Give Me One Reason chords by Tracy Chapman

My guitar just confirmed what my ear told me: It's a simple 12-bar
blues. There are a few variations on the pattern, but the one I use
is:

  E7 A7 E7 E7 A7 A7 E7 E7 B7 A7 E7 B7

Here's how it fits with the lyrics:


GIVE ME ONE REASON
On: Tracy Chapman, _New Beginning_
Words & Music: Tracy Chapman

INTRO: Blues progression (above)

    E7               A7            E7
CHORUS: Give me ...
    A7                            E7
    Give me ..
         B7
    'Cause I ..
      A7               E7  B7
    But you've ..

Verse

CHORUS

verse 2

Verse 3

CHORUS

Baby just ..
Baby just ..
Because ..

End on E7



           Give Me One Reason
         written by Tracy Chapman
      originally performed by Tracy Chapman
         track #9 on "new beginning"
    transcribed by Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)

This song has a pretty intricate and difficult lead.
However, it sounds really good when you can play it. Tracy
plays the rhythm electric guitar (basic pattern is tabbed
below), and her guitarist plays the blues lead guitar.

Here are the lyrics and the basic chord progressions for the
song. The guitar parts are tabbed below.

Chords used:
F#=244322 B=x24442 C#=x46664

Lyrics:
F#  B  C#  F#    B  C#  F#  C#  B  F#
[intro]
F#              B    C#
Give me ..                F#
around.
F#              B    C#
Give me ..
F#
around.
C#
I said ..
B              F#
You've ...
F#          B   C#       F#
Baby I ...
F#           B   C#      F#
You know ...
C#
You can ..
    B             F#
You can ...
F#              B    C#
Give me ..
F#
around.
F#              B    C#
Give me ..
F#
around.

C#
I said ..,
B              F#
You've ...
F#               B     C#
I don't ..
F#
life.
F#               B     C#
I don't ...
F#
life.

    C#
I just ...
B           F#
And rock ...
F#              B  C#       F#
This ...
F#                  B C#
I said ..
   F#
you need.
    C#
But I'm ...
B          F#
Wastin' ...
F#              B    C#
Give me ..
F#
around.
F#              B    C#
Give me ..
F#
around.
C#
I said ..
B              F#
You've ...
F#             B   C#      F#
Baby just ...
F#             B   C#      F#
Baby just ..

I should ..
C#                B
Because ..
F#
to say.
TAB notation:
P: pull off
h: hammer on
/: slide up
\: slide down
b: 1/4 bend
B: 1/2 bend
Bb: full bend
~: vibrato
r: release bend
<->: hold bend (until released)
*: palm mute
pb: prebend

Tracy's part:
Intro:
    F#    B  C#  F#          B
E---------2-----2-----2------4-----2-----2-----2-----2------B---------2-----2-----4------6-----2-----2-----2-----2------G---------3---3-3-----4----6-6-----3---3-3-----3---3-3------D---------4---4-4-----4----6-------4---4-4-----4---4-4------A-------------4---0-2----4-------------4-----------4---0-2--E-0-0-0-2---2------------------0-2---2-----0-2---2----------

  C#  F#          C#     B
-2------4-----2-----2-----2-----2-----4-----4-----2-----2----4------6-----2-----2-----2-----2-----6-----6-----4-----4----4----6-6-----3---3-3-----3---3-3-----6---6-6-----4---4-4----4----6-------4---4-4-----4---4-4-----6---6-------4---4---------4-------------4-----------4---0-4---4-----0-2---2-----------------0-2---2-----0-2---2-------------------------------

 F#
-----2-----2------2-----2--
-----2-----2------2-----2--
-----3---3-3------3---3-3--
-----4---4-4------4---4-4--
-----4---4--------4---4----
-0-2---2------0-2---2------
(this pattern repeats throughout the entire song)

lead guitar part:
verse 2:
E-----------------------------------------------------------B-------------------------12B13-----------------------------G----------11----14h11~---------13B14r13--11h13p11~---------D----11h13----13--------------------------------------------A-----------------------------------------------------------E-----------------------------------------------------------




--------------------------------------------------------------7\5--------------12B13r12-10----10B11--9b-9b-7-4---7-9b10-------4B5r4--2-----------------11------------------8------------------------4~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              <-------->
-----------------------------------12------------------------\5---7---9B10--------------12Bb14----14r12p10--12p10----------------------11~--9B10r9-----------------------------11~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               <------>
-------------------------------------------------------------5/7\5--5--5-----5--------------------------------------------------4b-4b-2--4p2------------4B5--5r4--4p2-------------------------------------4~----2*----------------4~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

         <---------->
----------------5b--7Bb9r8B9--9r7h5--------5b--7-7p5---------------5--7--7-----------------------7--7-------------7---7----/6---------------------------------------------------6----4----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       <------->  <----->
-5b-----------9Bb11--11r9--------------------------7--9------------7---7---------------9B10-10r9--7-----10B12---------------/8---8-------------------------------8------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------------------9b------11b------12--------------------9pb10r9p7---7-------10b------12b------12Bb14r13B14--------------------8----/11-------11-------11-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




  <----------->
---------12-------------------------------------12-----------12Bb14------14r12---10--12Bb14--10h12~--10h12--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------12pb14r12p10--12p10b--------------------------------------------------------------11~---9--------------------------------------------------------------11--11\9---7--------------------------------------------------------------9~~~---------
------------------------------------------------------------

That's basically the entire song. There are two more riffs
in the last two verses that I thought were neat. Here they
are (sorry, I don't remember where they go, or what chords
support them).

riff 1:
-------14-------16-------18-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/15------/16------/18-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

riff 2:
-17b-17b-14-----------------14------------------------------------------17p14--------14----------------17---------------------------------16Bb18-------16B17r16-14-16B17r16-14-------------------------------------------------------------16---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There rest of the song is just a guitar ad lib. So, that's
all everybody. Have fun.

transcribed by: Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)