Boat Chords

UPDATE: The official audio and video were released 21 April 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-igUrRFD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKEphyIbtXo
 
These chords were captured to show how Ed played it in a pre-release live performance in Paris:
https://youtu.be/y4QvngjUKQY
 
Tune down a half step to play these chords with the official audio.
Standard tuning with no capo to play these chords with the live version linked above.
All chords and tab below are listed as if played in standard tuning.
 
NOTE: to play along with the official audio without tuning down, you could also transpose these chords
down 5 and put a capo on 4 to play Em, G, D, and C shapes. I have included a second version of the song with
the versions of these shapes I would recommend using at the end of this tab.
 
In the live version, for the most part it sounds as though he's avoiding the high E string but, after seeing
some additional close-up footage in the new Documentary on Disney+, it appears that he keeps his pinky
rooted on fret 3 of the high E string for all of the chords in this song.
 
Where I have listed Fsus2*, in the live version it sounds like he hammers from an Fsus2 to F then lifts the
middle finger to an Fsus2 again. He does that twice for each F*.
NOTE: As July 2024, the app is still not functioning properly and special characters (like asterisks)
will not appear. You will still see them if you print the chords or view them in a web browser.
 
The C/G chords in the verse are quick passing chords between the G and the Fsus2.
 
In the first 3 lines of the outro he is just plucking the chord once emphasizing the bass note.
 
For the "waves won't break my boat" lines, it sounds like the tab below is basically what he is playing.
NOTE: In the live videos I have seen, on the word "my" he plays the Gsus4, but in the official video it
sounds as though he is playing what I would describe as a Csus2/B (Csus2/B x20013) on "my" instead.
I have indicated the note from the official version in parentheses:
 
                                        (Csus2/B)
   C           C/D           C/E         Gsus4         Fsus2                     Fsus2
e|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|
B|-------1-1-1-------1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-------1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-------1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-------1-1-1-|
G|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|
D|-------2-2-2-0-----------|-2-----------------0-0-0-|-3-----------3-----------|-3-----------3-----------|
A|-3-----------------------|------------(2)----------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------3-----------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + |
   waves       won't         break       my            boat                                     (but the...)
 
[Chords]
Am7...x02013
C/G...3x2013
Fsus2.1x3013
C/D...xx0013 (Csus2/D)
C/E...xx2013
 
 
[Verse 1]
Am7               G     C/G Fsus2                   Fsus2
  Came in for the embers,        stayed out for the breeze
          Am7                G      C/G Fsus2
I need to feel elements to remind me         there's beauty when it's bleak
Am7         G                  C/G  Fsus2         Fsus2
  Stuck out long before lights down,     why do I breathe?
 
[Chorus]
     Fsus2
Oh I know,
    Fsus2*      C        G           Fsus2
The more that I love the less that I feel
    Fsus2*       C       G         Fsus2
The times that I jumped never were real
     Fsus2*       C          G          Fsus2
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Am7 G       Fsus2
    Maybe I won't
        C     C/D   C/E   Gsus4 Fsus2
But the waves won't break my    boat
        C     C/D   C/E   Gsus4 Fsus2
But the waves won't break my    boat
 
[Verse 2]
Am7                       G        C/G Fsus2                          Fsus2
  The stones crash on the boardwalk         the wind rush through the trees
               Am7
I keep my eyes peeled
                    G         C/G Fsus2                      Fsus2
The memories always fall short         of what we could have been
Am7        G                C/G  Fsus2          Fsus2
  Left out long before last call,     what do I need?
 
 
[Chorus]
     Fsus2
Oh I know,
    Fsus2*      C        G           Fsus2
The more that I love the less that I feel
    Fsus2*       C       G         Fsus2
The times that I jumped never were real
     Fsus2*       C          G          Fsus2
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Am7 G       Fsus2
    Maybe I won't
        C     C/D   C/E   Gsus4 Fsus2
But the waves won't break my    boat
        C     C/D   C/E   Gsus4 Fsus2
But the waves won't break my    boat
 
 
[Bridge]
        C     C/D   C/E   Gsus4 Fsus2
But the waves won't break my    boat
    C     C/D   C/E   Gsus4 Fsus2
The waves won't break my    boat
 
[Outro]
Fsus2             C        G           Fsus2
  The more that I love the less that I feel
                 C       G         Fsus2
The times that I jumped never were real
                  C          G          Fsus2
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Am7 G       Fsus2
    Maybe I wont
        C     C/D   C/E   Gsus4 Fsus2
And the waves won't break my    boat
 
 
 
The chords listed below are the way I would play this song in standard tuning with the capo on 4.
 
These are the basic shapes Ed uses in videos when he talks about being able to play every song with the
same chords. This is a very easy way to play this one keeping the ring and pinky rooted on fret 3 of the
B and E strings for the entire song (while basically avoiding the high E string in the strumming).
 
Where I have listed Csus2* and Csus2**, I actually hammer on to fret 2 of the A string (Csus2 to Cadd9) once
for the single asterisk and twice for the double asterisk.
 
The G/B chords in the verses in the verses are quick passing chords between the Dsus4 and and the Csus2 and
I actually think it matches the song nicely to use hammer on from fret 2 to fret 3 of the A string to make
the transition from G/B to Csus2.
 
For the outro he is primarily plucking each chord once emphasizing the bass note.
 
For the "waves won't break my boat" lines in this version, this is what I would play:
 
   G           Gsus2/A       G/B         Dadd4/F#      Csus2                     Csus2
e|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|------3-3-3--------3-3-3-|
B|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-------3-3-3-|------3-3-3--------3-3-3-|
G|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|------0-0-0--------0-0-0-|
D|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-------0-0-0-|------0-0-0--------0-0-0-|
A|-------------0-----------|-2-----------------------|-3-----------3-----------|-3-----------3-----------|
E|-3-----------------------|-------------2-----------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + |
   waves       won't         break       my            boat                                     (but the...)
 
[Chords]
Em7      022033
Dsus4    xx0233
G/B      x20033
Csus2    x30033
G        320033
Gsus2/A  x00033
Dadd4/F# 2x0033
 
 
[Verse 1]
Em7               Dsus4 G/B Csus2                   Csus2
  Came in for the embers,        stayed out for the breeze
          Em7                Dsus4  G/B Csus2
I need to feel elements to remind me         there's beauty when it's bleak
Em7         Dsus4              G/B  Csus2         Csus2
  Stuck out long before lights down,     why do I breathe?
 
 
[Chorus]
     Csus2*
Oh I know,
    Csus2**     G        Dsus4       Csus2*
The more that I love the less that I feel
    Csus2**      G       Dsus4     Csus2*
The times that I jumped never were real
     Csus2**      G          Dsus4      Csus2
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Em7 Dsus4   Csus2
    Maybe I won't
        G     Gsus2/A G/B   Dadd4/F# Csus2
But the waves won't   break my       boat
        G     Gsus2/A G/B   Dadd4/F# Csus2
But the waves won't   break my       boat
 
 
[Verse 2]
Em7                       Dsus4    G/B Csus2                          Csus2
  The stones crash on the boardwalk         the wind rush through the trees
               Em7
I keep my eyes peeled
                    Dsus4     G/B Csus2                      Csus2
The memories always fall short         of what we could have been
Em7        Dsus4            G/B  Csus2          Csus2
  Left out long before last call,     what do I need?
 
 
[Chorus]
     Csus2*
Oh I know,
    Csus2**     G        Dsus4       Csus2*
The more that I love the less that I feel
    Csus2**      G       Dsus4     Csus2*
The times that I jumped never were real
     Csus2**      G          Dsus4      Csus2
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Em7 Dsus4   Csus2
    Maybe I won't
        G     Gsus2/A G/B   Dadd4/F# Csus2
But the waves won't   break my       boat
        G     Gsus2/A G/B   Dadd4/F# Csus2
But the waves won't   break my       boat
 
 
[Bridge]
        G     Gsus2/A G/B   Dadd4/F# Csus2
But the waves won't   break my       boat
    G     Gsus2/A G/B   Dadd4/F# Csus2
The waves won't   break my       boat
 
 
[Outro]
Csus2             G        Dsus4       Csus2
  The more that I love the less that I feel
                 G       Dsus4     Csus2
The times that I jumped never were real
                  G          Dsus4      Csus2
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Em7 Dsus4   Csus2
    Maybe I wont
        G     Gsus2/A G/B   Dadd4/F# Csus2
And the waves won't   break my       boat
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