Alison Tab by Elvis Costello

Alison tab by Elvis Costello

Guitar Tab

Elvis Costello
ALISON (3:19)
The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1985, Columbia)

My thanks to Christopher Keen (CKeen@rmit.edu.au), and others, for the solid
foundation and details from which I had worked. Here are my revisions by ear--
with complete Intro & Ending solo licks! I minimized the lyrical content per
Enjoy, Gehan Cheung

   A  E  G#m C#m B  D  G#m7 F#m  / = slide up
e  0  0  4   4   2  2  4    2    \ = slide down
B  2  0  4   5   4  3  4    2   () = ghost note[not picked]
G  2  1  4   6   4  2  4    2    p = pull-off
D  2  2  6   6   4  0  4    4    h = hammer-on        ~ = tremolo
A  0  2  6   4   2  X  6    4    ^ = bend up          * = staccato
E  X  0  4   X   X  X  4    2    r = release bend     ? = not sure

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

Intro:    B      |  G#m A C#m    B        | F#m   G#m | G#m    B
|-/7-(7)-(7)-9\7-|------------------------|-----------|----------------
|-/7-(7)-(7)-----|-9/12---7h9p7--7\5--5\4-|-5p4-----*-|----------------
|-/8-(8)-(8)-----|------------------------|-----6-3h4-|-4(4)/8-7h8-7h8-
|----------------|------------------------|-----------|----------------
|----------------|------------------------|-----------|----------------
|-------7-7------|------------------------|-----------|----------------

Verse 1:
         | A                          |
Oh it's so funny.................after


E                      |          A                             |
so long girl         And with the way.......................that
           -12/14\12---|------------
           -12/14\12---|------------
           ----------11|\\\\\\\\\\9-
           ----------11|\\\\\\\\\\9-
           ------------|------------
           ------------|------------

G#m           C#m           B|   A                                |
you are not impressed              But I heard..............little
                 -7p6p5p4----|-----
                 ---------5--|-----
                 -----------4|-4h6-
                 ------------|-----
                 ------------|-----
                 ------------|-----

G#m       C#m          | D                          |
friend of mine---------|---take off............dress
              ---------|---
              -----4-6-|-7-
              -4-6-----|---
              ---------|---
              ---------|---

| B                        |  A                   |
                                 I'm not gonna get
|-----9-12-9-9h11-9h11p9\7-|--9-/11-\9------------|
|---10---------------------|-10-/12-\10-----------|
|-11-----------------------|----------------------|
|--------------------------|----------------------|
|--------------------------|----------------------|
|--------------------------|----------------------|





G#m     C#m     B        | A                      |
too sentimental............other sticky...........
               ----------|----
               -5/7\5----|-2--
               -4/6\4----|-2--
               ----------|----
               ----------|----
               ----------|----

| G#m           C#m    B       |   A                            |
                                    'cos I don't know...........
|------------------------------|-----
|------------------------------|-----
|------------------------------|-----
|---------*----------4-4h6p4\2-|-----
|-(2)-*-1h2-2h3h4-3h4----------|-2/4-
|-----4------------------------|-----

G#m       C#m  |      D                | B                 |
lovin' somebody  I    only know..........mine
               |-------                |------7------------|
               |------~                |--------7----------|
               |--4h6/7                |----------8^9r8----|
               |-------                |----------------9\-|
               |-------                |-------------------|
               |-------                |-------------------|

Chorus:
A | E                      | A         B       |G#m G#m7 C#m  B |
Alison                   I   know......world....killin'  you  oh
  |----12/14\12------------|-------------------|
  |----12/14\12-12/14\12---|-10--/14---12------|
  |-------------11/13\11---|-9---/13---11------|
  |------------------------|-------------------|
  |------------------------|-------------------|
  |------------------------|-------------------|

A | E                   | A    B     | E                  |
Alison                      my aim is  true
  |---------------------|------------|------7/9-7---------|
  |----9h12-9h12p9\7----|------------|------------7/9\7-5-|
  |------------------9-8|-6----------|------4/6-4---------|
  |---------------------|------------|------------4/6\4-2-|
  |---------------------|------------|--------------------|
  |---------------------|------------|--------------------|

Verse 2:
A                          | E                      |     A
        Well I see...........husband now          Did he  leave
                                        -12/14\12---|----------
                                        -12/14\12-12|(12)\10---
                                        ----------11|(11)\9----
                                        ------------|----------
                                        ------------|----------
                                        ------------|----------

                        | G#m            C#m    B |   A
your pretty fingers.......in ............cake
                                         -------*-|---------
                                         *-*--7h9-|-7\5-----
                                         4h6------|-----4/6-
                                         ---------|---------
                                         ---------|---------
                                         ---------|---------

                        | G#m     C#m         |     D
You use to................in your hand     I bet it took
                                      --------|---------
                                      --------|---------
                                      -----4-6|-----7---
                                      -4-6----|---------
                                      --------|---------
                                      --------|---------

                 | B                             |
all he could take
                 |-----9-12p11p9-9h11-11\10\9----|
                 |---10-----------------------10-|
                 |-11----------------------------|
                 |-------------------------------|
                 |-------------------------------|
                 |-------------------------------|

A                             | G#m           C#m     B     |
  Sometimes I wish..............stop..........talkin' when I

A                            | G#m  C#m B     |  A
hear the silly things .........say                I think
                             |------7/9-7/9\7-|-\5-------
                             |------7/9-7/9\7-|-\5-------
                             |----------------|----------
                             |----------------|----------
                             |----------------|----------
                             |----------------|----------

              | G#m             C#m        |         D
somebody betta  put-out.........light 'cos I    can't
              |--------                    |-----------
              |--------                    |---------~-
              |--------                    |----4-6--7-
              |--------                    |4-6--------
              |-h2-----                    |-----------
              |----h4--                    |-----------

                    | B                     |
stand to..............way
                    |-------7-11-7h11p7-----|
                    |-----7------------7----|
                    |---8---------------8\6-|
                    |-----------------------|
                    |-----------------------|
                    |-----------------------|

2nd Chorus:
A | E                      | A         B       |G#m G#m7 C#m  B |
Alison                   I   know......world....killin'  you  oh
  |----12/14-12------------|-------------------|
  |----12/14-12-12/14\12---|-10--/14---12------|
  |-------------11/13\11---|-9---/13---11------|
  |------------------------|-------------------|
  |------------------------|-------------------|
  |------------------------|-------------------|

                                              Coda:
A | E              | A  B     | E         A | D       B   |  E          A|
Alison               my aim is  true              my  aim is true
  |---7/9\7--------|----------|-------------|-------------|-----7p6p5p4--|
  |---7/9\7-9--*---|----------|-------------|-------------|------------5-|
  |---------9--9p8-|-6--------|-------4-4h6-|-7p6-7---8---|-------------4|
  |------------9(9)|-7--------|-----6-------|-------------|--------------|
  |----------------|----------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
  |----------------|----------|-------------|-------------|--------------|




| D    B           | E       A       | D       B     |
    my aim is        true                   my aim is
|--5--3h4----------|-------------4-5-|-5p4-5-5/7-----|
|--------5---------|-------4-5-7-----|---------------|
|---------4--------|-----6-----------|---------------|
|----------(4h5h6)-|-----------------|---------------|
|------------------|-----------------|---------------|
|------------------|-----------------|---------------|


|E       A         |   D      B     | E    A              |
 true                      my aim is  true
|------------------|----------------|------/12-9h12p9---9-|
|---5(5)/7-5-(5)/7-|-5/7\5/7-/9--\5-|-5--------------12---|
|------------------|----------------|---------------------|
|---2(2)/4-2-(2)/4-|-2/4\2/4-/6--\2-|-2-------------------|
|------------------|----------------|---------------------|
|------------------|----------------|---------------------|


| D      B        |E             A  |D        B     | E    A            |
      my aim is    true                    my aim is  true
|-----------------|-----------------|-------------*-|-------/12-12p9h12-|
|-/12--------12p9-|-----------------|-------------12|-------------------|
|-----------------|-----9p8h9h11p9--|---------------|-------------------|
|-----------------|---------------9-|-9-11----------|-------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|-------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|-------------------|


|D          B               |E       A                 |D       B      |
         ?
|12p9----7------------------|--------------------------|----------4h5p4|
|----h12--7^8r7p6p5-(5)h6h7p|5-----4-5-----4-5-----4-5-|------4-5------|
|---------------------------|--4-6----4-6-----4-6----- |-3h4h6---------|
|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------|
|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------|
|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------|


| E     A          | D     B         | E     A   | D        B       |

|-----5p4----5p4---|--0--------------|-----------|---------4h5-h5---|
|-7p5----7p5----7p4|----4------------|-5-----5---|----5h7-----------|
|------------------|------6-4--------|-------4--6|h7----------------|
|------------------|----------7p6p4--|--4h6h7----|------------------|
|------------------|---------------7-|-----------|------------------|
|------------------|-----------------|-----------|------------------|


| E         A         | D        B     |       E  (A)    |
                        *
|--7/9-7/9\7-7/9\7----|-7--------------|-----------------|
|------------------7h9|----8/9-6/7-7\5-|-5/7-7\5---------|
|---------------------|----------------|-----------------|
|---------------------|----------------|-----------------|
|---------------------|----------------|-----------------|
|---------------------|----------------|-----------------|

Last updated: August 23, 2020

Elvis Costello tabs for Alison

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