Tuning: Standard Key: E Alternate the main riff with the open A and E strings to sound like the album as shown Both these notes are in key throughout so you can get pretty loose with them or if needed play at the same time as the riff notes and it will still sound just fine intro: e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11----11----11----11----13-------14-------14---|-11----11----11----11----13-------14-------14---| A|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| repeat intro: verse: "back to the middle and dont you remember" "every day was another fish tank and your" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11---------------------------------------------|-11---------------------------------------------| A|-0----------------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| "head swims around and you wrote us a letter" "sayin' things will get much better goes" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| "back to the middle and dont you remember" "every night there's a tiny porch light in our" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11---------------------------------------------|-11---------------------------------------------| A|-0----------------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| "chest pulls clouds of bugs to flutter" "we felt loved as they carried us carried us" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| "back to the middle and don't you remember" "our head is a cage and the parrot loves to talk" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11----11----11----11----13-------14-------14---|-11----11----11----11----13-------14-------14---| A|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| *hit that distortion pedal e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--8--8--8--8--9--9--9--|-13---13--13-13-13-13-13---13-16-16-14-14-13-13-| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--6--6--6--6--7--7--7--|-11---11--11-11-11-11-11---11-14-14-12-12-11-11-| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-6-----6-----6--6--6----8--8--8--9--9--9--9-----|-6-----6-----6--6--6-----4--4--4--4---2--2--2---| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-4-----4-----4--4--4----6--6--6--7--7--7--7-----|-4-----4-----4--4--4-----2--2--2--2---0--0--0---| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--8--8--8--8--9--9--9--|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--8--8--8--8--9--9--9--| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--6--6--6--6--7--7--7--|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--6--6--6--6--7--7--7--| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--8--8--8--8--9--9--9--|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--9--9--9--8--8--6--6--| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--6--6--6--6--7--7--7--|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--7--7--7--6--6--4--4--| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-6-----6-----6--6--6----8--8--8--9--9--9--9-----|-6-----6-----6--6--6-----4--4--4--4---2--2--2---| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-4-----4-----4--4--4----6--6--6--7--7--7--7-----|-4-----4-----4--4--4-----2--2--2--2---0--0--0---| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| *back to clean e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| verse 2: "we built a cabin and we built a castle" "I just don't believe it was worth all the hassle you know " e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11---------------------------------------------|-11---------------------------------------------| A|-0----------------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| "we lived in cities and we lived in caves" "I guess I'd like to go back to the middle again" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11---------------------------------------------|-11---------------------------------------------| A|-0----------------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| "back to the middle and don't you remember" "our head is a cage and the parrot it won't shutup" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11----11----11----11----13-------14-------14---|-11----11----11----11----13-------14-------14---| A|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| *distortion e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--8--8--8--8--9--9--9--|-13---13--13-13-13-13-13---13-16-16-14-14-13-13-| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--6--6--6--6--7--7--7--|-11---11--11-11-11-11-11---11-14-14-12-12-11-11-| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-6-----6-----6--6--6----8--8--8--9--9--9--9-----|-6-----6-----6--6--6-----4--4--4--4---2--2--2---| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-4-----4-----4--4--4----6--6--6--7--7--7--7-----|-4-----4-----4--4--4-----2--2--2--2---0--0--0---| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--8--8--8--8--9--9--9--|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13--8--8--8--8--9--9--9--| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--6--6--6--6--7--7--7--|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11--6--6--6--6--7--7--7--| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| *get a little bendy and rowdy here* e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-13---13---13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13--|-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13---9--9--9--8--8--6--6--| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-11---11---11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11--|-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11---7--7--7--6--6--4--4--| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|-6-----6-----6--6--6----8--8--8--9--9--9--9-----|-6-----6-----6--6--6-----4--4--4--4---2--2--2---| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-4-----4-----4--4--4----6--6--6--7--7--7--7-----|-4-----4-----4--4--4-----2--2--2--2---0--0--0---| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| *clean* e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| verse 3: "back to the middle and dont you remember" "now and then we would take out a ladder and" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11---------------------------------------------|-11---------------------------------------------| A|-0----------------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| "see if we wanna climb to the heavens or" "shift our gaze climb down to never go" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| "back to the middle and dont you remember" "every winter we would wish it were warmer and" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|-11---------------------------------------------|-11---------------------------------------------| A|-0----------------------------------------------|-0----------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| "every summer I would knit you a sweater" "scratch words in the dirt to remember that" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-| outro: "we're up here right now not forever we'll be pulled right back down to the middle again" e|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| A|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---|-14----14----14----14----14-------12-------11---| E|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0--------0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--0-----0------0---| Modest Mouse - Back To The Middle https://www.youtube.com/watch v=5ZtKm5BHPhY Shoutouts to Isaac for writing this one, thought I'd finally tab one out as a payback for all the tabs I've used over years :)