Guitar Tab:Museum Of Idiots

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Museum Of Idiots

By: They Might Be Giants

Key: D Major

Year: 2004

This is a complicated song and I wanted to see if it could be arranged for guitar. I hope you enjoy it. I've left the previous chord sheets at the bottom, since this arrangement might be not what you're looking for. This is roughly what is going on in the horn parts; the same riff is played more softly during the verses. I've arranged it to be playable on guitar, and though the fingerings work out and all, it is still somewhat unnatural and takes practice. The "040" in the 2nd bar should be played as "0h4p0"; I just didn't want to expand the rhythm to 16th notes. Horn riff 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 e|------------------------------------------------- B|---3-3-3---3---3-3-3-3-3---3-3-3-3-2-3-3-3-3---2- G|---2-x-0---x---2-x-0-0-x---2-x-0-x-2-4-x-0-x---2- D|---0-2-0---4---0-2-040-4---0-2-0-4-2-4-4-0-4---2- A|-------2---0-------2-2-0-------2-0-0-2-0-2-0---0- E|------------------------------------------------- The last two bars of this figure are played in certain points in the song, I'll refer to that bit as "Half horn riff" During the verses, you might want play something simpler to give your hands a rest and to give contrast from the loud horn sections. Here is one possibility, which is just the melody of the horn riff by itself: Riff 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 e|------------------------------------------------- B|------------------------------------------------- G|-------0-----------0-0---------0---2-4---0------- D|---0-2-----4---0-2-h4--4---0-2---4-----4---4---2- A|------------------------------------------------- E|------------------------------------------------- The section in the first part of each chorus (e.g. "I will be standing around when they burn it down"), goes like this: Riff 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 e|------------------------- B|---2-3---4--------------- G|---2-4---5-----1-2---5--- D|---2-4---5-----2-4---5--- A|-0---2-3-------2-4---5-3- E|-----------1-0---2-3----- The last time of this is slightly extended with the chords D Bb E7/D A7: Riff 2* 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 e|--------------------------2----------------------- B|---2-3---4----------------3----------------------- G|---2-4---5-----1-2---5----2-----7----------------- D|---2-4---5-----2-4---5----0-----8-----6-----5----- A|-0---2-3-------2-4---5-3--------8-----5-----4----- E|-----------1-0---2-3------------6-----------5----- Finally, the bridge ("If you and I had any brains ...") has this little instrumental bit afterwards. I've tabbed it as starting on 4, because the E chord in the first half of that measure will be notated below. Again I've just crammed in the 16th notes: Riff 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 e|------------------------------------------------------- B|-------1---3-4---3---1-3-4---3-1---3-4---3-1-----1----- G|-0-----2---4-5---4---2-4-5---4-2---4-5---4-2-----2----- D|--2-0--2---4-5---4---2-4-5---4-2---4-5---4-2-----2----- A|------30---2-3---2---0-2-3---2-0---2-3---2-0-----0----- E|------------------------------------------------------- And that should be enough to map out the song: <Bass riff resembling Riff 1*> Riff 1 They built this whole neighborhood out of wood, out of wood. Horn riff Riff 1 I guess I'll still be around when they burn, burn it down. Horn riff Riff 2 I will be standing around when they burn it Half horn riff down... Em A Here in the Museum of Idiots. Half horn riff Horn riff Riff 1 Honey, I'm there when you need me, please believe me, please believe me. Riff 1 I'll still be right where you left me, if you manage to forget me. Riff 2 Where we met is where you may for- Half horn riff -get. Em A Here in the Museum of Idiots. Half horn riff Horn riff A A/G D/F# G D/F# E If you and I had any brains, we wouldn't be in this place. Riff 3 (after just half a bar of the E, so be ready!) Riff 1 Chop me up into pieces if it pleases, if it pleases. Horn riff Riff 1 And when the chopping is through, every piece will say "I love you." Horn riff Riff 2 Every piece of me will say "I love you." Half horn riff Em A Here in the Museum of Idi- Half horn riff -ooooots. Riff 2* Every piece of me will say "I love you, you, you" Em A Here in the Museum of Idi- Half horn riff -ooooots. Horn riff ============================================================= D G D G They built this whole neighborhood D G Bm A out of wood, out of wood. D G D G I guess I'll still be around D G Bm A when they burn, burn it down. Em G Em A D G Bm A I will be standing around when they burn it down... Em G Em A D G Bm A Here in the Museum of Idiots. D G D G Honey, I'm there when you need me, D G D A please believe me, please believe me. D G D G I'll still be right where you left me, D G D A if you manage to forget me. Em G Em A D G Bm A Where we met is where you may forget. Em G Em A D G Bm A Here in the Museum of Idiots. A D G E If you and I had any brains, we wouldn't be in this place. D G D G Chop me up into pieces D G Bm A if it pleases, if it pleases. D G D G And when the chopping is through, D G Bm A every piece will say "I love you." Em G Em A D G Bm A Every piece of me will say "I love you." Em G Em A D G Bm A Here in the Museum of Idiots. Em G Em A D Bb A Every piece of me will say "I love you, you, you" Em G Em A D G Bm A Here in the Museum of Idiots. This is nowhere near 100% accurate, but hopefully people can use it as a jumping-off point. Listen for the rhythm (it's in 3/4 time). For each line I put the lyrics and the corresponding bars' worth of chords at the end. They built this whole neighborhood out of wood, out of wood (D, G, D, G, D, G, Bm, A) I guess I'll still be around when they burn, burn it down (D, G, D, G, D, G, Bm, A) I will be standing around when they burn it down (Em, G, Em, A, D, G, Bm, A) Here in the Museum of Idiots (Em, G, Em, A, D, G, Bm, A) Honey I'm there when you need me, please believe me, please believe me (D, G, D, G, D, G, D, A) I'll still be here where you left me if you manage to forget me (D, G, D, G, D, G, D, A) Where we met is where you may forget... (Em, G, Em, A, D, G, Bm, A) Here in the Museum of Idiots (Em, G, Em, A, D, G, Bm, A) If you and I had any brains we wouldn't be in this place (A, D, G, E) Chop me up into pieces if it pleases, if it pleases (D, G, D, G, D, G, Bm, A) And when the chopping is through, every piece will say "I love you" (D, G, D, G, D, G, Bm, A) Every piece of me will say "I love you" (Em, G, Em, A, D, G, Bm, A) Here in the Museum of Idiots (Em, G, Em, A, D, G, Bm, A) Every piece of me will say "I love you, you, you" (Em, G, Em, A, D, Bb, A) Here in the Museum of Idiots (Em, G, Em, A, D, G, Bm, A)