[winston]

Several things about this song. I am using the 100 Year Hall version.

1. Usually they don't play the 3rd stanza of lyrics ("The words come out...") - too personal, too specific, too much of a "laughin' on the bus" factor. Instead, put a solo on the lyric chords before the "From day to day...".

2. Both couplets of the lyrics end in the D->Dm switch, not just the first one; i.e., add a Dm after the "pain" in "to cause so much pain".

3. On "Only Love Can Fill", G works better than Em7.

4. Interesting: There is one important correction in the last stanza. On "The day may come...", play an Em instead of an E on the "come".

This change will also sound good in the other lyrics, but don't do it for all of them: The Dead are deliberately playing with the major/minor ambiguity to invoke a "bittersweet" feeling.

For instance, on 100 Year Hall, they hint at the Em in the second stanza - on "Never in my mind...", Bob alone plays Em for the "mind". In the third stanza, they all play Em.

The E/Em ambiguity reflects the D->Dm change at the end of the lyric couplets, which is more striking and, in my opinion, invokes a sense of resignation. At any rate, both are ways of using the major/minor distinction to invoke emotion.

[Billbbill]

I'm with you on your take, although I have to admit I hadn't heard the E-Em thing. I'll have to listen more closely. I have a couple more to bounce off of you. I had never seen this on paper when I learned it off of a Hershey Park version years ago. I forget the particulars but I'll check.
If you pick out Jerry's picking over "only love can fill" it's definitely a G to F#m.

OK.
I have over "..make it somehow" F#m - E instead of B - E.
Also over "empty cup" I have A+5 - F#m intead of Fm - F#m. the A+5 looks like this-

b--2
g--2
d--3
a--4

It's a nice transition chord between the E and F#m.
I haven't sat down with this in a while but I'll have to double check.

[LazyLightnin]

OOF that hundred year hall version is crap dude.....

[DenverEd]

I thought that the "only love can fill part" is

F#m - GMaj7

At least that's how it sounds to my ears

[tigerstrat]

the reference version for this song should probably be 8/19/80 (imho the far and away the best), or at least a post-hiatus version.

[bodiddley]

I prefer the Spring '77 versions but I was checking out that 8-19-80 show last night and was digging it. What a great show. Gonna listen to some more of it this weekend. Really dug the 1/2 Step opener.

[BlobWeird]

the reference version for this song should probably be 8/19/80 (imho the far and away the best), or at least a post-hiatus version.

DP29 5/21/77 got it beat if you ask me. Goes into St. Stephen beautifully too.

[caspersvapors]

5/9/77 is also remarkable

[bodiddley]

5-9-77 is probably my favorite.

[mttourpro]

the reference version for this song should probably be 8/19/80 (imho the far and away the best), or at least a post-hiatus version.

DP29 5/21/77 got it beat if you ask me. Goes into St. Stephen beautifully too.

Just listened to 5/21/77 last night and was previously unaware of that great little jazzy jam at the end---way too cool.

[weatherre]

Ok, laugh at me. But I just love the version on Reflections. As studio versions go, I think it's one of their best. (Which, of course, is not saying anything because I usually don't like anything in the studio.)

Love the tone on Jerry's guitar during the solo. The notes are expressive and precise and yet it is one of the few studio leads that has a feel of being live. Seems like he even almost flubs a note or two, or barely gets back to the note after the bend to give it a real feel.

I have a bunch of live versions that I like, but I just dig the solo on the studio version.

[ugly rumor]

Reminds me of a time I drove to a show, pretty far away, tripping and solo, and kept rewinding the tape for that song over and over and over...couldn't get enough! It must have been an early 70's version, as I quit tripping in '78. Just stream of consciousness, here...

[mttourpro]

Well, we're finally playing this great song and here's the chart I'm using----still haven't completely decided on the E min or G in the chorus but am leaning towards the G.


Chorus:

A Em D
Comes a time when the blind-man takes your hand,
A A/G# A/F#
And says "Don't you see?
E B E Dm A
Gotta make it somehow on the dreams you still believe."
E C#7 F#m Em7(G)
Don't give it up, you got an empty cup
F#m Em7(G)
Only love can fill,
F#m
Only love can fill.



Verse:

A E Bm D
Been walking all morning went walking all night
A E G D Dm
I can`t see much difference between the dark and light
A E Bm D
And I feel the wind And I taste the rain
A E G D
Never in my mind to cause so much pain.


I think the E min is possibly a G chord in the chorus (in parentheses) depending on the version you listen to.

edit:I had the chords over the lyrics where they belong but cannot make it post correctly--sorry.

[Rusty the Scoob]

I haven't played this song in a while but I believe Phil sometimes plays an E there and sometimes G. I think it's G most of the time and then E toward the end?

[Billbbill]

Here's a pretty decent look at what jer's up to here - in '91 anyway!




Below is what I came up with from this

The A+5 (#5) is kinda my addition - looks like he's playing an Fm leading to the F#m if he plays anything - which seems a matter of preference

Code: Select all

Comes A Time
e--12-14-15------------------------
b------------12-14-15-----------7---5-
g----------------------12-11-9--7---6----
d-------------------------------7---7

Chorus
A Asus4 A
Comes a time when the (Em)blind man takes your (D)hand
Says "don't you (A)see?" Gotta make it (Bm)some(E)how
On the (Dm)dreams you still (A)believe, don't give it (E)up
You got an (A+5)empty (F#M)cup (Gmaj7)
Only love can (F#m)fill, (Gmaj7)only love can fill (F#m)

(A)Been walking all (E)morning, (Bm)went walking all (D)night
(A)I can't see much (E)difference, between the 
(Em)dark and light(D)
(A)And I feel the (E)wind, (Bm)and I taste the (D)rain
(A)Never in my (Em)mind, to (Gmaj7)cause so much (D)pain

[chorus]

(A)From day to (E)day, (Bm)just letting it (D)ride
(A)You get so far (E)away, from how it (Em)feels inside (D) (Dm)
(A)You can't let (E)go, (Bm)'cause you're afraid to (D)fall
(A)But the day may (Em)come, when you can't (Gmaj7)feel at all (D)

[chorus]