Maybe Sprout Wings

artist : mountain goats
song : maybe sprout wings
tuning : standard
difficulty : novice

intro begins with some D chord progression . . . not exactly sure of the name . i’ll call it
anyway , it’s the song’s motif , so it’s kind of important that you get it .

D * – x000231

the progression goes like this :
( for those who don’t know the song all that well , i addEd john’s youtube video url of
song at the end )

pluck open D string four times and let it ring;
x000231 ( x2 ) ( down ) ( up )
x000230 ( x1 ) ( down )
x000231 ( x1 ) ( up )
x000233 ( x1 ) ( down )

repeat this twice more for a total of three times .
on the last time through ( third ) , hit the x000233 chord and immediately return to the
D * chord so it’ll be a progression like this :

x000231 ( x2 ) ( down ) ( up )
x000230 ( x1 ) ( down )
x000231 ( x1 ) ( up )
x000233 ( x1 ) ( down )
x000231 ( x1 ) ( up )
pluck open D string four times and let it ring .

this intro appears throughout the song . for this tab , you’ll see ( intro ) and other times
see ( motif ) . the ( motif ) means to only play the first progression , and only do it once .

other chords you’ll need :
G5 – 320033
A * – x02031
C * – 133000
A – x02220

before we get started , you should also know that john usually just strums the low four
( eadg ) . it’s a very light and remorseful song , your strumming should display that .

verse :

D * G5
a bad dream shook me in my sleep
D * A * D *
and i woke up sweating .
G5
ran through the dark to the shower ,
C * A
already forgetting .
D * G5
tried to think good thoughts .
A * D * ( motif )
trying to find my way clear .
D * ( chord ) G5
let the room fill with steam ,
C * A
traced pictures on the mirror .

chorus :

G5 D * G5
ghosts and clouds and nameless things .
D * G5 A *
squint your eyes and hope real hard ,
D * ( intro )
maybe sprout wings .

D * G5
i clawed my way to the living room window ,
A * D *
stood there in the cold .
G5
the last bits of my dream like figures in the distance ,
C * A
hard to hold .
D *
i thought of old friends ,
G5
the ones who’d gone missing like you
A * D * ( motif )
said all their names three times .
G5
phantoms in the early dark ,
C * A G5
canaries in the mines .

chorus

the outro is the intro again only louder and stronger; all of the strums are down except
the last chord of each progression .

ends on A D * chord .

here’s the youtube url :

thanks!
tab by : amandalpierson