Criminal Chords

by Fiona Apple
345,293 views, added to favorites 12,433 times
Difficulty: intermediate
Tuning: E A D G B E
Capo: no capo
Author Shelbyray [a] 60.
6 contributors total, last edit on 9 days ago
We have an official Criminal tab made by UG professional guitarists.
Check out the tab

Chords

Am
F7
C
Bb
Ab7
G7
Cm7
Eb
Cb7

Strumming

Edit
Is this strumming pattern correct?
1
&
2
&
[Verse 1]
 
Am                  F7
  I've been a bad, bad girl,
Am                          F7
  I've been careless with a delicate man.
Am                 F7
  And it's a sad, sad world,
Am
  When a girl will break a boy
F7
Just because she can.
 
 
[Pre-Chorus]
 
C          Bb           F7
 Don't you tell me to deny it,
          C
I've done wrong and I want to
Bb          Am
Suffer for my sins.
C              Bb
  I've come to you cause I need
Ab7            G7
Guidance to be true
           F7                       Ab7
And I just don't know where I can begin.
 
 
[Chorus]
 
F7               Cm7
What I need is a good defense
           F7                 Cm7
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal.
      F7
And I need to be redeemed
       Cm7              Bb
To the one I sinned against
               Ab7   G7           F7
Because he was all I ever knew of love.
 
 
[Verse 2]
 
Am                       F7
  Heaven help me for the way I am.
Am
Save me from these evil deeds.
  F7
Before I get them done.
Am                           F7
  I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand.
    Am
But I keep livin' this day like
    F7
The next will never come.
 
 
[Pre-Chorus]
 
    C                  Bb           F7
Oh, help me, but don't tell me to deny it.
            C
I've got to cleanse myself.
   Bb                      Am
Of all these lies till I'm good enough for him.
C           Bb                  Ab7
 I've got a lot to lose and I'm bettin' high
       G7            F7
So I'm beggin' you before it ends
                        Ab7
Just tell me where to begin.
 
 
[Chorus]
 
F7               Cm7
What I need is a good defense
           F7                 Cm7
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal.
      F7
And I need to be redeemed
       Cm7              Bb
To the one I sinned against
               Ab7   G7           F7
Because he was all I ever knew of love.
 
 
[Bridge]
 
Eb           Cb7
    Let me know the way
Ab7                 Cb7
    Before there's hell to pay.
Eb            Cb7           Ab7
    Give me room to lay the law and let me go.
Eb                Cb7
    I've got to make a play
Ab7            Cb7
    To make my lover stay.
Eb                    Cb7
    So, what would an angel say?
    Ab7
The devil wants to know.
 
 
[Chorus]
 
F7                 Cm7
  What I need is a good defense
           F7                 Cm7
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal.
      F7
And I need to be redeemed
       Cm7                 Bb
To the one I've sinned against
               Ab7   G7           F7
Because he was all I ever knew of love.
 
F7               Cm7
What I need is a good defense
           F7                 Cm7
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal.
      F7
And I need to be redeemed
       Cm7              Bb
To the one I sinned against
               Ab7   G7          F7                Cm7
Because he was all I ever knew of loooooooooooove. Love
 
 
[Outro]
 
F7    Cm7    F7    Cm7    F7    Cm7
X
By helping UG you make the world better... and earn IQ
Create correction
Please rate this tab
 
×
Criminal – Fiona Apple
How to play
"Criminal"
Font
Transpose
41 comments
namesalexx
the Cm sounds just a bit off. idk why, i cant help it.
+24
ric_mackie
Cb certainly exists, as does E#, Fb, B#. Simple music theory.
+14
miyavi.kakoi
If you replace the Cm with a C7 then it sounds much better. Does anyone else think that the bridge doesn't quite sound right either? I tried singing along to it while highlighting over the chords so that they play but it only seemed to sound right part of the time, I think it sounds better if you follow this pattern: Eb Cb / Ab Cb / Eb Cb Ab7 and repeat that same pattern once more for the other half of the bridge.
+4