"Doctor Worm" by They Might Be Giants
Transcribed by Anthony JS.
Standard Tuning, capo on the 2nd fret, 4/4 time
_____
- Intro (chorus)
E AM7 E B5 A B E
horn section tabbed for guitar (note that playing the highest note
of each chord is the melody, also, hold the E chord at the end for a
measure):
E AM7 E B5 A B E
e|0---0---0-4--------------------0|----0---0-4---------------------|0-
b|0---0---0-0----2----2---2-4----0|----0---0-0----0----0---2---4---|0-
g|1---1---1-1----1----1---1-1----1|----1---1-1----4----4---2---4---|1-
d|2---2---2-2----2----2---2-2----2|----2---2-2----4----4---2---4---|2-
a|---------------0----0---0-0-----|---------------2----2---0---2---|2-
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|0-
+ + + + |+ + + + |+
_____
- Verse 1a
E C#m
They call me Doctor Worm
A B
Good morning, how are you?
E C#m
I'm Doctor Worm. I'm interested in things
A B
I'm not a real doctor but I
A B E C#m
am a real worm I am an actual worm
A B
I live like a worm and
- Verse 1b
E C#m
I like to play the drums
A B
I think I'm getting good
E C#m
But I can handle criticism
A B
I'll show you what I know
A B E C#m
And you can tell me if you think I'm getting better on the drums
A B C D
I'll leave the front unlocked 'cause I can't hear the doorbell
_____
- Chorus 1
G CM7 G C B C D
G CM7 G C B C D
e|--------------------------------|---------------0--------0---2---|
b|---------------0----0---0-0-----|---------------1----4---1---3---|
g|0---0---0-4----0----0---0-0----0|----0---0-4----0----4---0---2---|
d|0---0---0-0----2----2---2-4----0|----0---0-0----2----4---2---0---|
a|2---2---2-2----3----3---3-3----2|----2---2-2----3----2---3-------|
E|3---3---3-3--------------------3|----3---3-3---------------------|
+ + + + |+ + + + |
_____
- Bridge 1
It's mainly just E and A back and forth, but they throw
in a G chord in transition. It's easy to play by doing this:
E G A G E G A G
e|0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
b|0---0-0-2---2-0-0---0-0-2---2-0-|
g|1---1-0-2---2-0-1---1-0-2---2-0-|
d|2---2-0-2---2-0-2---2-0-2---2-0-|
a|2---2---0---0---2---2---0---0---|
E|0---0-----------0---0-----------|
+ + + + |
So right after the chorus, play the above twice,
and the same chords come keep going when the lyrics come in:
E G A G E G A G E G A G E G A
When I get in-to it, I can't tell if you are
E G A G E G A G E G A G E G A G
Watching me twirling the stick
F#m G# A F#m F#m/C# G#/D# A/E F#m/C# <(not sure about this)
When I give the sig - nal my friend
A Am
Rabbi Vole will play the solo.
_____
- Solo
The chords below are implied, and the solo's just an E major scale. Note
that it's actually played on the bass, so this will sound too high.
E C#m A B
e-------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
b-------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
g-------|------1-----2-1-------------4---|4---2-2-----1-1-----------------|
d-------|2---4---------------------------|--------------------4-4-----2---|
a---2---|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E-------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|+ + + + |+ + + + |
E A B
--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
2---1---------------------------|--------------------------------|
--------4---2---0---------------|2-------------------------------|
--------------------4---2---0---|--------------------------------|
+ + + + |+ + + + |
_____
- Chorus 2
E AM7 E AM7 B5 A5 AM7
e|0---0---0-4--------------------0|----0---0-4---------------------|
b|0---0---0-0----2----2---2-4----0|----0---0-0----2----0-----------|
g|1---1---1-1----1----1---1-1----1|----1---1-1----1----4---2---1---|
d|2---2---2-2----2----2---2-2----2|----2---2-2----2----4---2---2---|
a|---------------0----0---0-0-----|---------------0----2---0---0---|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
+ + + + |+ + + + |
_____
- Bridge 2
F#m G# A F#m F#m/C# G#/D# A/E F#m/C# <(again, questionable)
Some day somebody else besides me will
A Am
Call me by my stage name they will
_____
- Verse 2a
(No instruments here, but you can play the same chords as in verse 1a)
Call me Dr. Worm, good morning how are you, I'm Dr. Worm
I'm interested in things, I'm not a real Doctor but I
A B E C#m
am a real worm I am an actual worm
A B
I live like a worm and
- Verse 2b and Outro (Chorus x2)
E C#m
I like to play the drums
A B
I think I'm getting good
E C#m
But I can handle criticism
A B
I'll show you what I know
A B E C#m
And you can tell me if you think I'm getting better on the drums
A B
I'm not a real doctor
C D
But they call me Doctor
E AM7 E B5 A B E AM7 E B5 A B E (Same as intro, but twice)
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorm!
Source: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/they_might_be_giants/doctor_worm_chords_1677369
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