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Happy Idiot by TV On The Radio

Happy Idiot tab by TV On The Radio

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Tabs

Standard tuning, no capo required.

This is another super catchy song from TVotR. The tab I've written up is different to
what they play. This is because the guitar for the most part is plain. There were only chords and a bass tab
on here for this track so I thought it would be worth adding a proper guitar tab. I tried my best to line the
lyrics up with the chords. Chord changes have also been spaced in a way that will hopefully make them easier to read too.

So please, don't rate this based on how identical it is to what is actually played. Rate
it based on quality :)

================================================================================================
>> Verse 1 <<
(the 2/5 and 7/4 slides are very fast, more like an accidental slide as you shift your fingers)
   2/5   2/5

Stuck    in the shade    where there's no      sunshine         I
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5/--7/--9--9--9--9--9--9--9\5--|
0---0--0--0--0---------------------------------3---3--3--3/--5/--7--7--7--7--7--7--7----|

don't    wanna play       with them other kids  in the sun     Since you
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5/--7/--9--9--9--9--9--9--9/12-|
0---0--0--0--0---------------------------------3---3--3--3/--5/--7--7--7--7--7--7--7/10-|

>> Pre-Chorus 1 <<
(for the restructured BB power chord at the end of the loop - 224 - bar your first finger
on the second fret as this makes the slide to 555 easy)(The differences between the two lines are
designed to nicely fit the melody).

left me babe           its been a  long    way   down       Yeah you
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4-----5---5--5--5---4---4--4--4--4--4--4--4\5--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5---7---2--2--2--2--2--2--2\5--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---2--2--2--2--2--2--2\5--|

left me babe           its been a  long    way  down
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4-----5---5--5--5---7---7--7--7--7--7--7--7\5--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9\5--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7--7--7\5--|

================================================================================================
>> Chorus 1 <<
(thought I'd keep this fairly pure, minus the pull off and Hammer-ons)

      what you dont know won't hurt you yeah         ignorance is bliss
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---5---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---2---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

           I'm a happy idiot              waving at cars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---9---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

     I'm Gonna bang my head to the    wall      till' I feel like nothing at
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---5---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---2---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

all         I'm a happy idiot            to keep my mind off you
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---9---9--9--9--9--9------7h9-|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--7h9-----|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7----------|

================================================================================================
>> Verse 2 <<
(same as verse 1)

Stuck    in a daze      and I've lost       my mind         I
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5/--7/--9--9--9--9--9--9--9\5--|
0---0--0--0--0---------------------------------3---3--3--3/--5/--7--7--7--7--7--7--7----|

don't    wanna stay       where the blame's    all mine      Since you
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
2---2--2--2--2/5-----5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5/--7/--9--9--9--9--9--9--9/12-|
0---0--0--0--0---------------------------------3---3--3--3/--5/--7--7--7--7--7--7--7/10-|

================================================================================================
>> Pre-Chorus 2 <<
(same as pre-chorus 1)

left me babe           its been a  long    way   down       Yeah you
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4-----5---5--5--5---4---4--4--4--4--4--4--4\5--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5---7---2--2--2--2--2--2--2\5--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---2--2--2--2--2--2--2\5--|

left me babe           its been a  long    way  down
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4-----5---5--5--5---7---7--7--7--7--7--7--7\5--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9\5--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7--7--7\5--|

================================================================================================
>> Bridge <<
(I made this slightly more discordant than what what TVotR play, but it still works.
Really open to better suggestions here. Each chord is played 32 times)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999|
777777777777777777777777777777776666666666666666666666666666666655555555555555555555555555555555|
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000|

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Print

--------------------------------|
--------------------------------|
--------------------------------|
99999999999999999999999999999999|
55555555555555555555555555555555|
55555555555555555555555555555555|

================================================================================================
>> Pre-Chorus 3 <<
(same as pre-chorus 1)

                 its been a  long    way   down
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4-----5---5--5--5---4---4--4--4--4--4--4--4\5--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5---7---2--2--2--2--2--2--2\5--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---2--2--2--2--2--2--2\5--|

                 its been a  long    way  down
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4----------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7\4-----5---5--5--5---7---7--7--7--7--7--7--7\5--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5\2-----5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9\5--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7--7--7\5--|

================================================================================================
>> Chorus 2 <<

      what you dont know won't hurt you yeah         ignorance is bliss
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---5---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---2---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

           I'm a happy idiot              waving at cars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---9---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

     I'm Gonna bang my head to the    wall      till' I feel like nothing at
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---5---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---2---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

all         I'm a happy idiot            to keep my mind off you
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---9---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

================================================================================================
>> Outro <<
(section repeats 4 times)
                               to keep my mind off you
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------------------------|
9---9--9--9--9-------7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------5---5--5--5---9---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
7---7--7--7--7-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5-------5---5--5--5---7---9--9--9--9--9--9--9p0--|
-----------------------------------------------3---3--3--3---5---7--7--7--7--7--7--7p0--|

(end on this abruptly after 4th time through above section
------|
------|
-7----|
-7----|
-5----|
-5----|

>> Guitar TWO <<
(I.e. the riff you can hear the guitar playing) (the 13 Es on the g string are played while bending the string. Go crazy and bend all the way to an 11 or higher if you want to be more interesting than TVOTR :P)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---7-9-9b11b9-7------------7--------------7--9-9b11b9-7-9--9b999-9999-9999-9b------|
9---------------9--7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-9---------------------------------------------|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

/ = slide up
\ = slide down
h = hammer on
p = pull off
b = bend
r = release
x = muted string
t = tap (with finger or pick)
~ = vibrato

Feedback appreciated <3

Other versions of Happy Idiot

Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Happy Idiot by TV On The Radio

Version	Type
Happy idiot	Chords

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