I have understood the chord progression of this song for quite some
time but I didn't feel that I had enough material to post. Then over the
winter break I figured out something that sounds like Brian Ritchie's
wonderfully elastic guitar solo. In other words, I'm posting most of the
guitar parts of this song. If you have a part that I've neglected to post,
"I Danced"(Gordon Gano/Max Dunn)
Performed by the violent femmes on "Rock!!!"(1994)
Music by Gordon Gano
Lyrics from the poem "I DANCED BEFORE I HAD TWO FEET" by Max Dunn
Guitar solo by Brian Ritchie
intro-
B5 D5 A
E------------------------------------------------------|
B-------------------------2---xxxx--xxxx--xx-----------|
G--4--4--x--x--x---7--7---2---xxxx--xxxx--xx4--4--4--4-|
D--4--4--x--x--x---7--7---2---xxxx--xxxx--xx4--4--4--4-|
A--2--2--x--x--x---5--5-------xxxx--xxxx--xx2--2--2--2-|
E------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat that riff once more before the lyrics come in. Then, for the
verse, repeat the riff without making the percussive sounds. At least I
think that's the only distinction between the introduction and the verse but
the bass is so prominent that it's hard to tell. If you know of another
Here's my best attempt at the guitar solo:
E--------------------------------|---7-----------------|
B------------3--2---2brbrbrbr--0-|---7---4---------6\7-|
G---4--4--4----------------------|---7---4------7------|
D--------------------------------|-----------7---------|
A--------------------------------|---------------------|
E--------------------------------|---------------------|
E---------------|--------------------------------------|
B---7--7--8--7--|---15brp14--14h15brp14--14h15brp14----|
G---------------|--------------------------------------|
D---------------|--------------------------------------|
A---------------|--------------------------------------|
E---------------|--------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------|
B---14h15brp14--14h15brp14-------7---------------------|
G-----------------------------9--7---2-----------------|
D-----------------------------9--7---2-----------------|
A-----------------------------7------0-----------------|
E------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------|
B--7h8--7\5--7p5---------------------------------------|
G-----------------7p5----5h7---5\3---5p3---------------|
D------------------------------------------5-----------|
A------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------|
B------------------------------------------------------|
G----3\5---5\7---7\9---9\12----14----------------------|
D------------------------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat the main riff until the end of the song.
Lyrics:
I Danced before I had two feet
I Sang before I had a tongue
I laughed before I had two eyes
and loved before my heart was young
I swam before I had two hands
and held the distance in my toes
before I heard the stars or knew
the wild compulsion of the rose
I bore the fruits of many lives
before I came into this day
I knew before my grave was made
the worms eat only death away (2x)
I danced before I had two feet (4x)
symbols used in transcription-
x = make percussive sound with fretting hand
b = bend
r = release
\ = slide
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off