Song For Adam
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Saturate Before Using
1972
This is a tremendous tune off Jackson's first
album. He writes incredible songs, and this album
is certainly one to look into. Have fun...
Lyrics
Chords
Capo 1st
INTRO:
Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-----------0-----|-1---------0-----|-1---------0-----|-1---------------|
G:-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-----------------|
D:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0---------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-------|
F C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|
B:-1-----1---------|-1-----1---------|-----------------|-1---------------|
G:-2p0---2---------|-2p0---2---2---0-|-----0---------0-|-----0-------0---|
D:-----3-----------|-----3-------3---|-------------2---|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
E:-1-----------1---|-1---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
F C G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------3---------|
B:-1-----1---------|-1-----1---------|-----------------|-----0---------0-|
G:-2p0---2---------|-2p0---2---2---0-|-----0-------0---|---0---------0---|
D:-----3-----------|-----3-------3---|-----------------|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
E:-1-----------1---|-1---------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
Am
+ + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|
B:-----------0-----|-1---------1-----|
G:-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|
D:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|
Here is the verse:
Tho Adam was a friend of mine I did not know him well
Am C/G F
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-----------1-----|-1-------------1-|-1---------------|-------1-----1---|
G:-------2-------2-|-0-----------0---|-2---------------|-0h2-----------2-|
D:-----2-------2---|-----------------|-----------------|-3---3-----------|
A:-0-------0-------|-----3-----------|-----0-------0---|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-3-------3-------|-1-------1-------|-1---------1-----|
...alone into his distance he was deep into his well
C G/B Am G F
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:---------3-------|-1---------0-----|-1---------------|-1---------------|---1-------------|
G:-------0-------0-|-------2-------0-|-----2-------2---|-----2---------2-|-----2---------2-|
D:-----2-------0---|-----2-------0---|-----------------|-------------3---|-------------3---|
A:-3-------2-------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
...guess what he was laughing at but I could not really tell
C G/B Am G F
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:---------3-------|-1---------0-----|-1---------------|-----------------|
G:-------0-------0-|-------2-------0-|-----2-------2---|-2-----------2---|
D:-----2-------0---|-----2-------0---|-----------------|-----3-----------|
A:-3-------2-------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
...story's told that Adam jumped...I'm thinking that he
Am C/G F G F
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-1-------1-------|-1-------0-------|-1-------1-------|
G:---------0-------|-2-------0-------|-2-------2-------|
D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:---------3-------|-1-------3-------|-1-------1-------|
fell
Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------0-----|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-----------0-----|-1---------------|-----------0-----|-1---------1-----|
G:-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|---------------2-|-------2-------2-|
D:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
For all other verses, play this instead of the last line above:
...fall
Am G
+ + + +
e:-----------------|
B:-1---------0-----|
G:-------2-------0-|
D:-----2-------0---|
A:-0---------------|
E:---------3-------|
This is the chorus:
I sit before my only candle
F C/G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:---------1-------|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|
B:-1---------------|---------1-------|-1---------------|-1---------------|
G:-2---------------|-2-----2-------2-|-------0-------0-|-----------------|
D:-----3---------3-|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-1-------1---1---|-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
...so little light to find my way
F C/G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|
B:-1-------1-------|-----------------|-1---------------|-1---------------|
G:-2---------------|-2-------------2-|-------0-------0-|-----------------|
D:-----3---------3-|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-1-------1---1---|-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
...story unfolds before my candle
F G Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
B:-1-------1-------|---------0-------|-----------0-----|-1---------------|
G:-2-----------2---|-----2-------0---|-------2-------2-|-------2---------|
D:-----3-----------|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E:-1-------1-------|-1-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
...shorter every hour as it reaches for the day
C/G G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:---------3-------|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|
B:-1-----------1---|---1-----------1-|-0---------------|-0---------------|
G:-------0-------0-|-------0---------|-0-----0-------0-|-----0-------0---|
D:-----2-----------|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
I feel just like a candle in a way I guess I'll
Am Em
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|
B:-----------0-----|-1---------------|-0---------------|-0-------------0-|
G:-------2-------2-|-----------------|-----0---------0-|-------------0---|
D:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-------------0---|-----2-----2-----|
A:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
get there but I wouldn't say
F C/G G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-1---------------|-1---------------|-1---------------|-0---------------|
G:-2---------0-----|-2---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
D:-----3---------3-|-----3-------3---|-----------------|-----0-------0---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----3-------3---|-----------------|
E:-1-------1---1---|-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
The riff (second 2 lines of intro):
for sure
F C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|
B:-1-----1---------|-1-----1---------|-----------------|-1---------------|
G:-2p0---2---------|-2p0---2---2---0-|-----0---------0-|-----0-------0---|
D:-----3-----------|-----3-------3---|-------------2---|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
E:-1-----------1---|-1---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
F C G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------3---------|
B:-1-----1---------|-1-----1---------|-----------------|-----0---------0-|
G:-2p0---2---------|-2p0---2---2---0-|-----0-------0---|---0---------0---|
D:-----3-----------|-----3-------3---|-----------------|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
E:-1-----------1---|-1---------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
The ending consists of the riff followed by this figure:
Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|
B:-----------0-----|-1---------0-----|-1---------0-----|-1---------------|
G:-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-----------------|
D:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----------------|
A:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0---------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
LYRICS:
play intro
Though Adam was a friend of mine I did not know him well
He was alone into his distance he was deep into his well
I could guess what he was laughing at but I could not really tell
Now the story's told that Adam jumped and I'm thinking that he fell
Together we went traveling as we received the call
His destination India and I had none at all
Well I still remember laughing with our backs against the wall
So free of fear we never thought that one of us might fall
CHORUS
I sit before my only candle
But it's so little light to find my way
Now this story unfolds before my candle
Which is shorter every hour as it reaches for the day
Well I feel just like a candle in a way
I guess I'll get there but I wouldn't say for sure
play riff
When we parted we were laughing still as our goodbyes were said
And I never heard from him again as each our lives we lead
Except for once in someone else's letter that I read
Until I heard the sudden words that a friend of mine was dead
CHORUS
I sit before my only candle
Like a pilgrim sits beside the way
Now this journey appears before my candle
As a song that's growing fainter the harder I play
That I fear before I ever fade away
But I guess I'll get there though I wouldn't say for sure
Though Adam was friend of mine I didn't know him long
And when I stood myself beside him I never though I was as strong
Still it seems he stopped his singing in the middle of his song
But I'm not the one to say I know that I'm hoping he was wrong
CHORUS
I'm holding out my only candle
Though it's so little light to find my way
Now this story's been laid beneath my candle
And it's shorter every hour as it reaches for the day
Yes I feel just like a candle in a way
I hope I get there but I've never prayed
play ending
CHORDS:
Am x02210
F 103211
C/G 332010 or 3x2013
G 320003
To learn why these chords are named this way, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.
Created on 5-20-98 by Daniel E. Smith.