the Mountain Goats Wiki

tabbed by Rosa, alternate tuning by Mike

To replicate the recording, tune your low E string 4.5 steps down, all the way down to a low G. 
This is the low drone that alternates with everything.

Here's the main riff, it's all basically a G chord (02000x). 
Feel free to mess around on the last part, he's rarely consistent in the recording and often cuts it short.
B|--------------------------------0-|
G|------------------------------0---|
D|----------------------------0-----|
A|--2-3-5-7-5-3-2-3-2-3-532-2-------|
G|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|

If you don't want to tune down you can approximate the riff like this:
D|------0-2-0----|  etc.
A|--2-3-------3--|
E|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|

low G              high A             high G
D|----------|      D|--2-2-2-2-|      D|-0-0-0-0-|
A|--2-2-2-2-|      A|-0-0-0-0--|      A|0-0-0-0--|
G|-0-0-0-0--|      G|----------|      G|---------|

low A              Bb                 C                  D
A|--4-4-4-4-|      A|--5-5-5-5-|      A|--7-7-7-7-|      A|--9-9-9-9-|
G|-2-2-2-2--|      G|-3-3-3-3--|      G|-5-5-5-5--|      G|-7-7-7-7--|


Riff

low G    high A                       low G or Riff
    I am wearing a white long sleeved button-down. 
                  high A                 high G             low G
the pink colors behind the clouds tonight mirror the softer shades of your nightgown 
                             low A             Bb                        low G
as the neuro-transmitters go crazy inside of me you swear you're leaving town 
                     C          D      Riff
empty promises empty promises. 

low G     high A                                                        low G
     I am watching the way the wind seems to pass straight through your body. 
                  high A                  high G                 low G
when you run your fingernail along my neck, you spill some water on me. 
                  low A        Bb                       low G
you say you're as good as gone, well don't look now but here comes the dawn 
                     C              D              Riff
empty promises empty promises empty promises empty promises.