==============================
"Stephanie Says"
==============================
album _VU_
(The Velvet Underground, 1985)
written by Lou Reed
Feb 13, 1968
A&R Studios, NYC
==============================
Stephanie says
that she wants to know
Why she's given half her life
to people she hates now
Stephanie says (Stephanie says)
when answering the phone (answering the phone)
What country shall I say is calling
from across the world
But she's not afraid to die
the people all call her Alaska
Between worlds so the people ask her
'Cause it's all in her mind
it's all in her mind
Stephanie says (Stephanie says)
that she wants to know (she wants to know)
Why it is though she's the door
she can't leave the room
Stephanie says (Stephanie says)
but doesn't hang up the phone (hang up the phone)
What sea shell say is calling
from across the world
But she's not afraid to die
the people all call her Alaska
Between worlds so the people ask her
'Cause it's all in her mind
it's all in her mind
They're asking is it good or bad
It's such an icy feeling
It's so cold in Alaska (Stephanie says)
it's so cold in Alaska (Stephanie says)
It's so cold in Alaska (Stephanie says)
* all the strings downtuned a whole-tone
1d ----- * downtuned a whole-tone (from e to d)
2A ----- * downtuned a whole-tone (from B to A)
3F ----- * downtuned a whole-tone (from G to F)
4C ----- * downtuned a whole-tone (from D to C)
5G ----- * downtuned a whole-tone (from A to G)
6D ----- * downtuned a whole-tone (from E to D)
intro {D/F#m}{Bm/A}{D/F#m}{Bm/A}
{D/F#m}{Bm/G}{D/F#m}{Bm/G} (Stephanie says ...)
{D/F#m}{Bm}{Em}{A} (Why she's given half her ...)
{D/F#m}{Bm/G}{D/F#m}{Bm/G} (Stephanie says ...)
{D/F#m}{Bm}{Em}{A} (What country shall I say ...)
{A}
chorus {D}{G}{D}{G} (- she's not afraid to die ...)
{D}{G} (Between worlds so the ...)
{D}{A}{D}{A} ('Cause it's all in her ...)
guitar {D/F#m}{Bm/A}{D/F#m}{Bm/A}
....
bridge {Em}{A}{D/F#m}{Bm/D} (They're asking is it good ...)
{Em}{A} (It's such an icy feeling)
coda {D}{G}{D}{G} (It's so cold in Alaska ...)
{D}{G} (It's so cold in Alaska)
ending {D/F#m}{Bm/A}{D...
* intro (all the strings downtuned a whole-tone)
{D /F#m} {Bm /A}
*1d -----------10------------9-------------7------------5--
*2A --------10-----------10-------------7------------5-----
*3F -----11-----------11-------------7------------6--------
*4C --12-----------11-------------9------------7-----------
*5G -------------------------------------------------------
*6D -------------------------------------------------------
{D /F#m} {Bm /A}
-----------10------------9-------------7------------5--
--------10-----------10-------------7------------5-----
-----11-----------11-------------7------------6--------
--12-----------11-------------9------------7-----------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
* verse (all the strings downtuned a whole-tone)
Stephanie says
{D /F#m} {Bm /G}
*1d -----------10------------9-------------7-----------10--
*2A --------10-----------10-------------7-----------12-----
*3F -----11-----------11-------------7-----------12--------
*4C --12-----------11-------------9-----------12-----------
*5G -------------------------------------------------------
*6D -------------------------------------------------------
that she wants to know
{D /F#m} {Bm /G}
-----------10------------9-------------7-----------10--
--------10-----------10-------------7-----------12-----
-----11-----------11-------------7-----------12--------
--12-----------11-------------9-----------12-----------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
Why she's given half her life
{D /F#m} {Bm}
-----------10------------9-------------7------------7--
--------10-----------10-------------7------------7-----
-----11-----------11-------------7------------7--------
--12-----------11-------------9------------9-----------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
to people she hates now
{Em} {A}
-----------7------------7-------------9------------9--
--------8------------8------------10-----------10-----
-----9------------9-------------9------------9--------
--9------------9------------11-----------11-----------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
* chorus (all the strings downtuned a whole-tone)
- she's not afraid to die
{D} {G}
*1d -------------------------------------------------------------
*2A --7-----7--7---7h8--7--5--7----12----12-12---12h13-12-10-12--
*3F --7-----7--7---7----7--7--7----12----12-12---12----12-12-12--
*4C -------------------------------------------------------------
*5G -------------------------------------------------------------
*6D -------------------------------------------------------------
the people all call her Alaska
{D} {G}
-------------------------------------------------------------
--7-----7--7---7h8--7--5--7----12----12-12---12h13-12-10-12--
--7-----7--7---7----7--7--7----12----12-12---12----12-12-12--
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
Between worlds so the people ask her 'Cause -
{D} {G}
-------------------------------------------------------------
--7-----7--7---7h8--7--5--7----12----12-12---12h13-12-10-12--
--7-----7--7---7----7--7--7----12----12-12---12----12-12-12--
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
- it's all in her mind
{D} {A}
------------------------------------------------------
--7-----7--7---8--7-----------------------------------
--7-----7--7---7--7----------9-----9--9---9--9--9--9--
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
it's all in her mind
{D} {A}
------------------------------------------------------
--7-----7--7---8--7-----------------------------------
--7-----7--7---7--7----------9-----9--9---9--9--9--9--
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
* bridge (all the strings downtuned a whole-tone)
They're asking is it good or -
{Em} {A}
*1d -----------7------------7-------------9------------9--
*2A --------8------------8------------10-----------10-----
*3F -----9------------9-------------9------------9--------
*4C --9------------9------------11-----------11-----------
*5G ------------------------------------------------------
*6D ------------------------------------------------------
- bad
{D /F#m} {Bm /D}
-----------10------------9-------------7-----------10--
--------10-----------10-------------7-----------10-----
-----11-----------11-------------7-----------11--------
--12-----------11-------------9-----------12-----------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
It's such an icy feeling
{Em} {A}
-----------7------------7-------------9------------9--
--------8------------8------------10-----------10-----
-----9------------9-------------9------------9--------
--9------------9------------11-----------11-----------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
*** please note ***
h - hammer on
p - pull off
b - bend string up
r - release bend
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
v - vibrato
^ - harmonics
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* chords for standard-tuning
intro {C/Em}{Am/G}{C/Em}{Am/G}
{C/Em}{Am/F}{C/Em}{Am/F} (Stephanie says ...)
{C/Em}{Am}{Dm}{G} (Why she's given half her ...)
{C/Em}{Am/F}{C/Em}{Am/F} (Stephanie says ...)
{C/Em}{Am}{Dm}{G} (What country shall I say ...)
{G}
chorus {C}{F}{C}{F} (- she's not afraid to die ...)
{C}{F} (Between worlds so the ...)
{C}{G}{C}{G} ('Cause it's all in her ...)
guitar {C/Em}{Am/G}{C/Em}{Am/G}
....
bridge {Dm}{G}{C/Em}{Am/C} (They're asking is it good ...)
{Dm}{G} (It's such an icy feeling)
coda {C}{F}{C}{F} (It's so cold in Alaska ...)
{C}{F} (It's so cold in Alaska)
ending {C/Em}{Am/G}{C...
*********************************************************************
---------------------------------------------------------------------
thanks: Bert Timmermans (bonzothegod@hotmail.com)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
stephanie says' second chord is Em(onB) I think;
that way the descent is smoother,
and I seem to hear it in the guitar as well.
However, in the second part of the chorus (Why she's giving...)
it does seem like a basic Em to me.
I've tried it in sibelius,
with an artificial bass line to emphasize the lower guitar string
and it kinda fits (ps: the attached midi file isn't finished,
and I've cut out the lead vocals;
I've added a F-G bass under the last F-chord of the verse,
but I don't think the velvets do it themselves).
I finally managed to figure out
most of john cale's viola part though - simply lovely.
[The marimba part (or whatever)
is as good as impossible to figure out I'm afraid,
though I've added the 'caroline says' ending at the back.]
Once it's finished, I'll send you some kind of transcript
(I don't play any violin or the like however,
so I'm not sure how to write it down without using notes...).
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*********************************************************************
transcribed by Shiroh KOUCHI (wildside@mx21.tiki.ne.jp)
http://ww21.tiki.ne.jp/~wildside/
*********************************************************************