From: marc@owlnet.rice.edu (Marc Bennett Hirsh) Subject: CRD: "My Life Is Right" (Big Star) And here we have another great unknown pop gem from the band whose entire career was based on obscurity. Notes: 1) The Eb in the verses isn't realy a chord, it's just a walkup note. All you have to do is play the 1st fret on the D string. That's it. I'd put it in TAB, but it'd be lonely, since it's the only bit in that area that requires it. So just remember: Eb=1st fret, D string. Got it? Good. 2) There is some very cool acoustic 12-string guitar stuff going on underneath the "You give me light" part, but I can't get it exactly. Here is a rough approximation: E---------------|---0----|-----------------|----- B---------------|---2----|-----------------|----- G-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2----|-4p2p0---------2-|-(2)- D-2-2-2-2-2-2-4-|--------|-------4p2p0---2-|-(2)- A-0-0-0-3h4-----|--------|-------------3p0-|-(0)- E---------------|--------|-----------------|----- q e e e e e e e q.^h e3e3e e3e3e q q (w) This isn't exact, and that's last bit sounds like "Unskinny Bop" by Poison (yeah, I know, it's really "I Know A Little" by Skynyrd), so I don't like it. But this is as good as I can do with this bit. 3) "My life's fun is wild?" Bell didn't really say that, did he? Well, it's the best *I* can do with it. Any better suggestions are welcome. 4) There is a piano in here, mostly doing the chords. 5) The vocal harmonies are a large part of this (and almost every Big Star) song. The most amazing bit comes during the "So right" part. The backing vox (singing "right") go from G to F# over the G-D change, and then they go back up from F# to G over the D-A change, making the A chord an amazing dominant 7th. This is, of course, a very basic expanation of what is going on here. I'm sure it's a lot more complicated, but this'll get you started. "My Life Is Right" (Chris Bell/??? Eubanks) Performed by Big Star From the album _#1_Record_ (available on CD with the also-godlike _Radio_City_) Transcribed without express permission by Marc Hirsh (piano only) D Em G D Eb Once I walked a lonely road (guitar enters) Em C G I had no one to share my load D Em G D Eb Then you came and showed the way Em C G Now I hope you're here to stay A You give me light A You are my day G You give me light D A And that's right A You give me light A You are my day G You give me light D A And that's right G D So right D A So right G D So right D Em G D Eb Lonely days of uncertainty Em C G They disappear when you're near me D Em G D Eb When I'm with you, my life's fun is wild Em C G And now I long to see you smile A You give me light A You are my day G You give me light D A And that's right A You give me light A You are my day G You give me light D A And that's right G D So right D A So right G D So right D A G D My life is right D A G D My life is right D A G D My life is right D Em G D Eb Once I walked a lonely road Em C G I had no one to share my load D Em G D Eb Then you came and showed the way Em C G Now I hope you're here to stay A You give me light A You are my day G You give me light D A And that's right A You give me light A You are my day G You give me light D A And that's right G D So right D A So right G D So right D A G D My life is right -- Marc Hirsh (marc@owlnet.rice.edu) \ / ^ --"It's easy to be nuts. Try being me." V (_The_Fisher_King_)