Daily Archives: September 21, 2014

“Passing Friend” by the Beach Boys – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

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To see how this cover song is played, CLICK HERE!

“Passing Friend”
Beach Boys – Written by Culture Club’s George O’Dowd & Roy Hay

Intro: Gm – F  (x4)

F                    Eb                             Bb
Well, there’s nothing worse than a passing friend
Bb          Eb                        Bb
Who will die on you till the bitter end.
Bb          Eb                            Bb
There’s nothing worse than a burning heart
Bb    Eb                          Bb                                             Gm – F (x2)
Or a past that tears the world apart.

F              Gm                             F
I’ve been thinking about my situation,
Nothing ventured, nothing left to lose.
When it’s easier to just say nothing,
I had thought about what I might lose.

F                        Cm7
But through the child’s eyes,
Cm7
There were feelings
Dm7
Touching my violet skin.
Dm7         Cm7
When the love games start appealing,
Dm7
You better get out and move on in…

‘Cause there’s nothing worse than a passing friend
Or a pioneer of a dying trend,
Nothing worse than a silent ghost
Or to lose your head at the starting post.

Ain’t it always just a short vacation?
When it’s love it always has to end.
Under the sheets of life it’s just frustration,
While the body goes in search again.

But through the child’s eyes,
There were feelings
Touching my violet skin.
When the love games start appealing,
You better get out and move on in…

‘Cause there’s nothing worse than a passing friend
Who will die on you till the bitter end.
There’s nothing worse than a burning heart
Or a past that tears the world apart.

Eb                Dm7                Cm7                               Bb
Why do you love someone who wants to break your heart?
Why do you need someone who wants to tear your world apart?
No; no, not again…

SOLO

I was packing up my life in cases
For a hundred years or maybe more.
I’ve been talking to a million people,
Don’t you think I should have known the score?

But in the child’s eyes,
There were feelings
Touching my violet skin.
When the love games start appealing,
You better get out and move on in…

‘Cause there’s nothing worse than a passing friend
Who will die on you till the bitter end.
There’s nothing worse than a burning heart
Or a past that tears the world apart.

‘Cause there’s nothing worse than a passing friend
Or a pioneer of a dying trend,
Nothing worse than a silent ghost
Or to lose your head at the starting post.

No; no, not again…

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **

“Amnesia” (Toad the Wet Sprocket Cover)

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By Jeff:

Welcome to your late edition of Thumpin’ Thursday!  A day that is so awesome that it can only come once per week, otherwise the unexplained will occur.

No, I don’t understand it either, but I forget what I was going for there…

I must have Amnesia.

Wait!  I do!  It’s the song from Toad the Wet Sprocket’s final album “Coil” called “Amnesia!”

Excuse me while I walk to the door that you’ve inevitably sent me too…

Ok i’m back.  The song and band were one of my favorite “I seem to be the only one who has heard of this album” records from my childhood.  I’m glad that with my higher understanding of guitar and music, that I can finally play some of the songs from this album because they are among my favorites.

This song is well suited for guitar and really comes out nicely on the sessions format.  This is another take 1 as well, which is always a good thing.

I’m so excited that in about 36 hours, I will be at Jim’s wedding, which I know him and Becky are very excited and nervous about (well, at least I think so on the latter).  It should be a blast and I look forward to it.  I also can’t wait to hear what brother Mike will divulge about the Notorious J.I.M.

Ok that’s it for this evening.  See you next week where i’ll be bringing you a new session while Jim gets the old pasty-white sunburn in Hawaii.

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up.  We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session.  We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and origianal music blog again in the future.  But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!

“Airplane” (The Beach Boys Cover)

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Welcome to this week’s edition of the Guest Sessions here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog!  The Guest Sessions is a chance for our loyal viewers to try their hand at an acoustic cover song music video.  If we like it, we post it here on the music blog for all to see!

Tonight’s entry comes from Mustomix on YouTube.  He wrote to me a few months ago (sorry, I’ve been a bit slow on the uptake here) and sent me his channel of Beach Boys cover songs.  I’m very impressed with his selection of Beach Boys cover videos, but I’m most impressed with his incredible guitar selection!  He’s got some great stuff going on there!  I chose “Airplane” because it’s a unique song off of the Beach Boys “love it or hate it” 1977 album “Love You” and because he uses a great 12-string acoustic guitar, which is perfect for this song.  He does a great job playing it, as well.

I hope you enjoy tonight’s Guest Sessions entry and congrats to Mustomix for getting on the music blog!  Enjoy “Airplane” by the Beach Boys- a really cool tune!



“New Year’s Eve” (Tom Waits Cover music video)

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For CHORDS, click HERE!

By Chris Moore:

Just in the nick of time, here I am for my very first true Laptop Session of 2011…  and with a whole seven hours to spare!  This year, I’ve been busy and my attention has been directed elsewhere: to my long-overdue album, The 2010 Project, and to coursework toward my graduate degree, to name a couple of the largest commitments that have kept me away from the blog.  I’ve even been behind in my duty as resident music reviewer, though I’ve begun to make good on that this past week, and I’m looking forward to the end of the year “best of” lists (already being compiled!) that I’ll release over the next couple weeks.

It dawned on me this morning, as I was working on writing reviews, that there is actually a brand new song this year called “New Year’s Eve” and that it would be a shame to pass on that opportunity, particularly in a year when I have only recorded Original Wednesday music video performances.

So, I give you “New Year’s Eve,” the closing track off Tom Wait’s excellent 2011 album Bad As Me.  This is the first album — and I’ve listened to a range of his music — that has instantly captivated me, both lyrically and musically.  There are some cool, if subtly handled, guest performances, including Keith Richards and Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea on several tracks, as well as the lesser known Augie Meyers.  Meyers, best known to this Dylan fan for his work on 2001’s Love & Theft, contributes vox organ, piano, and accordion across Bad As Me, adding to its beautifully textured feel, one not entirely dissimilar to the aural sensibilities of Dylan’s own masterpiece.

It’s a beautiful, haunting track, and (somehow) the first Tom Waits cover ever done here at the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song blog.  I figured, if we’re going to maintain our reputation as the best one of its kind in the universe, I’d better, with a respectful nod, add a Tom Waits notch to our belts.  He is, to say the least, a brilliant songwriter, truly inimitable, yet isn’t that one of the goals of this site: to interpret our favorite artists, and to stretch our own abilities and perspectives with their best songs?  I’ve always thought of this site in that way, and I must say that the hour and a half I spent with “New Year’s Eve” today was among the most relaxing hours spent alone of my week off.

The first Tom Waits Laptop Session.  My first cover song music video of the old year.  The eve of the new year.

Quite a moment.

I wish you and yours a safe and relaxing New Year’s Eve; I hope you enjoy this song and that you’ll stop back soon for all the new material headed your way in 2012.

See you next session (hopefully that’ll be in less than a year)!