------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
A E
brittle and small it don't sound like her at all
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--6-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#m F#
Since she came back to him After the fall
|--------------------------------|---------------------------9s---|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#
She said
|-s6-----------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|-----------------6----4-------3-|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
, . . , . .
Bm F#
"You never visit the countryside So I've
|----------------10--------10----|--9-------------12---10----9----|
|----------------12--------12----|-11-------------14---12---11----|
|--4-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#7 Bm
made you a country to order" She
|--6-----------------------------|-10----9------7-----------------|
|--7-----------------------------|----------------10----8-------7-|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
D A
put up a little tent in the bedroom
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--7-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F# G
Crickets played on a tape-recorder The
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|----------------------2----4----|
|--------------------------------|--------------0--5--------------|
|--------------------------------|------0---2---------------------|
|--------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
Bm F#
ceiling was festooned with phosphorous stars She
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--3-----------------------------|---------------5-5----3----5----|
|--------------------------------|---------------6-6----4----6----|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#7 Bm
noticed his skin turning cold
|--------------------------------|-----------------7s9-10----7----|
|--7-----------------------------|---------------7-------------10-|
|--------------------------------|----------6-7-------------------|
|--------------------------------|-------9------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-----9--------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
D A
Burning all his clothes on the bonfire
|--------------------------------|------------9----9----9----9----|
|--7-----------------------------|-----------10---10---10---10----|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F# G (bass run: G F#)
"Relax" she whispered and tightened the blindfold
|--9-----------------------------|-10-------------10------------7-|
|-11-----------------------------|-12-------------12------------8-|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
Em
She
|--7------------3-3----2---------|
|--8------------5-5--------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
, . . , . .
A E
lies to his right and she carelessly recites
|--0-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------0----2----4----|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#m C#m
All of her brand new appetites She seems
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|---------------------------5----|
|--------------------------------|-------------------------6------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------2----6---------|
|--------------------------------|---------------4----------------|
|--2-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
A E
brittle and small it don't sound like her at all
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--6-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#m F#
Since she came back to him After the fall
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#
You've
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|---------------------------1----|
|-----------------2----4---------|
, . . , . .
Bm F#
changed but not for the better babe
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------3--------------|
|--------------------------------|---------------4-----------6--5-|
|--2-----------------------------|----------1-4-------------------|
|--------------------------------|-------2------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#7 Bm
I'd tell you why but what's the use
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--4-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--9h10p9p7------------------7---|
|--------------------------------|-----------10-9s6-7----9--------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
D A
'Cos it's the same kind of pity A
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--5------------7-8----7----5----|
|-----------------7--------------|--6-----------------------------|
|--0-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F# G
drunkard gives as his excuse You were
|--------------------------------|------------7----7----7----7----|
|--------------------------------|------------8----8----8----8----|
|--6-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
Bm F#
sharp and ideal as a bobby pin Now your
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--7-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#7 Bm
eyes are deserted and quiet We
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
D A
both look like those poor shattered mannequins
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F# G (bass run: G F#)
Thrown through the window in the riot
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|---------------0-0h2-------2--4-|
|--------------------------------|--3---------3-------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
Em
She
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|------------2--4-4s5--4----2----|
|--5-----------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
, . . , . .
A E
lies in his arms and without any qualms
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#m C#m
Revels in shallow delights She seems
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--9--------------5--s-3--s-2----|
|--------------------------------|--9--------------6--------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
A E
brittle and small it don't sound like her at all
|--------------------------------|----------------------4---------|
|----------------------5h7p5-----|----------------------5---------|
|----------------------6----6----|--------------------------------|
|----------------------7---------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#m F#
Since she came back to him After the fall
|--5-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--7-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#
|----------------------9---------|
|---------------------11---------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|---------------------------2----|
, . . , . .
Bm F#
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--2---------2--2-2----2h4--2----|--1--2-4------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F#7 Bm
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|-------------------0-2---0---4--|--4s2--2------------------------|
|-4h5p4p2-4h5p4p2-4--------------|------------------------------4-|
|--------------------------------|----------------------7--5-7----|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
D A
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------------4--5-7----5----4----|--4-h5p4s2------------2--4-2--0-|
|--5-------7---------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
F# Bm G
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--4---------4--5-5s7--5----4----|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--7-----------------------------|
, . . , . . , . . , . .
Bm
|-----------7--9h10p9p7-----------------|------------------||
|--------7---------------7--------------|------------------||
|-----7---------------------9--7--------|------------------|| Fine
|--9------------------------------9--7--|--9---------------||
|---------------------------------------|------------------||
|---------------------------------------|------------------||
ad lib.
