Between the Bars
Elliott Smith
[Verse 1]
Drink up, baby, stay up all night
With the things you could do, you won't but you might
The potential you'll be, that you'll never see
The promises you'll only make
Drink up with me now and forget all about
The pressure of days, do what I say
And I'll make you okay and drive them away
The images stuck in your head
[Chorus]
People you've been before that you
Don't want around anymore
That push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
[Verse 2]
Drink up, baby, look at the stars
I'll kiss you again, between the bars
Where I'm seeing you there, with your hands in the air
Waiting to finally be caught
Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine
Keep you apart, deep in my heart
Separate from the rest, where I like you the best
And keep the things you forgot
[Chorus]
The people you've been before that you
Don't want around anymore
That push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
[Verse 1]
Am7 Fadd9
Drink up, baby, stay up all night.
C
With the things you could do,
Em7/B
You won't but you might.
Am7
The potential you'll be,
Fadd9
That you'll never see,
C E7 F
The promises you'll only make.
Am7
Drink up with me now,
Fadd9
And forget all about
C
The pressure of days.
Em7/B
Do what I say,
Am7
And I'll make you okay,
Fadd9
And drive them away
C E7 F
The images stuck in your head
[Chorus]
F G6 Am*
People you've been before
Fm/Ab Em/G Am Am/F#
That you don't want around anymore -
F G6 Am*
That push and shove and won't bend to your will.
F Fm
I'll keep them still.
[Verse 2]
Am7 Fadd9
Drink up, baby, look at the stars.
C
I'll kiss you again
Em7/B
Between the bars,
Am7
Where I'm seeing you there,
Fadd9
With your hands in the air,
C E7 F
Waiting to finally be caught.
Am7
Drink up one more time,
Fadd9
And I'll make you mine.
C
Keep you apart,
Em7/B
Deep in my heart,
Am7
Separate from the rest,
Fadd9
Where I like you the best,
C E7 F
And keep the things you forgot.
[Chorus]
F G6 Am*
The people you've been before
Fm/Ab Em/G Am Am/F#
That you don't want around anymore -
F G6 Am*
That push and shove and won't bend to your will.
F Fm
I'll keep them still.
Am7
* There's a riff here.. It's pretty simple, and all the notes receive an even time. Just
listen to the record and you should be able to hear the rhythm.
e|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|
G|--------------------------|
D|------------------0---2---|
A|--0---2---3---3-----------|
E|--------------------------|
Note: for the Am/F#, I like to just reach across with my middle finger, which is on the
2nd fret of the D string using my Am open fingering, and hit the second fret on the low E
The point of my finger holds down the string while the fleshy part mutes the A string. I
think this sounds better and is a lot easier than using some weird fingering to get a proper
chord with all six strings ringing.