the Mountain Goats Wiki

tabbed by Gabbi aka sept151983. Some riffs added by Hoffy. With further edits.

This is a very rough tab, but I figured a song this good deserved at least this. Feel free to edit as you please.
Standard tuning. No capo.

D  :--0232
C  :-32010
G  :320003
A  :-02220
Em :022000
Dm :--0231
Am :-02210

Intro Riff:
e ---------------------
B ---------------------
G -2-------------------
D ---0---0-0--0---0--0-
A ---------------------
E ---------------------

Main Riff:
e -5-3-3--2----------0-0-------3-
B ----------3--3--0--1-1-1-0---0-
G -------------------0-0-----2-0-
D -------------------2-2-------0-
A -------------------3-3-------x-
E -----------------------------3-

Mid-line Riff:
e -------2-
B -0-1-0-3-
G -------2-
D ---------
A ---------
E ---------

The main riff has an x in the final G chord, cuz I think it's too hard to move your index finger over in time.
Tabbing the variants on the main riff is a little pointless, so consider improvising on the theme, where noted.



[Intro Riff]
[Main Riff, where you keep missing the intended string]
D [Main Riff]

D                        C           G
Come and stay with me as long as you like
D                                G                C
I live outside of town where the straight highway curves
D                       C                G        [Mid-line Riff]
For three years I lived next door to the airport
D                            G             A
So nothing you can say to me can get on my nerves


Em            A         D                   G
Stay 'til you feel your legs underneath you again
         G          C         D
I've got room in my house for you


[Main Riff]

D                           C               G
I got a Kenmore single room window unit air conditioner
D                           G            C
Cools down the place in the full heat of day
D                       C               G
A family of possums has made their home underneath the front steps
D                          G               A
They are majestic in their own beady-eyed, homely way


Em                A            D             G
Stay 'til you can breathe like normal people do
         G          C         D         
I've got room in my house for you


Dm   Am                       G               D
They tore down the airport in nineteen eighty one
Dm      Am                  G                    A
This is where I came when I ran out of places to run


      D                           C                  G      
Come, come, come and stay with me out here away from things
D                               G          C
Come and stay with me where the sky's real clear
D                           C                      G
I live way out where no one believes anybody could live
D                                C                       G
The sky's purple from six in the evening to midnight out here


G             A          D       G
Stay 'til the world goes down in flames
G                         C         D
I've got room, room in my house for you

[Main Riff]
D [Main Riff Improv]
D [Main Riff]
D [Main Riff Improv]