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Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 20:01:10 -0800
From: "Michael A. Mazur" 
Subject: TAB: Counting Crows, "Suffocate"

Tab: "Suffocate" Counting Crows
Transcribed by Michael A. Mazur (mmazur@wpi.edu)

As recorded live at the Hollywood Grand, 16 November, 1995


Intro and main riff (played by organ)
|-------------------|----------------|
|-------------------|----------------|
|--------1--1h2--4--|--------1h2-----|
|-------------------|-----2-------2--|
|-------------------|----------------|
|--0--0-------------|--0-------------|

Verse:
E (with main riff played by organ, guitar 1 enters with chords)
Come on in baby, guess you want to touch me now
You want to put your hands on my face, and
Tell me you love me, tell me you need me
Don't say that you love me
Don't say anything, 'cause

A
I am not that kind of man
I'm much less than you think I am

(Back to main riff)

|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------| Guitar 2 doubles main riff, except replacing
|-------6b(7)r6-----| the second measure with this
|----------------7--|
|--0----------------|

So many people are just like Jesus,
They drag all this weight to get to anything better than
Where they've been, or where they are
Well tell me what the hell's the reason when we're never getting
anywhere, but

A
You want me to say "Hey, it's OK."
But I'm so dizzy, baby, just get the hell away from me

Chorus:
E   B       A       * (guitar 2 plays fill 1)
How can you breathe?
E   B       A
How can you see?
E   B            A                      E  *(guitar 2 plays fill 2)
    I can't even sleep when you're with me

 Fill 1           Fill 2
|--------------|-|----4--2p0-------|
|--5--4--2-----|-|------------4/5--|
|-----------2--|-|/4---------------|
|--------------|-|-----------------|
|--------------|-|-----------------|
|--------------|-|-----------------|


Verse: (organ and guitar 2 play simile to first verse)
I'm sick of summertime,
I know all of the best things in life are unkind
I could be everything, I could be anything, but
All the time I think that if I only had a pair if wings...

But you won't touch me
Just take your hands off me, don't touch me baby
I can't receive it, you see...

How can you see?
How can you breathe?
I can't feel a thing when you're with me

Bridge:
Organ sustains an E chord for 16 measures,
Guitar 1 enters after 8 measures, and then plays an E as well

Guitar 2 plays variations on these four measures for the whole
bridge, usually holding the last note over the next measure
|-----------|-------------|------------------|--------------|
|--4h5p4h5--|--5b(7)r5p4--|--4h5p4--5b(7)r5--|--4b(5)r4-----|
|-----------|-------------|------------------|-----------4--|
|-----------|-------------|------------------|--------------|
|-----------|-------------|------------------|--------------|
|-----------|-------------|------------------|--------------|

Verse: (The first half of the verse is skipped)

A
I can't take it this way, I hope you understand
(guitars, organ tacet)
Don't you fucking touch me,
I can hold a candle if you can (very unsure of these lyrics)

                     * (w/ fill 1, simile)
How can you breathe?
How can you see?

(E B A progression continues)
How can you breathe? How can you see?
I can't even sleep when you're with me
How can you breathe? How can you see?
I can't feel a... I can't feel a thing
I can't feel a thing

progression changes to E B F#m, played twice, and then ends on E