Title: I Can’t Read Artist: David Bowie Written by: David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels Transcribed by Scott Fuller The original version of this song can be found on the first Tin Machine abulm. The song was given an acoustic revamp in 1997, where it was released as a single and appeared on the soundtrack to the film ‘The Ice Storm’. It is this acoustic version which I have transcribed below. Note that on the I Can't Read single, the 'short version' merely omits the intro. INTRO E-------------0----------------------------0------------- B-----------------3----------------------------3--------- G---------0-----------0----------------0----------------- D-------2----------------------------2------------------- A-----2----------------------------2--------------------- E---0----------------------------0----------------------- E-------------------------------------0------------------ B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3------------3\2p0------------ G------0---0------0-0---0--0----------------------------- D-------------------------------------------------------- A---2----2-----2------2---------2------------------------ E-------------------------------0------------------------ E----------------------------------------------------0--- B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3---------2/3\2p0---------3--- G------0---0------0-0---0--0----0------------2h4-2---2--- D-------------------------------2--------------------2--- A---2----2-----2------2---------2------------------------ E-------------------------------0------------------------ E---5--7--0------0-----------------0-----0--------------- B----------------1-----1--3--0-----0-------0------------- G----------------0-----------------2----------2---------- D----------------2-----------------2--------------------- A-------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- E-------------0-----------0-------¦ B-------0-------0---------0-------¦ G-----4-----------4-------4-------¦ D---4------4--------4-----4-------¦ A---------------------------------¦ E---------------------------------¦ VERSE 1 E----------------------------------------------------0--- B---------------------------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----0--- G---------------------------0---0------0-0---0--0----0--- D---2------------------------------------------------2--- A---2--------------------2----2-----2------2---------2--- E---0------------------------------------------------0--- “I can’t read... (up) E-------------------------------0-----0---------0-------- B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----3-------3-------1-------- G------0---0------0-0---0--0----2---------2-----0-------- D-------------------------------2---------------2-------- A---2----2-----2------2---------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- E---0---------0-------------------0--0------------0------ B-----1-------0-------------------0----0------------0---- G-------0-----2-----2-4-2---------4-------4-----4-----4— D-------------2-----------2-------4-----------4---------- A---------------------------3---------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- VERSE 2 E-------------------------------------------------------- B---------------------------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3-------- G---------------------------0---0------0-0---0--0----0--- D---2------------------------------------------------2--- A---2--------------------2----2-----2------2---------2--- E---0------------------------------------------------0--- “Can I see... E-------------------------------0-----0---------0-------- B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----3-------3-------1-------- G------0---0------0-0---0--0----2---------2-----0-------- D-------------------------------2---------------2-------- A---2----2-----2------2---------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- E---0---------0-----0-------------0----0---------0----¦ B-----1-------0-------0-----------0------0-------0----¦ G-------0-----2-----------2-------4--------4-----4----¦ D-------------2-------------------4----------4---4----¦ A-----------------------------------------------------¦ E-----------------------------------------------------¦ (soft) CHORUS 1 The following melody repeats four times in the chorus. The first three times use link (a) before returning to the start. The fourth and final time you just sweep chord (b) E---------5--------------5--------¦-5-----5------5-¦----- B-------5----5---------5----5---5-¦---6------6-----¦----- G-----5--------5-----5--------5---¦-----5------5---¦----- D---7------------7-7--------------¦----------------¦----- A---------------------------------¦----------------¦----- E---------------------------------¦----------------¦----- (chd.change) (chd.change) (a) (b) E---7-----7------7-¦ E---7-------------¦ B-----8------8-----¦ B---8-------------¦ G-------7------7---¦ G---7-------------¦ D------------------¦ D---9-------------¦ A------------------¦ A-----------------¦ E------------------¦ E-----------------¦ to start (x 3) 4th time SOLO E---0-----0-----------------------------------------0---- B---3--------3-----7--8-8/10b\7--7--8---7--5---3----2---- G---0-----------------------------------------------0---- D---2-----------------------------------------------2---- A---2---------------------------------------------------- E---0---------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- B---17-----17------------8----------15------------15----- G---16-----15-----12-----9b---------14------------14----- D-----------------12------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- Pinch the above notes with thumb and forefinger E---6/8b\7------------6/8b\7--------------0-------------- B----------8-5-6-------------5-6---5------0-------------- G----------------5---------------7---5----4-------------- D-----------------------------------------4-------------- A-------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- E----------------------0---0-------0-------0--------¦ B----------------------5-----4-------4-------4------¦ G---6h7p6---------7----4-------4-------4-------4----¦ D---------7---7-9------4----------------------------¦ A-----------7---------------------------------------¦ E---------------------------------------------------¦ (softer) VERSE 3 E-------------------------------------------------------- B---------------------------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3-------- G---------------------------0---0------0-0---0--0-------- D----------------------------------------------------2--- A------------------------2----2-----2------2---------2--- E---0------------------------------------------------0--- “Money goes... E-------------------------------0---------------0-------- B------2p0-2------2-2p0-2--3----3---------------1-------- G------0---0------0-0---0--0----2---------------0-------- D-------------------------------2---------------2-------- A---2----2-----2------2---------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------0------------- B------------------------------------------0------------- G---5h7-7/9b--8/9b\5--4-2--2/4b\2-2/4b\2---2------------- D------------------------------------------2------------- A-------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------- E---0--------0--------0--------0--------0----------0---¦ B-----0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0---¦ G-------2--------2--------4--------4--------4------4---¦ D---------2--------2--------4--------4--------4----4---¦ A------------------------------------------------------¦ E------------------------------------------------------¦ CHORUS 2 Same as for chorus 1, although watch out, the tempo is faster this time... ... And thats it (Phew!). Enjoy! Any comments, email FullerSA@cf.ac.uk