Ballad of Big Nothing

open C tuning (CGCEGC)

t = 10
      CGCEGC        CGCEGC
G7    705707  C     007090
Csus4 0070t0  D     222222
G9    x0x545  G7*   x05345
F     555555  Dm    2x212x
Fm    5x5450  Cadd9 007070
Asus2 x2404x  Dm*   2x55xx
E     444444  Am    9x9890

intro
      C    Am7   C    Am7  Fm         G7  
C-----0-----0----0-----0--------------0--2--4--5--7--
G-----0-----0----0-----0--------------------------0--
E-----0-----0----0-----0-----4h6-4h6--0--1--3--5--7--
C--12\4--12\4--2-4--12\4-----5-5-5-5--------------5--
G-----0-----2----0-----2--------------------------0--
C-----0-----0----0-----0---5-------------------------


G7                               C        Csus4 C   D
throwing candy out to the crowd, dragging down  the main
G7                                    G9 G7*         C          Csus4 C      F
the helpless little thing with the dirty mouth who's always got something to say
G7                    G9 G7*      C                Csus4 C    D
you're sitting around at home now waiting for your brother to call
Dm        G7                Fm          G7*
I saw him down in the alley having had enough of it all

             C                Cadd9  Asus2           Fm  Dm*  Fm  G7*
said you can do what you want to whenever you want to
        C                Cadd9      Asus2              Fm  Dm  Fm  G7*
you can do what you want to there's no-one to stop you

G7                 G9     G7*    C             Csus4 C D
all spit and spite you're up all night and down every  day
G7                          G9 G7*     C            Csus4 C F
a tired man with only hours to go just waiting to be taken away
G7                     G9   G7*     C     Csus4 C   D
getting in to the back of a car for candy from some stranger
Dm           G7                   Fm           G7*
watching the parade with pinpoint eyes full of smoldering anger

        C                Cadd9  Asus2           Fm  Dm*  Fm  G7*
you can do what you want to whenever you want to 
        C                Cadd9      Asus2              Fm  Dm  Fm  G7*
you can do what you want to there's no-one to stop you
            C                Cadd9  Asus2
now you can do what you want to whenever you want to
C                Cadd9  Asus2
do what you want to whenever you want to
G7                      E                Am                       D
do what you want to whenever you want to though it doesn't mean a thing,
F       Fm 
big nothing

coda
   C    Am7   C    Am7  Fm         G7               C
C--0-----0----0-----0--------------0--2--4--5--7---/12-
G--0-----0----0-----0--------------------------0----0--
E--0-----0----0-----0-----4h6-4h6--0--1--3--5--7---/12-
C--4--12\4-12\4--12\4-----5-5-5-5--------------5----0--
G--0-----2----0-----2--------------------------0----0--
C--0-----0----0-----0---5---------------------------0--
      oooh oooh  oooh

3 thoughts on “Ballad of Big Nothing”

  1. Hey, I just wanted to say thanks.

    Your tabs are awesome.

    I’ve loved Elliott’s music from the first time I heard the opening bars to Needle in the Hay. These great tabs give an even deeper appreciation of what a great songwriter and player he was.

    Thanks. Really fine work.

  2. thanks man. this one is really fun to play.

    I just tabbed it out how elliott played it in a video, but your changes don’t sound bad either.

    I wish I could write songs this good.

  3. This is a really good tab.

    I prefer to add a Gsus2? x0202x at the end of the chorus run:

    C Cadd9 Asus2 Gsus2 Fm Dm* Fm G7*
    said you can do what you want to whenever you want to

    I also prefer to end on the 007090 instead of the high 00012012.

    Man, that G7 G9 G7* switch is a tough one to play.

    Another great Elliott song. Brilliant ending on the bridge and resolving back to C in the coda. I’d love to be musical enough to be able to say why that works so well.

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