Song: The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid
Artist: The Decemberists
Album: The Hazards of Love (2009)
Tabbed by: Sky
Hey guys, this is my first tab so I apologize for any mistakes. The
intro sounds almost like a keyboard on a steel stringed guitar setting
but for the sake of the tab I have labeled the intro parts under Guitar 1
and Guitar 2. I think one of the intro chords might be missing
something in Guitar 2's part. I'm also not positive about the last chord of
the chorus. The rest of it seems pretty accurate to me.
I've broken the song up into parts because I think it makes it
easier to learn. There is a chart at the end with the comprehensive
song structure. It may be a little confusing at first but I promise it's not
too complicated. Comment if you see mistakes and I will fix them. If you are
looking at this tab then I'm assuming you like the Decemberists and I applaud you!
Enjoy this amazing song!
Edit 9/26/2010 - Changed 15p13p11 to 13(pb15)rb13p11. Thanks to those who commented and
the difference!
The Wanting Comes in Waves Intro/Verse (0:00-1:04) (3:51-4:10)
Guitar 1
|-----------------------------| |------------------------|
|----------8--10--11--10------| |------------------------|
|7--9--10-----------------7--9| |9--9--10--9--7--9-------|
|-----------------------------|x3 |------------------------|
|-----------------------------| |------------------------|
|-----------------------------| |------------------------|
Guitar 2
|-----------------------------| |------------------------|
|-----------------------------| |------------------------|
|----------------------7-----5| |------------------------|
|----------------------7-----3|x3 |--------------------8---|
|----------------------5-----3| |--------------------8---|
|-----------------------------| |--------------------6---|
Guitar 3
Note: this guitar only comes in during the second half of The Wanting Comes in Waves.
It is sustained out of the Repaid chorus.
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|7-sustain this note and let it feedback until it dies--|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
The Wanting Comes in Waves Bridge (1:04-1:12) (4:10-4:18)
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------7-----------|
|8-----------9-----------|
|8-----------8-----------|
|6-----------7-----------|
The Wanting Comes in Waves Chorus (1:12-1:43) (4:18-4:56)
Note: play the first part of the chorus 4 times instead of 3 for the second chorus
F Am Bb Bb Gm Gm Bbm
|1------5------6------6------| |3------3------6------|
|1------5------6------6------| |3------3------6------|
|2------5------7------7------| |3------3------6------|
|3------7------8------8------|x3 |5------5------8------|
|3------7------8------8------| |5------5------8------|
|1------5------6------6------| |3------3------6------|
Repaid Intro (1:43-2:08) (4:56-5:09)
Note: only play the riff twice during the second intro
Guitar 1
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------13(pb15)rb13p11---------------------------|
|12--15--12----12----------------12----12--15--12-----------|
|--------------------------------------------------8--10----|x3
|--------------------------------------------------8--10----|
|--------------------------------------------------6--8-----|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------13(pb15)rb13p11--------------------------------------|
|12--15--12----12----------------12----12--15--12----------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------8--10--5-(let ring)-|
|--------------------------------------------------8--10--5------------|
|--------------------------------------------------6--8---3------------|
Guitar 2
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|5----(let ring)-----------------------------8--10----|x4
|5-------------------------------------------8--10----|
|3-------------------------------------------6--8-----|
Repaid Verse (2:08-2:34) (3:02-3:27) (5:09-5:34)
|--------------------------10-----(10)----------8-------------|
|---5-----------------5/7------7-----------7\5-----5----------|
|---7b--------------------------------------------------------|
|------bend slowly while strumming a few times----------------|x2
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
Repaid Chorus (2:34-3:02) (3:27-3:43) (5:34-6:03)
Note: In the Repaid Chorus, when transitioning back into The Wanting Comes in Waves the
chord is replaced with an A5 chord and the 7th fret on the A string is sustained.
Guitar 1
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------13(pb15)rb13p11-----------------------13(pb15)rb13p11----|
|12--15--12----12---------------12---12--15--12----12-----------------12---|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------13(pb15)rb13p11-------------------------------|
|-----------12--15--12----12----------------12--------------12--15--12-----|
|8-8-10-10--------------------------------------8-8-10-10------------------|
|8-8-10-10--------------------------------------8-8-10-10------------------|
|6-6-8--8---------------------------------------6-6-8--8-------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---13(pb15)rb13p11-----------------------13(pb15)rb13p11------------------|
|12----------------12---------12--15--12----------------12----12--15--12---|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------15p13p11----------------------------------------|
|---------12--15--12----12----------12----12--15--12-----------------------|
|--8--10----------------------------------------------8--10--5-------------|
|--8--10----------------------------------------------8--10--5-------------|
|--6--8-----------------------------------------------6--8---3-------------|
Guitar 2
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|5----(let ring)----| Strike once at the beginning of each riff
|5------------------|
|3------------------|
Outro (6:03-6:27)
Guitar 1
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------13(pb15)rb13p11---------------------------------|
|12--15--12----12----------------12----12--15--12-----------------|
|--------------------------------------------------8--10----------|
|--------------------------------------------------8--10----------|
|--------------------------------------------------6--8-----------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------13(pb15)rb13p11---------------------------------|
|12--15--12----12----------------12----12--15--12-----------------|
|--------------------------------------------------8----10----12--|
|--------------------------------------------------8----10----12--|
|--------------------------------------------------6----8-----10--|
Guitar 2
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|5----(let ring)----| Strike the chord once at the beginning of each riff
|5------------------|
|3------------------|
Key
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer on
| p pull off
| ( ) ghost note
| pb prebend
| rb rebend
Song Structure (I'm going to abbreviate The Wanting Comes in Waves as TWCIW
1. TWCIW Intro/Verse x3
2. TWCIW Bridge
3. TWCIW Chorus
4. Repaid Intro
5. Repaid Verse
6. Repaid Chorus
7. Repaid Verse
8. Repaid Chorus with substituted chord at end (See note in Repaid Chorus)
9. TWCIW Intro/Verse with sustained note (See note in TWCIW Intro/Verse)
10. TWCIW Chorus extended (See note in TWCIW Chorus)
11. Repaid Intro shortened (See note in Repaid Intro)
12. Repaid Verse
13. Repaid Chorus
14. Outro
Lyrics
Colin:
Mother I can hear your foot-fall now
Soft disturbance in the dead-fall how
It proceeds you like a black smoke pall
Still the wanting comes in waves
And you delivered me from danger then
Pulled my cradle from the reedy glen
Swore to save me from the world of men
Still the wanting comes in waves
In waves
And waves
And the wanting comes in waves
And the wanting comes in waves
And I want this night
And I want this night
Oh
Shara:
How I made you
I wrought you, I pulled you
From war I labored you
From cancer I cradled you
And now
This is how I am repaid
This is how I am repaid
Remember when I found you
The miseries that hounded you
And I gave you motion
Anointed with lotions
And now
This is how I am repaid
This is how I am repaid
Colin:
Mother hear this proposition right
Grant me freedom to enjoy this night
And I'll return to you at break of light
For the wanting comes in waves
And waves
And waves
Still the wanting comes in waves
Still the wanting comes in waves
Still the wanting comes in waves
And you owe me life
And you owe me life
Shara:
And if I grant you this favor to hand you
Your life for the evening
I will retake by morning
And so
Consider it your debt repaid
Consider it your debt repaid
Repaid
Repaid