Not A Pretty Girl
Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco
Not A Pretty Girl
1995

Ani.  For some reason, the name oozes feminism.  But it's not an I'm-better-than-you
feminism.  It's a take-back-our-lives feminism. And it's something that is sorely needed
in music today.  In a world where we are bombarded by bottle-blondes singing stuff like
"let's talk about sex, baby" she's opening the eyes of the people who need her most:
young girls who are discovering themselves.  I first saw Ani at a jam-packed Falcon Ridge
Folk Festival '99.  She was the reason it was packed.  I wasn't so sure I'd like her.
Never have I been so wrong.  It was just her and her guitar.  And a big white pole in
front of her face holding up the tent.  And she ROCKED.  So I'm now hooked for life.  And
this is my first Ani tune.  A girl e-mailed me a while ago and asked why I didn't like
any female artists.  I told her "you're wrong: I love people like Ani and Joni.  But
they're too good.  I can't figure out their stuff."  So here I am in a meagre attempt
to re-create music of the most influential songwriter of my generation: Ani DiFranco.

Notes: - the song is in 6/8 time.
       - the first beat of the second measure, for example, is played by strumming up and
	     down quickly, accenting the arpeggio.
       - chord names are NOT standard: click here!!

Lyrics
Chords

This is the idea for most of the song.  This figure is the INTRO and also backs the VERSE:

   F#m                           Asus2
   +     +        +      +       +     +        +      +
e:-------------|-^0-v0---------|-------------|-^0-v0---------|
B:-------------|-^0-v0---0-----|-------0-----|-^0-v0---0-----|
G:-------2-----|-^2-v2-----2---|-2-------2---|-^2-v2-----2///|
D:-4-------4---|-^4-v4-------4-|-2-----------|-^2-v2-----2///|
A:-4-----------|---------------|-0-----------|---------------|
E:-2-----------|---------------|-------------|---------------|


   D5                            E5
   +     +        +      +       +     +        +      +
e:-------------|-^0-v0---------|-------------|-^0-v0---0---0-|
B:-0-----0-0---|-^0-v0---0-----|-0-----0-0---|-^0-v0-----0---|
G:/7-----7-7---|-^7-v7-----7///|/9-----9-9---|-^9-v9---------|
D:/7-----7-7---|-^7-v7-----7///|/9-----9-9---|-^9-v9---------|
A:-5-----------|-----------5///|/7-----------|---------------|
E:-------------|---------------|-0-----------|---------------|

This indicates the change at the end of each verse:

...kitten           stuck up a tree somewhere
   B5                          D5
   +     +       +     +       +     +       +     +
e:-0--0--------|----0---0----|-------0-----|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B:-0---0-0-----|-0---0---0---|-------0-----|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
G:-4-----4-----|-4----4---4--|-7-----7-----|-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
D:-4-----4-----|-4---------4/|/7-----7-----|-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
A:-2-----2-----|-2-----2---2/|/5-----5-----|-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
E:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

LYRICS:

play intro
F#m	Asus2	D5	E5
F#m	Asus2	D5	E5

           F#m        Asus2  D5                   E5
I am not a pretty girl          that is not what I do
            F#m              Asus2        D5             E5
I ain't no damsel in distress and I don't need to be rescued
               F#m    Asus2            D5           E5
So so put me down punk wouldn't you prefer a maiden fair
              B5                                 D5
Isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

I am not an angry girl but it seems like I've got everyone fooled
Everytime I say something they find hard to hear they chalk it up to my anger and never to their own fear
Imagine you're a girl just tryin' to finally come clean
Knowing full well they'd prefer you were dirty and smiling
And I am sorry but I am not a maiden fair
               B5                                D5
And I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

GUITAR SOLO
F#m	Asus2	D5	E5
F#m	Asus2	D5	E5


And generally my generation wouldn't be caught dead working for their man
And generally I agree with them trouble is you've gotta have yourself an alternate plan
And I have earned my disillusionment I have been working all of my life
And I am a patriot I have been fighting the good fight
And what if there are no damsels in distress what if I knew that and I called your bluff
                B5                                      D5
Don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down whether or not you ever show up

BRIDGE
F#m	Asus2	D5	E5 (repeats)

Ay yeah I am not a pretty girl
Ay yeah I don't really wanna be a pretty girl
Ay yeah I wanna be more than a pretty girl
Ay yeah... (ad lib)

guitar continues with vocals, then guitar ends on E5 and stops.
vocals continue for several more measures, then end.


CHORDS:

F#m	244200 (thumb on 6th string)
Asus2	x02200
D5	x57700
E5	079900
B5	x24400

To learn more about chord theory, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.