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tabs:commandante
the Mountain Goats
Commandante
Devil In The Shortwave
Originally tabbed by Russ Sweetser (yarzrevenge@yahoo.com)
Revised by Matt Hall (death_list5@hotmail.com)

The previous tab of this song said you could play with a capo on the first fret.
That would be the easiest way to play along, but this pitch only matches 
that of the vinyl rip circulating online.
I've been told that the record is actually a half step lower in pitch.
This would explain the "younger" sound of John's voice that people have mentioned.
Playing it the way I have here will match the actual record,
as well as live performances of the song.
So, in reality, go ahead capo the first fret, but only if you want to match the incorrect vinyl rip.
I'll admit, I am quite fond of the sound, but nonetheless, it is wrong.


Also, on the G chord between verses and on the C chord
of the outro, John plays a little lick. 
It would look like this:
e---------
B---------
G---------
D---------
A-3-2-0---
E-------3-
Easiest way to do this is to keep your hand in the G position, but move your 
index and middle fingers up to the A and D strings, allowing you to quickly 
jump back down to G. I'll use a * to indicate when to play the lick.
Also, throughout most of the song, when you play a C, hold the G note on the 
high e string. I don't believe he holds it on any other chord except for G.
The C you should play looks like this:
e-3-------
B-1-------
G-0-------
D-2-------
A-3-------
E---------


          G                       D
I'm gonna drink more whiskey than Brendan Behan.
              C                         G
and I'm gonna send my belongings all to Tripoli.
              C            G
and i'm gonna ride home to California
D      C           G*
with a banjo on my knee.

    G                       D 
I'm never gonna turn off the television.
               C              G
I'm just gonna let it run all night.
          C                       G
I'm gonna plant root vegetables out in the backyard
         D                    D
and come summer I am going to treat you right
   C                        G
so put on your chairman mao coat
    C               G
and let me clear my throat
     Bm                    C
lets turn this whole town upside down 
                                        D
and shake it 'til the coins come falling out of its pockets,
     C                       G
yeah put on your che guevara pin.
C                  G
call the troops on in.
            Em                     D            C              G*
we're gonna sail through the night sky like a pair of bottle rockets.

        G                         D       
I got a great big secret written down somewhere.
        C                    G 
I got a rosary to protect us both from harm.
        C                      G
I got a storage locker full of cow figurines
      D                           D
and a laundry list of grievances longer than my arm.
         C                    G
and i am never going back to Cincinnati.
         C                                      G
all those bridges have been burned down to the ground.
          C                       G
i got the jet pack strapped to my back
         D                        D
and i am waiting for you to come around.
     C                         G
yeah put on your chairman mao coat
    C                G
and let me clear my throat
     Bm                    C
lets turn this whole place upside down 
    C                                     D
and shake it 'til the coins come falling out of its pockets,
     C                        G
yeah put on your che guevara pin.
   C              G
call the troops on in.
            Em                D    (pause)                    G*
we're gonna sail through the night sky like a pair of bottle rockets.

G D C* G C* G D C* G C* G C* G D G
(listen to the song to get the timing for this end part)
tabs/commandante.txt · Last modified: 2021/08/24 21:42 (external edit)