Widespread Panic - Diner

lyrics transcribed by : brian whitman
music transcribed by : pete millett
kevin watson
scott holcomb
this song has several “themes” which are very
harmonious and are sequenced troughout the song .
once you get these themes , there’s nothing to
the song . houser showed me this one so its accurate .

theme 1 :
/ / / / / / / / / / / /
G F C G F
| – 3 – – – – 5 – – – – – | – 3 – – 3 – – 3 – – – – | – 1 – – – – – – – – – – |
| – 3 – – – – 6 – – – – – | – 3 – – 3 – – 3 – – – – | – 1 – – – – – – – – – – |
| – 0 – – – – 5 – – – – – | – 0 – – 0 – – 0 – – – – | – 2 – – – – – – – – – – |
| – 0 – – – – – – – – – – | – 2 – – x – – 0 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – – – – – – |
| – 2 – – – – – – – – – – | – 3 – – 2 – – 2 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – – – – – – |
| – 3 – – – – – – – – – – | – – – – – – – 3 – – – – | – 1 – – – – – – – – – – |

verse 1 :
G F C G F
beautiful , the girl’s cooking in the diner today
G F
oh , she won’t show the bother ,
C G F
even time she gets covered in blues

theme 2 , taking the song a little darker :
you will hold the same chord shape , letting it flow . . .

theme 2 :
/ / / / / / / /
G D# C A#
| – 3 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – 6 – – – – |
| – 3 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – 6 – – – – |
| – 0 – – – – – 0 – – – – | – 0 – – – – – 0 – – – – |
| – 0 – – – – – 5 – – – – | – 2 – – – – – 0 – – – – |
| – 2 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – 5 – – – – |
| – 3 – – – – – – – – – – | – – – – – – – 6 – – – – |

G D#
i sing kind little songs
C A# G D# C A#
trying to bait her soul
G D# C
and she’s like natural music
D# G D# C A#
anyway she moves

back to theme 1

verse 2 :
oh in time , time , time , i just love to watch her hands move
a little sugar , pepper ,
little brother wants to shine my shoes
( move to theme 2 )
go ahead , shine , shine , shine , i’ll sit real still
and my backbone shivers as she looks this way
and i try not to move

she’s beautiful – natural
hangin in the diner basking in the light of ms . lee

verse 2 ( original lyrics ) :
given time , lord i’d build her a mountain for a room .
given an hour , an hour , i’d build a rocket to the moon .
( move to theme 2 )
might take at least a week to find the strongest tool
might take the rest of this lifetime
to find the strongest fuel

but she natural , she take the moon and put it in her pocket
she’s beautiful , smiling it on me while i build this rocket

jam section :
/ / / / / / / / x3 / / / / / / / /
| – – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – – 6 – – – – – 3 – – – – – – | – – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – – 8 – – – – – 10 – – – – |
| – – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – – 6 – – – – – 3 – – – – – – | – – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – – 10 – – – – 12 – – – – |
| . – 7 – – – – – 8 – – – – | – – 6 – – – – – 4 – – – – – . | – – 7 – – – – – 8 – – – – | – – 10 – – – – 12 – – – – |
| . – 7 – – – – – 8 – – – – | – – 8 – – – – – 5 – – – – – . | – – 7 – – – – – 8 – – – – | – – 8 – – – – – 10 – – – – |
| – – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – – 8 – – – – – 5 – – – – – – | – – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – – 8 – – – – – 10 – – – – |
| – – x – – – – – x – – – – | – – 6 – – – – – 3 – – – – – – | – – x – – – – – x – – – – | – – x – – – – – x – – – – – |
( D7 ) ( D#7 ) ( A#7 ) ( G ) ( D7 ) ( D#7 ) ( F7 ) ( G7 )

solo in F penatonic ( i think that’s what you call that
scale , maybe it’s Gm penatonic ) over the first section of
above . move to the last section the last time through .

back to theme 1

verse 3 :
because the tounge tastes so old ,
can’t even load you coffee sweet
when she serves a bowl of lightning ,
makes sure you get all you need
( move to theme 2 )
sometimes come for a menu , some just come in to breathe
hanging in the diner sitting in the light of ms . lee

she’s beautiful – natural
hanging in the diner , basking in the light ,
basking in the light

another jam section ( see above )

verse 4 :
she’s beauty , yeah , the girl’s cooking in the diner today
no , she won’t show the bother ,
even time she gets covered in blues
i sing comical songs trying to blame myself
she’s all – ready music in a booth , man , if she catch you

then it progresses to the slower part as houser gears up :

theme 3 :
/ / / / / / / /
| – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – 6 – – – – |
| – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – 6 – – – – |
| – x – – – – – 0 – – – – | – 0 – – – – – 0 – – – – |
| – x – – – – – 5 – – – – | – 2 – – – – – 0 – – – – |
| – 5 – – – – – 6 – – – – | – 3 – – – – – 5 – – – – |
| – – – – – – – – – – – – | – – – – – – – 6 – – – – |

this goes on for a few bars as schools works around .
then back to theme 2 for the remainder , this time with
a sweeping pick motion :

/ / / / / / / /
| – – 3 – – – – – – – – 6 – – – – – – – – | – – 3 – – – – – – – – 6 – – – – – – – |
| – – 3 – 3 – – – – – – 6 – 6 – – – – – – | – – 3 – 3 – – – – – – 6 – 6 – – – – – |
| – – 0 – – – 0 – – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – – | – – 0 – – – 0 – – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – |
| – – 0 – – – – – 0 – – 5 – – – – – 5 – – | – – 2 – – – – – 2 – – 0 – – – – – 0 – |
| – – 2 – – – – – – – – 6 – – – – – – – – | – – 3 – – – – – – – – 5 – – – – – – – |
| – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – | – – – – – – – – – – – 6 – – – – – – – |

mikey also adds the following fill on occasion .

melody riff near end of song :
| – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
| – – 11 – 10 – 8 – – – – 8 – – – – – 8 – – – – – – – |
| – – – – – – – – – – 10 – – – – 0 – – – – 10 – 7 – – |
| – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
| – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
| – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |

hanging in the diner
sitting in the light of ms . lee
opening up early
help a poor boy up
open on sunday , all day
little sunshine rising from the park
cross the street to the path
keeping my teeth long and longer
and a smile . . .

hanging in the light
hanging in the light
sister
sister

end with a pause on the A# , then A G