Chords with lyrics
What's the Matter Here?
10,000 Maniacs - My Tribe (1987 album)
Verse:
G+G |
That young boy without a name
G+G |
anywhere, I'd know his face.
G+G (Em*) | * If solo acoustic, 
E minorEm sounds better
In the city, than just playing 4 bars of G, but
G+G (E minorEm) | “do as you see fit.”
The kid's my favorite. I’ve
C majorC |
seen him, seen him.
D MajorD G+G |
Oh, I see him every day.
G+G |
G+G | G+G |
I’ve seen him run outside looking for a place to hide
G+G (E minorEm) | G+G (E minorEm) |
from his father, the kid half naked made me
C majorC | D MajorD G+G |
say to myself, “Oh, what's the matter here "
G+G |
I am...
Chorus:
C majorC D MajorD | G+G (E minorEm) |
tired of the ex-c-u-s-e-s everybody uses, he's their
C majorC D MajorD | G+G |
kid, (so) I stay out of it, but..
C majorC D MajorD | G+G (E minorEm) |
who gave you the right to do
C majorC
this?
Verse:
G+G
We live on Morgan Street,
just ten feet between.
(E minorEm)
And his mother,
I never see her, but her
C majorC
screams and curses,
D MajorD G+G
I hear them every day.
G+G
G+G
Threats like: "If you don't mind
I will beat on your behind,"
(E minorEm)
"Slap you, I’ll
slap you silly." Made me
C majorC
say-ay-ay-ay,
D MajorD G+G
“Oh, what's the matter here !" I’m..
Chorus 2:
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
tired of the exc-u-s-e-s everybody uses, he's your
C majorC D MajorD G+G
kid, (so) do as you see fit, but
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
get this through that I don't approve of what you
C majorC D MajorD G+G
did to your own flesh and blood.
Solo: (over) G+G |C majorC D MajorD |
Chorus 3:
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's your
C majorC D MajorD G+G
kid, so do as you see fit, but
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
get this through that I don't approve of what you
C majorC D MajorD G+G
did to your own flesh and blood.
Interlude:
E minorEm G+G C majorC G+G
"If you don't sit in your chair straight, I’ll
E minorEm G+G C majorC G+G
take this belt from around my waist and
E minorEm G+G C majorC G+G
don't you think that I won't use it!"
(chorus chords continued through end)
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
Answer me and take your time, what could be the awful crime he
C majorC D MajorD G+G
could do at so young an age? And if I’m the
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance
C majorC D MajorD G+G
out what I see and what I hear. Ohhh, these
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
cold and cruel things that you do, I sup(pose)
C majorC D MajorD G+G
you do them because he belongs to you. And, in-st(ead)
C majorC D MajorD G+G (E minorEm)
of love and the feeling of warmth, you offer him these cuts and sores that
C majorC D MajorD G+G
don’t heal with time or with age.
C majorC D MajorD G+G
And, I want to say I want to
(switch to chorus chords played like verse endings)
C majorC
say-ay-ay-ay
D MajorD G+G
“Oh, what’s the matter here !” But, I don’t dare
C majorC
say-ay-ay-ay
D MajorD G+G
“What’s the matter here !” No, I don’t dare
C majorC
say-ay-ayyyyyyyy-ayyyyyyyyyy
D MajorD G+G (1 strum, let ring)
-AYYYYY! it.
(End)
Notes:
I am shocked that this song isn’t available on major tab sites, so here’s a version to get
you started. This song can be played more accurately with a Capo on the 2nd fret. However,
I think it sounds great if played lower (matches my male vocals way better anyway).
Also, I found myself getting lazy and playing the C majorC as a 
Cadd9Cadd9 (x32030) and the E minorEm as 
E minor 7Em7
(022030). Since the other chords are D MajorD (x00232) and G+G (320033), this makes sense in switching
as you can just leave you ring finger on the 
BB (2nd) string the entire time. Similarly, the
E minorEm can be played as E minor 7Em7 for the same reason.
I made up the “interlude” section from memory without the CD to verify--so you may be able
to workout a better chord progression. If you do, please share the information.
Chords - suggested variants in parens “()”:
G+G = 320003 (320033)
D MajorD = x00232
C(add9) = x32010 (x32033 or x32030)
Em(7) = 022000 (022033 or 022030)
* note the 3 is always played on 2nd string if suggested chords used.
And, I say “suggested” because I play a regular C majorC in the verses and use the "add9" variant in
the chorus when the pace picks up. I think this tab is more than helpful towards getting you
started and playing this great song. You can play around with the chords to suite your own
taste/flavor or to try to match 10,000 Maniacs more precisely.
Enjoy!
-Chris ([email protected])
ⓘ Guitar chords for 'What S The Matter Here' by, formed in 2000
