Shabby Doll bass tab by Elvis Costello

"Shabby Doll"
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Imperial Bedroom (1982)
Bass Tab




Intro:

Giving you more of what for
Always worked for me before
Now I'm a shabby doll
What's going on behind the green elevator door
With just a shabby doll

There's a hit man facing
A compromising situation
With just a shabby doll
And a very neat line in character assassination
She's just a shabby doll

Chorus:

                           She's just a shabby doll / She's putting him off and putting you on
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-5-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x---|
E|-----------------------------7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5-|


She's just the shabby doll / You're swearing upon you know in your heart / She's gone you know in your heart
She's just a shabby doll
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------7----6/12-|
E|-----7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------------|


G|-------19----18/12/14\12/14\12/14\12/14-|
D|-17-------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|


Verse:
                                     (Note: Play along with (I) until (IV), then back to (I) as indicated.)
(I)
There's a girl in this dress
There's always a girl in distress
She's just a shabby doll
She's so sure she's self-possessed
Then again she's half undressed
She's just a shabby doll

(IV)
The boy that I used to be
Showed no sign of sympathy

(I)
For just a shabby doll
I have betrayed you and me
And paid for my own bribery
With just a shabby doll

G|---------------|---------------|---------------|
D|---------------|---------------|---------------|-
A|---------------|-0----2----2/3-|---------------|-
E|-0----2----2/3-|---------------|-0----2----2/3-|-
       (I)               (IV)            (I)


Chorus:

  She's just a shabby doll / She's putting him off and putting you on
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x---|
E|-----7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5-|


She's just the shabby doll / You're swearing upon you know in your heart / She's gone you know in your heart
She's just a shabby doll
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------7----6/12-|
E|-----7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------------|


                                         (1)
He's the tired toy that everyone enjoyed
He wants to be a fancy man but he's nothing but a nancy boy

(2)                       (3)
He's all pride and no joy

G|-18-------|-17-------|-16-------|-
D|----19----|----18----|----17----|-
A|-------21-|-------20-|-------19-|-
E|----------|----------|----------|-
     (1)        (2)        (3)


Verse:

(I)
And being what you might call a whore
Always worked for me before
Now I'm a shabby doll
Untie the gag the cat's out of the bag
But won't show his claws
He's just a shabby doll

(IV)
She said you must be joking
Some things are left unspoken
You're just a shabby doll

(I)
He's lying limp and soaking
He was openly broken
By just a shabby doll

G|---------------|---------------|---------------|-
D|---------------|---------------|---------------|-
A|---------------|-0----2----2/3-|---------------|-
E|-0----2----2/3-|---------------|-0----2----2/3-|-
       (I)               (IV)            (I)


Chorus:

  She's just a shabby doll / She's putting him off and putting you on
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x---|
E|-----7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5-|


She's just the shabby doll / You're swearing upon you know in your heart / She's gone you know in your heart
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x------5-5-------x--------x----|
E|-----7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--------7-7-5---5----5---5--|

She's just a shabby doll  (x3)
G|-----------------------------19-18--------------------19-|
D|--------------------------17--------------------17-------|
A|-7----6/12\6----7----6----------------7----6-------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------|


G|---------------|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|-0----2----2/3-| (x7)


G|----19----17-18------------------|
D|-17----17-------17----------17\0-|
A|-------------------17-17-17------|
E|---------------------------------|


G|---------------|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|-0----2----2/3-| (x7)


G|-------------------|
D|-11h12p11h12p11h12-|
A|-------------------|
E|-------------------|


G|---------------|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|-0----2----2/3-| (x7)


G|-12/19----19-18-19-------------12p0---------------|
D|-----------------------12p0-14------12/14-12/14\0-|
A|---------------------0----------------------------|
E|-------------------0------------------------------|


G|---------------|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|-0----2----2/3-| (x7)


G|-(12)-------------------(12)-|
D|----(12)-------------(12)----|
A|-------(12)-------(12)-------|
E|----------(12)---------------|


For just a shabby doll
I have betrayed you and me
And paid for my own bribery
With just a shabby doll

Chorus:

He's the tired toy that everyone enjoyed
He wants to be a fancy man but he's nothing but a nancy boy
He's all pride and no joy

And being what you might call a whore
Always worked for me before
Now I'm a shabby doll
Untie the gag the cat's out of the bag
But won't show his claws
He's just a shabby doll

She said you must be joking
Some things are left unspoken
You're just a shabby doll
He's lying limp and soaking
He was openly broken
By just a shabby doll

Chorus: