James - Basic Brian

Taken from the album Wah Wah

Written and performed by James & Brian Eno

Opening Riff:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G----------5----------5----------5--7----------7---5----
D--5-5/7\5----5-5/7\5----5-5/7\5-------5-5/7\5---8------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Riff 2:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B--3/5--3\1--1/3-1/3------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Riff 3:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B--1-1/5/8--5-5/8--3-3-3\1----5-5/8-----3/5-3-3\1-------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Riff 4:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D------5------5-----------------------------------------
A--3-3----3-3-------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Riff 5:

e--8~--8/10--11-10-11-10--------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

End Riff:

e-----------8-8-8-8-8-----------------------------------
B--1-1/5/8--8-8-8-8-8-----------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Song Structure:

The Opening Riff opens the song (duh!) and bits of it appear throughout.  Riff 2 appears after the first break in the vocal about 1:30 in.  Before this point the song kind of drifts around a chord of C (even though I've tabbed some "implied" chord changes), but after this point a clear chord change from C to F can be heard.
Riff 3 first occurs just before 3:00,  Riff 4 first appears at about 3:40, and Riff 5 first shows up at about 4:15.  All three of those crop up again in some guise or another.  The End Riff crops up at about 4:50, repeats a few times, then turns into something sounding a lot like Riff 3.

Lyrics/Chords:

C
       F               C     
Dream, dreams floating down again

   F          C
Surround your mind

     F               C
Soft cloud, take me around again

         F               C
Oooooooo-ooooooooon your rain


   F              C
My dreams tell me everything

Surprise around

Call out your name

I need help again

Folow love's brigade

What you was, said is sure

Running on the seventh floor

Do it all, let it slide

Breathe yourself goodbye

See it all through the wall

Living outside again

Need a long way to go

Said you 

Our escape

I died, when you fall again

Safe arms at last

I love feeling small again

All around, satisfied



  
Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk