HOW TO TAKE A FALL           ELLIOTT SMITH

(From 'Waltz #2 (XO)' UK single Dreamworks 
DRMCD-22347 copyright 1998 skg music l.l.c.)

In C amjor, but seems to work best with 
capo 3th fret; all chords notated this way.

INTRO
(mixdown of opening riff, played on two guitars)

---------1------------5-5-5-----
-0-0-0-0-0---3--3-3-1-5-5-5-b6-5
-3-3-3-3-2---2--2-2-2-----------
--------------------------------
-----------0--------------------
--------------------------------


A    G    F(sus)


F          D
-------0-------------------
-0-0-0-0---3--3-3-1-0------
-3-3-3-2---2--2-2-2---2----
---------------------------
---------0-----------------
-------------------------0-

F
---------1------------5-5-5-----
-0-0-0-0-0---3--3-3-1-5-5-5-b6-5
-3-3-3-3-2---2--2-2-2-----------
-------------3------------------
-----------0--------------------
--------------------------------


A       G6


VERSE 1

E             D         C(9 sus4)
it's one with cover to cover
E       (9)     D  
it's an endless fuse
F (sus4 - 9)      D(9)
a chain repeating never seems to get
F(9/sus4) F         Gsus4
any smarter

E etc (as above)
I'm always marking pages so,
that I don't get confused
and end up in a fight I never had
any part of

CHORUS

Fsus#4     F   D
listen now you play thing
Fsus#4  F
coming over clueless
F        (maj7) A     G6
every time you call
Fsus#4      F    D
an accident just waiting to happen
Fsus#4       F
still hasn't found out
F       (maj7) A     G6
how to take a fall

VERSE 2

make me a present
make it something sweet
small enough to go unnoticed, and
big enough to compete

with this massive past which keeps
blocking up my street
looking for a new contender to 
disassemble

CHORUS:

listen now you play thing
coming over clueless
every time you call
an accident just waiting to happen
still hasn't found out
F       (maj7) A
how to take a fall
              B7
How to take a fall
       (E6)   Dmin
How to take a fall
Fmaj7   E6    D
oooooooooohhhhhhhh
D        F    A (rings thru riff):

to GUITAR RIFF and OUTRO 
same as INTRO; ends on A

Tabbed by Tom Hall, Brighton UK 
email tr_hall@bigfoot.com

NOTES
Not sure about first line of text (Michael on lyrics 
page might be right: 'it's when we're cover to cover',
but other lines of his transcription I'd want to question.

Some of the melody is doubled by the lead guitar
(and there's the lovely piano doubling of the 'oooh'
which I haven't notated). Chord extensions in brackets 
show bits of this type of doubling, most of which is 
in passing only.

Less usual chords:

G6: 320000;   E6: 042100;   C9sus4: x33030
E9: 024100;   D9: xx4232;   Fsus#4:  133411
F9sus5: x35363(! if it's worth it...)