Life by the drop

It took this song to make me find my forgotten 12-string Eko which was deep
buried in a closet for quite some time.  I had it serviced and sat down to
learn the song.  Here are the results:


Fist, the general outline.  The intro and a couple more licks are after it.
|A            |E7             |F#min                  |D7 
|/  /  /  /   |/  /  /  /     |/  /  /  /             |/  /  /  /                     

|Hello there  |my old friend, |not so long ago it was |still the end
|A           |E7                 |F#min                 |D7 
|/  /  /  /  |/  /  /  /         |/  /  /  /            |/  /  /  /                     

|late outside|in the pouring rain|on our way up the road|we started over again
|F#min           |D7               E7 
|/  /  /  /      |/  /             /  /                    

|living a dream  |as though you're on top  (?)
|F#min             |D7            E7 
|/  /  /  /        |/  /          /  /                    

|my mind is aching |Lord it won't stop
|F#min         D7              |E7           |A          |
|/  /          /  /            |/  /         |/  /  /  / |/  /  /  /                  
|that's how it happened living |life by the  |drop       |                            
||A 
||         
||         

                                ^---- only 2/4 here

|Up and down the road in our |worn out shoes
|talking about good things and |singing the blues 

|you went your way and |I stayed behind
|we both knew it was just a |matter of time 

|living a dream as |though you're on top
|my mind is aching |Lord it won't stop
|that's how it happens living |life by the |drop / / /| / / / /| 

|No waste of time we |??...?? the day            
|turning up the past, there's no |easier way     
|time's been between us a |means to an end (???) 

|God, it's good to be here, walking |together my friend
|living a dream |
|my mind starts thinking|
|that's how it happened living |life by the |drop / / /| 
|that's how it happened living |life by the |drop / / /| 

/         /         /        /         |  F#min
---------------------------------------|-------2-       
---------------------------------------|-------2-       
---------------------------------------|-------3-   ... 
0---2--2h4------2----------2-2h4--2----|-------4-       
-------------------------------------4-|-------4-       
---------------------------------------|--2--2---       

Intro:
/      /      /         /        |/     /        /     /      |  A
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-------     
---------------------------------|----------------------------|-------     
------------0---------------0-h2-|0-------------------------2-|------- ... 
-----0-1-h2---0-h1-p0---0--------|--2-1-0-h1-0---0---0--------|---2---2h4- 
0-h3------------------3---3------|-------------3---3---3-p0---|---0---0-0- 
---------------------------------|----------------------------|----------- 

Rythm:
                                        D7
    A                                   /     /       /     /
    /     /       /     /           G  -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-|
D  -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-|     D  -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-| 
A  -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-|...  A  ---------------------------| 
E  ---------------------------|     E  ---------------------------| 

   E7
   /     /       /     /            F#min:  244222
A -2---2h4---4---2---2h4---4-| 
E -0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-| 

For the D7 he's using both xx0212 and xx7575  (EADGBE)
For the E7, I'm not sure, but probably the x7675x.


That's it.  There are a couple of licks missing but with a little messing
around with the chords you'll be able to get them.

Have fun.


From: Paul D
Subject: SRV's "Life By the Drop"...


   The intro is just some 'A pentatonic' stuff:
   (this may not be exact)

E-|------------------------------------------------------|
B-|------------------------------------------------------|
G-|----------0-----------2---0---------0--------------2--|
D-|------0h2---0h2p0------------2--0h2----0h2p0----------|
A-|--0h3-------------3p0------------------------3--0-----|
E-|------------------------------------------------------|

   Then there's this thing that I call "standard blues riff" (because I'm
   basically musically illiterate) throughout the verses:

    A                 E                  F#m             D
E-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2-----------------------|
B-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2-----------------------|
G-|-------------------------------------------2-2---2-2--2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2---:-|
D-|-2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2--------------------------4-4---4-4--0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0---:-|
A-|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0--2-2-4-4--2-2-4-2---4-4--4-4---4-4-----------------------|
E-|-------------------0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0---2-2--2-2---2-2-----------------------|


   Here's the chorus part ("Livin' your dreams, wo' you on top."):
   (there's some words at the bottom to help keep up)


E-|------2-2---2-2--------------------------2-2---2-2-------------------------|
B-|------2-2---2-2--------------------------2-2---2-2-------------------------|
G-|------2-2---2-2---2-2-4-2----------------2-2---2-2---2-2-4-2---------------|
D-|------4-4---4-4---0-0-0-0----------------4-4---4-4---0-0-0-0---------------|
A-|-4-4--4-4---4-4-----------2-2-4-2---4-4--4-4---4-4------------2-2-4-2------|
E-|-2-2--2-2---2-2-----------0-0-0-0---2-2--2-2---2-2------------0-0-0-0------|
         Livin'...   Wo'...                 My mind...  Lord...


   Then here's where he says "That's how it happens livin' life by the drop":

E-|----------2--------------2-----------------------|
B-|----------2--------------3-----------------------|
G-|----------2------2--2----2------------------2----|
D-|----------4------0--0----0------2-----------2----|
A-|-4-4------4---------------------2-----------0----|
E-|-2-2------2---------------------0----------------|
      That's how it happens livin' life by the drop.


I hope that helped some.  Sorry I don't know any other SRV songs.  I just
figured this one out as a favor to a friend of mine who is kinda tone-deaf.  You
You're own with some of the lyrics though, they're hard to hear.
Good luck...
Paul D. (s3bz%*) OR (*)