View Guitar Chords for Kissing the lipless - chords ver. 4
IMPORTANT! I've seen a lot of debate over this song and how it is played. The arguments stem from the B bass note in the song, and the appearance of James Mercer playing on fret 9 on guitar live and in the video. Both of these observations are correct. Although James Mercer IS definitely playing on 9th fret (which one would generally assume was an F#), he is actually playing the following chord:BM7---- E|11 B|11 G|11 D|9 A|x E|xAfter a little digging, it seems that this Chord is a BM7 (B Major 7, see reference http://jguitar.com/chordname'string5=11&string4=11&string3=11&string2=9&string1=x&string0=x ). I've seen Mercer play it live in person and in countless videos, and I am 100% sure that this is the right chord. I hope this can end the uncertainty over the B/F# thing! :) *That said, the song sounds fine acoustically just playing a B chord the whole time (the acoustic guitar does this anyway on the recording)* **It should also be noted that when played live, Mercer uses his electric guitar, and instead of strumming the intro parts using a B chord (as in recording), he picks through the BM7 chord. This is why it sounds slightly different live. Here I have tabbed the RECORDED version. This also applies to the ending (YOU TESTED YOUR . . .), which is played with a barre B on fret 7 on recording (those bassy acoustic notes really give it life), while a BM7 is plucked when played live** ***Furthermore, in the music video, Mercer is seen strumming his acoustic using the BM7 chord, despite it being clear on the recording that he's using a B on fret 7, this is partly responsible for the confusion. ****Mercer also plays 3 BM7s in a row, then drops down to a Barre B on fret 7 when playing live, it sounds this way in the recording too, so I have made sure to include it. Intro B C# x2BCalled to sC#ee if your bBack was stC#ill aligned and your shBeets were groC#wing grass all on the coBrners of your C#bed BBut you've got too mC#uch to wear on your sleBeves, it has too mC#uch to do with Bme and secC#retly I want to bBury in the yardC# Ebmthe grey remains of a friEendship scarredBM7 C# x4You toBM7ld us of your C#new life there, you got soBM7meone comin' arounC#d gluing tBM7insel to your croC#wn, he's got you taBlking pretty lC#oudYou beBM7rate, remC#ember your aiBM7ling heart and your criC#minal eyes You sBM7ay you're still in lC#ove, if it tBrue what can be dC#one It's hEbmard to leave all these moEments behind(Solo) BM7 C# x3 B C#BM7Called to sC#ee if your bBM7ack was stC#ill aligned and your shBM7eets were groC#wing grass all on the coBrners of your C#bed BM7But you've got too mC#uch to wear on your sleBM7eves, it has too mC#uch to do with BM7me and secC#retly I want to bBury in the yardC# Ebmthe grey remains of a friEendship scarredF#(4 Bars - this part I'm not sure about, it seems that he's holding an F# on fret 9, but lifting his pinky to so that he's effectively playing F#-E over and over again in quick succession)B C# x2BYou tested your mC#etal of dBoe's skin and pC#etals, while kBissing the liC#pless who blBeed all the sweC#etness awayEbm E B C# x3 Eb E F# END *ONE FINAL NOTE: At the build-up to the chorus (just after grey remains of a friendship scarred), I prefer to play BM7 C# x2, then perform a slide from the barre B on fret 7 up to C# on 9, then one final BM7 C#. This is roughly what the lead guitar does, and it REALLY adds something, even on an acoustic guitar. Thanks for reading! I hope you were able to bear through the crap at the start; I just wanted to make sure that nobody would be confused. I've wanted to write this tab for a while, but never found the time. I'm a massive fan of the Shins, and to see people arguing over how this song is played deeply saddens me. I really hope that people take this on board. If you definitely think this is wrong right off the bat, I implore you to play it along with the record. I've spent plenty of time on this, and I'm sure it is right! I've been voted down before on a tab (one by one all day) that I'm still sure is 100% correct because one guy didn't bother to investigate it properly!