Switchfoot - If the house burns down tonight
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Tuning:
Bear with me... this is my first ever chord/tab submission. I've recently just got back into guitar and
am taking it more seriously now. I struggle a bit with rhythm, so some of the chord transitions may be
slightly off, but I have a decent ear (I'd like to think.) Anyways... I love music and Switchfoot, so I
thought I'd give this a go! I've allowed for the option to let other contributors improve this tab. So have at
it :) Feedback is welcome!
TABS:
[Intro Tab]
The intro sounds to basically be power chords with individually picked notes, but with a slight deviation
on the D5 where instead of returning to the A note (fret 7, D string)as the pattern would imply... instead
it sounds like it goes up to E note (fret 9, G string) and then returning to the pattern of string 5, 4, 3, 4
and string 6, 5, 4, 5 that it started with.
E5 C5 G5 D5
e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-----9--------------------------7-9--|
D|---9---9------10--------5-----7------|
A|-7---------10----10---5---5-5--------|
E|---------8----------3----------------|
E5 C5 G5 D5 G*
e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-----9--------------------------7-9-0|
D|---9---9------10--------5-----7-----5|
A|-7---------10----10---5---5-5--------|
E|---------8----------3----------------|
*Just the G note is played here on either the D string or both the D and the open G,
but you can play a full G chord on "burn" if you like.
[Piano hook tab]
This is played leading into first verse and repeated intermittently throughout the verses.
On guitar, from my interpretation of it, it works best to pull off from the D note (fret 10, high E string)
to the B note (fret 7, high E string)
e|---7-8-10p-7-|
B|-8-----------|
G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|
[Lead guitar, end of Chorus 1 through Verse 2 tab]
Listen to the recording for strumming and rhythm. But it's the G note at fret 5/D string, G note on the
open G string, G note at fret 7/B string. This is played from "and let the rest burn" at the end of
the first chorus into the second verse and ends just before "one heart"(while the verse chord progression
of Em, C, G continues under it.)
e|---|
B|-7-|
G|-0-|
D|-5-|
A|---|
E|---|
[Lead guitar during the bridge]
It sounds like the same notes as the piano hook, but the G note (fret 8, B string) continues to be played as
it climbs up from B, to C, D, and back down on the high E string. Listen to the recording for rhythm.
I may not have it exact.
e|-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-10-8-8-7-|
B|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8--8-8-8-|
G|--------------------------|
D|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|
Note: on the line right before the choruses at "give me the fire" the G chord is not played, but muted and
played percussively with harmonics. This is also done some in the transition between the G and C during the
chorus itself. At the bridge: beginning with the G chord at the final "burn" in Chorus 2, each G chord gets
a down and up strum that you let ring. The Em and C get one strum each, transitioning quickly back to the
ringing G chord. This pattern continues throughout the bridge up until the final line of
"motor run, run, run" where the C chord does not transition back into the G and is palm-muted/played rapidly
building into a crescendo.
CHORDS:
[Intro]
EmAshes from the Cflames
The truth is what Gremains
The truth is what you Dsave
From the fire
EmAnd you fight for what you Clove
Don't matter if it Ghurts
You find out what it's Dworth
And you let the rest Gburn
[Verse 1]
The sunEmset burns like gasoline
Touch me Cand make sure that I'm not dreamGing
I see Emher face and my heart skips beats
But I Cstill get the feeling that we're half asleep Gand
There's a Emspark in the corner of my baby's eye
Like a Cdistant star that won't burn quiGet
And I Emmight not know what I want from this life
But I Cknow I want more than the starting Gline
GSo give me the fire, yea give me the fire
[Chorus 1]
GI can hear the motor running down the interstate
GAnd all the distractions fade away
And if Cthe house burns down tonight
CI got everything I need with you by my side
GI see the smoke piling up in the rear view mirror
GYeah but I ain't ever seen it any clearer
And if Cthe house burns down tonight
CI got everything I need when I got you by my Emside
And let the Emrest burn
And let the Crest burn
And let the Grest burn
[Verse 2]
I've giEmven too much of my heart away
My soul’s Cholding on like a house dividGed
Like a Emmatch it burns down like a masquerade
And I Chad to let it go when the fire ignitGed
One Emheart, two Chands, your life is all you Ghold
To Emhold, hold Ctight and let the bitter Ggo
Yeah let Emit go, and give me the Gfire
[Chorus 2]
GThe smoke tries choking the pacific sun
GWe rocket down the road like we're shot out of guns
And if Cthe house burns down tonight
CI got everything I need with you by my side
GHolding you and the wheel and it occurs to me
GWe're driving down the edge of eternity
And if Cthe house burns down tonight
CI got everything I need when I got you by my Emside
And let the Crest burn
And let Emthe Crest Gburn
[Bridge]
G , Em , C , G , G , Em , C , G ,
Put your hand in mine Gand
Put your heart Emin CdrivGing
We got everything we need Gyeah
We got everything Emwe Cneed Gyeah
Left it all behind Gus
What we need Emwill Cfind Gus
We got everything we need Gyeah
We got everything Emwe Cneed Gyeah
Can you hear that motor runnGing
Can you hear that moEmtor CrunnGing
There ain’t no stopping us Gnow
There ain’t no slowEming Cus Gdown
Can you hear that motor runnGing
Can you hear that moEmtor Crun, run, run
[Chorus 3]
GAnd all those lies that mattered most to me
GWere draining me dry making a ghost of me
And if Cthe house burns down tonight
CI got everything I need, everything I need
GThere’s a fire coming that we all will go through
GYou possess your possessions or they possess you
And if Cthe house burns down tonight
I got everything I need when I got you by my Emside
And let the Crest burn
[Outro]
EmAshes from the Cflames, the truth is what Gremains