This Island Life

"THIS ISLAND LIFE" by the Violent Femmes

>From the album "NEW TIMES"(1994)

Written by Gordon Gano

Transcribed by Bryson Meunier

Here's a pretty cool song off of "New Times." It should be right but

if it's not(or if you just have additions, comments or questions) e-mail me

at meunier.1@osu.edu

intro(clean electric)-

B5 (palm mute)

E-----------------------------|

B-----------------------------|

G-----------------------------|

D------------4--4--4--4-------| (strum quietly)

A-----0---2--2--2--2--2-------|

E-----------------------------|

A lot of the verse just sounds like straight bass. The guitar

pattern that I could decipher sounds like this:

"This tea is too strong for me..."

E----------------------------------------------|

B----------------------------------------------|

G----------------------------------------------|

D-----------------4---4---4\5---4----2----4----|

A----0---2----2--------------------------------|

E----------------------------------------------|

repeat that a couple of times and then go into this:

E-----------------------------------------------|

B-----------------------------------------------|

G-----------------------------------------------|

D--------------9--9--9\10---9---7---9-----------|

A----0--7--7------------------------------------|

E-----------------------------------------------|

The chorus is just an A chord followed by a B5

"This Island Life..."

E-----------------------------------------------|

B----2------------------------------------------|

G----2-----(strum)----------4-------------------|

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

A---------------------------2-------------------|

E-----------------------------------------------|

The overdub part of the solo sounds like this:

E----------------------------------------------------|

B--7~~~~~~~----8p7~~~~~~~------7p0-------------------|

G-------------------------7h9---------------7--------|

D--------------------------------------7h9------(9)--|

A----------------------------------------------------|

E----------------------------------------------------|

E----------------------------------------------------|

B--------------------------------7--7\8----7--7--7\8-|

G---------------7-------8--------7--7\8----7--7--7\8-|

D---------7h9-------9--------------------------------|

A---7h9----------------------------------------------|

E----------------------------------------------------|

E--0--0--0-------9h10----7h9p7----5h7p5-------------|

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

G---------------------------------------------7---4-|

D---------------------------------------------------|

A---------------------------------------------------|

E---------------------------------------------------|

lyrics:

This tea's too strong for me

As I await yoir company

I had too much sun today

Ocean waters wash away

Nothing but the present

Presenting its presence

This island life

Separate my right from my wrong

No I am not pagan

but my heart has been forsaken

And the hand of God was on my mind

It took some time from time to time

Now in the course I know

Time itself will go when

(chorus)

You forgot your shoes and I

I have sent a message but I

There's so many stars in the sky

It's the truths that will not lie

There's a young wild native maiden

Running mad and barefoot to the sea until

(chorus)

This island life

Finally separates my right from my wrong

(guitar solo)

This tea's too strong for me

As I await more company

I had too much sun today

Dream of lands lying far away

Pregnant with the present

Presenting its presents

This island life

Separate my right from my wrong

This island life

Will separate my rights from my songs

Separate my right from wrong

(electric sitar outro)