She's A Jar

[Guest gryfyrg]

Wilco - She's a Jar

 

After the kind suggestions of bweil and the dude (see below) and actually listening to the song with a guitar in front of me, I arrive at She's a Jar, Version 2.0:

 

Main Riff

 

|----------3------3--2--3--3--3-----------------------------------------------|

|----------0------0--0--0--0--0--3---x-0--1---1-----------1----------------|

|----------0------0--0--0--0--0--4---x-0--0---0--------------0-------------|

|----------0------0--0--0--0--0--4---x-0--2---2-----1/2---------0h2--0---|

|----------------------------------2---------3---------------------------------|

|---3--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

Verse: G Bm C

 

Sometimes he lifts up his index finger from the first fret quickly to play a Cmaj7, other times he does a hammer on/pull off from the 2nd fret to the open A-string

 

Bridge: G Am D7 Ebdim (1) Ebdim (2) Em Bm Bbm Am D7 Ebdim (1) Ebdim (2)

 

D7 Ebdim (1 & 2)

 

|-2-| |-2-| |-5-|

|-1-| |-1-| |-4-|

|-2-| |-2-| |-5-|

|-0-| |-1-| |-4-|

|---| |----| |---|

|---| |----| |---|

 

Harmonica part:

 

|--3------------------------------|

|------3--------------------------|

|-----------4------2---4---------|

|---------------5-----------------|

|----------------------------------|

|----------------------------------|

 

String part (sortof, Bennet was laying it on pretty thick in this song):

 

|--5------------5---------------5------7---8------|

|---------8-----------8-----8---8-----8---8-------|

|---------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------|

 

|--5-----------5----------------5-----7----8---10-----|

|--------8------------8-----8---8-----8----8---8------|

|--------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------|

 

__________________________________________

 

She's a jar with a heavy lid

My pop quiz kid, a sleepy kisser

A pretty war with feelings hid,

She begs me not to miss her

 

She says forever to light a fuse

We could use a handful of wheel

And a day off and a bruised road

However you might feel, tonight is real

 

When I forget how to talk, I sing

Won't you please bring that flash to shine

And turn my eyes red, unless they close

When you click and my face gets sick

Stuck, like a question unposed

 

Just climb aboard the tracks of a train's arm in my fragile family tree

And watch me floating inches above the people underneath

 

Please beware the quiet front yard

I warned you before there were water skies

I warned you not to drive

Dry your eyes, you poor devil

 

Are there really ones like these?

The ones I dream float like leaves

And freeze to spread skeleton wings

I passed through before I knew you

 

I believe it's just because Daddy's payday is not enough

I believe it's all because Daddy's payday is not enough

 

Just climb aboard the tracks of a train's arm in my fragile family tree

And watch me floating inches above the people underneath

 

She's a jar with a heavy lid

My pop quiz kid, a sleepy kisser

A pretty war with feelings hid

You know she begs me not to hit her

Edited March 1, 2005 by gryfyrg

[bweil]

This is a collection of what I've seen about this song, with a few additions of my own.  The subtle parts of the main riff are what prevent the chords G, Bm and C from sounding like a Creed song or something -

 

Main Riff

 

|-3---3--------2-------2-------0---0--------------0--------0-------|

|-0---0---x---0---x---3---x---1---1--------------1--------1-------|

|-0---0---x---0---x---4---x---0---0----------0---0---0---0---0---|

|-0---0---x---0---x---4---x---2---2---1h2---2---2---2-------2---|

|-x---x-------x--------2-------3---3---------------3---3-------3----|

|-3---3-------2------------------------------------------------------|

 

I've seen that little hammer on transcribed as 0h2, but that makes it verge on power ballad territory; I think he pulls his index finger off the B string quickly to play it, although the C chord could be played using the middle, ring and pinky fingers to free up the index finger completely.

 

 

 

thats some great work, gryf - that description of the main riff is spot on, and really makes the song - one additional point.... in concert, ive noticed that jeff actually plays the hammer on (1h2) as a bit of a slide, where he uses his second finger to slide from the first to second fret, then quickly plays the b string (1st fret) - personally, i like to play it the way you described above, by pulling my index finger, as ive never gotten the right sound with the slide......

[Dude]

That's close to how I've been playing it lately, but with a little more action towards the beginning of the riff -

|-----3------3-2-2-3-3-3-------------0---------0-------------|
|-----0------0-0-0-0-0-3-----x---1---1---------1---------1---|
|-----0------0-0-0-0-0-4--4--x---0---0---------0---0-----0---|
|-----0------0-0-0-0-0-4-----x---2---2---1/2---2---1/2---2---|
|-----x------x-x-x-x-0-2---------3---3-------------------3---|
|-3----------3-2-2-3-3---------------------------------------|

 

You sort of do a slide from the 3x0003 to 2x0002 back to 3x0003 while strumming four quick consecutive chords.

 

The 1/2 slide you do with your middle finger - place it on the D string 1st fret, pluck it, then slide it to the 2nd fret, then move the rest of your fingers in place for the full C chord if that makes any sense.