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Imagination Tab

by Elvis Costello


This is just an update I did over the summer.
The original tab came from Aaron Yarlas, and thanks
is owed to J. Cooper and Paul Andersen as well.
Any corrections are welcomed, and if someone was
inclined to do a bass-tab, well that would be swell.
N-joy,    will.

Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)
words & music by Elvis Costello
from the Rykodisc rerelease of ?My Aim Is True?

Intro (2x):

           -                       -    

e---12-12-12-12-12-10------------7-7-7-7-7-10-|
B---12-12-12-12-12-10------------8-8-8-8-8-10-|
G---12-12-12-12-12-11------------7-7-7-7-7-11-|

                                                             
So you're trying to make connection, you heard whispers in the hall
                                                 
She'll be out again this evening, when you come around to call
                                                      
So, you dodge the lady-killer, who came creepin' 'cross the floor
                                                     
The you caught up in a whirlwind, you got blown right out the door
    	         						
Oh, yes it was a whirlwind, sweet romance was on your side
            
If you wanna dance on my face, you must tell me why you lied
                      
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                       	          
When you try to believe her just a little too much
                      
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                        
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch
                                                  
I see a look of recognition, so well hidden in your eye
         							       
And your peepshow regulations, they just don't seem to apply,
			  	   					   
Well, did I see you in the circus, in the ring without a hand
	   		 	   					  		
Now you think that you can curse us, steal the show and stop the band
			 							
Oh, you can follow your dreams, oh but please don't lead me on,
		 
If you wanna bleed in my face, you were here and now you're gone
                      
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                         	          
When you try to believe her just a little too much
                      
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                        
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch

(repeat intro and end on D)


Imagination (Is A Powerful Deceiver)
from the Rykodisc rerelease of My Aim Is True


Note: This is the way I play the song; his chords might actually be
different, but the basic sound and changes are the same.

Instr. Intro.:
 
 
 
 

                                                              
So you're trying to make connection, you heard whispers in the hall
                                                         
She'll be out again this evening, when you come around to call
                                                           
So, you dodge the lady-killer, who came creepin' 'cross the floor
                                                              
Then you caught up in a whirlwind, you got blown right out the door
                                                      
Oh, yes it was a whirlwind, sweet romance was on your side
                                             
If you wanna dance on my face, you must tell me why you lied
                           
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                            
When you try to believe her just a little too much
                            
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                         
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch

 
 
 
 
                                                   
I see a look of recognition, so well hidden in your eye
                                                        
And your peepshow regulations, they just don't seem to apply,
                                                        
Well, did I see you in the circus, in the ring without a hand
                                                                
Now you think that you can curse us, steal the show and stop the band
                                                           
Oh, you can follow your dreams, oh but please don't lead me on,
                                              
If you wanna bleed in my face, you were here and now you're gone
                           
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                            
When you try to believe her just a little too much

                          
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                         
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch
                                         
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch
                                         
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch

Note2: Some of the accents on the chords might be a little off; when I
converted
       the document, it messed up the format, and I don't have my guitar handy.

Enjoy!

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I hate to say this, and I don't want to sound ungrateful for someone's
efforts, but the chords listed for the song "Imagination..." are way, WAY
oversimplified.  If you had to play this song with just E, A, D, G, and C
chords, I suppose these versions would do...but the progressions are far more
involved than that.

***Example, posted version:

                                                        
Well, did I see you in the circus, in the ring without a hand
                                                                
Now you think that you can curse us, steal the show and stop the band


***The way I hear it:

                                                       
Well, did I see you in the circus, in the ring without a hand
                                                        
Now you think that you can curse us, steal the show and stop the band


***Posted version:

                           
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                            
When you try to believe her just a little too much


                          
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                         
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch


***The way I hear it:

                    
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                        
When you try to believe her just a little too much
                     
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                          
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch


	There are far too many D chords in the posted version -- the only
time there's actually a D chord is in the chorus ("...a little too much"),
and I can't find a G chord in the whole song to save me.

	id AA00320; Sat, 5 Feb 94 02:10:40 EST
	id AA01832; Fri, 4 Feb 94 23:15:09 PST
   with BSMTP id 1906; Sat, 05 Feb 94 01:37:01 EST
 (LMail V1.1d/1.7f) with BSMTP id 9771; Sat, 5 Feb 1994 01:37:01 -0500
Status: R

After seeing a couple of posting regarding the chords to Imagination
I decided to try my hand at figuring them out because neither of the
versions I saw worked.  I don't know if the writers guitars were out
of tune or what, but they definately are not the chords that EC is
playing on the recording.  So at the risk of being severly flamed I
will post my version of the chords.  I don't think they are perfect
by any means, but if you play these chords along with the recording
at least it will sound like the same song.

                                                             
So you're trying to make connection, you heard whispers in the hall
                                                 
She'll be out again this evening, when you come around to call
                                                      
So, you dodge the lady-killer, who came creepin' 'cross the floor
                                                     
The you caught up in a whirlwind, you got blown right out the door
                                                      
Oh, yes it was a whirlwind, sweet romance was on your side
                            
If you wanna dance on my face, you must tell me why you lied
                      
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                        
When you try to believe her just a little too much
                      
Imagination is a powerful deceiver
                                        
I'll go out of my mind, if I'm losing your touch


Then the second part is the same as the first, except for the ending.
The weird thing about this song is that while it sounds like it doesn't
flow right on the recording, when you are playing and singing the tune
it sounds perfect, and it's tons of fun to play.  If these chords work
for you, experiment with adding in the bass line, you will find that
much of the bass line can be played without having to use alternate
fingerings for the chords.

Enjoy

Paul Andersen