Tabs
Title: I Can’t Read
Artist: David Bowie
Written by: David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels
Transcribed by Scott Fuller
The original version of this song can be found on the first Tin
Machine abulm. The song was given an acoustic revamp in 1997, where
it was released as a single and appeared on the soundtrack to the
film ‘The Ice Storm’.
It is this acoustic version which I have transcribed below. Note
that on the I Can't Read single, the 'short version' merely omits the
intro.
INTRO
E-------------0----------------------------0-------------
B-----------------3----------------------------3---------
G---------0-----------0----------------0-----------------
D-------2----------------------------2-------------------
A-----2----------------------------2---------------------
E---0----------------------------0-----------------------
E-------------------------------------0------------------
B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3------------3\2p0------------
G------0---0------0-0---0--0-----------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------
A---2----2-----2------2---------2------------------------
E-------------------------------0------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------0---
B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3---------2/3\2p0---------3---
G------0---0------0-0---0--0----0------------2h4-2---2---
D-------------------------------2--------------------2---
A---2----2-----2------2---------2------------------------
E-------------------------------0------------------------
E---5--7--0------0-----------------0-----0---------------
B----------------1-----1--3--0-----0-------0-------------
G----------------0-----------------2----------2----------
D----------------2-----------------2---------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
E-------------0-----------0-------¦
B-------0-------0---------0-------¦
G-----4-----------4-------4-------¦
D---4------4--------4-----4-------¦
A---------------------------------¦
E---------------------------------¦
VERSE 1
E----------------------------------------------------0---
B---------------------------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----0---
G---------------------------0---0------0-0---0--0----0---
D---2------------------------------------------------2---
A---2--------------------2----2-----2------2---------2---
E---0------------------------------------------------0---
“I can’t read... (up)
E-------------------------------0-----0---------0--------
B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----3-------3-------1--------
G------0---0------0-0---0--0----2---------2-----0--------
D-------------------------------2---------------2--------
A---2----2-----2------2----------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
E---0---------0-------------------0--0------------0------
B-----1-------0-------------------0----0------------0----
G-------0-----2-----2-4-2---------4-------4-----4-----4—
D-------------2-----------2-------4-----------4----------
A---------------------------3----------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
VERSE 2
E--------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3--------
G---------------------------0---0------0-0---0--0----0---
D---2------------------------------------------------2---
A---2--------------------2----2-----2------2---------2---
E---0------------------------------------------------0---
“Can I see...
E-------------------------------0-----0---------0--------
B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----3-------3-------1--------
G------0---0------0-0---0--0----2---------2-----0--------
D-------------------------------2---------------2--------
A---2----2-----2------2----------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
E---0---------0-----0-------------0----0---------0----¦
B-----1-------0-------0-----------0------0-------0----¦
G-------0-----2-----------2-------4--------4-----4----¦
D-------------2-------------------4----------4---4----¦
A-----------------------------------------------------¦
E-----------------------------------------------------¦
(soft)
CHORUS 1
The following melody repeats four times in the chorus. The first
three times use link (a) before returning to the start. The fourth
and final time you just sweep chord (b)
E---------5--------------5--------¦-5-----5------5-¦-----
B-------5----5---------5----5---5-¦---6------6-----¦-----
G-----5--------5-----5--------5---¦-----5------5---¦-----
D---7------------7-7--------------¦----------------¦-----
A---------------------------------¦----------------¦-----
E---------------------------------¦----------------¦-----
(chd.change) (chd.change)
(a) (b)
E---7-----7------7-¦ E---7-------------¦
B-----8------8-----¦ B---8-------------¦
G-------7------7---¦ G---7-------------¦
D------------------¦ D---9-------------¦
A------------------¦ A-----------------¦
E------------------¦ E-----------------¦
to start (x 3) 4th time
SOLO
E---0-----0-----------------------------------------0----
B---3--------3-----7--8-8/10b\7--7--8---7--5---3----2----
G---0-----------------------------------------------0----
D---2-----------------------------------------------2----
A---2----------------------------------------------------
E---0----------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
B---17-----17------------8----------15------------15-----
G---16-----15-----12-----9b---------14------------14-----
D-----------------12-------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Pinch the above notes with thumb and forefinger
E---6/8b\7------------6/8b\7--------------0--------------
B----------8-5-6-------------5-6---5------0--------------
G----------------5---------------7---5----4--------------
D-----------------------------------------4--------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------0---0-------0-------0--------¦
B----------------------5-----4-------4-------4------¦
G---6h7p6---------7----4-------4-------4-------4----¦
D---------7---7-9------4----------------------------¦
A-----------7---------------------------------------¦
E---------------------------------------------------¦
(softer)
VERSE 3
E--------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3--------
G---------------------------0---0------0-0---0--0--------
D----------------------------------------------------2---
A------------------------2----2-----2------2---------2---
E---0------------------------------------------------0---
“Money goes...
E-------------------------------0---------------0--------
B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----3---------------1--------
G------0---0------0-0---0--0----2---------------0--------
D-------------------------------2---------------2--------
A---2----2-----2------2----------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------0-------------
B------------------------------------------0-------------
G---5h7-7/9b--8/9b\5--4-2--2/4b\2-2/4b\2---2-------------
D------------------------------------------2-------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
E---0--------0--------0--------0--------0----------0---¦
B-----0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0---¦
G-------2--------2--------4--------4--------4------4---¦
D---------2--------2--------4--------4--------4----4---¦
A------------------------------------------------------¦
E------------------------------------------------------¦
CHORUS 2
Same as for chorus 1, although watch out, the tempo is faster this
time...
... And thats it (Phew!). Enjoy!
Any comments, email [email protected]
