The Numbers Tab

The Numbers - Radiohead
-------------------------
 
From the album "A Moon Shaped Pool"
 
 
Transcribed by Howard Wright
hakwright@gmail.com
 
 
Tuning:
--------
 
From low to high: CGCFAD
 
From standard tuning, tune all strings down a tone, then tune the
bottom string down one more tone. It's like dropped D but with
everything one tone lower.
 
 
Main riff:
-----------
 
The song is built on one riff, shown in the tab below
(chord names given above the tab)
 
 
   Cm7           Gm/C F/C       C
 
D--------5----5---5----7--------5---5---------5---5---------
A--------6----6---5----8--------7---7---------7---7---------
F--------5----5---5----7--------7---7---------7---7---------
C-(0)-------------------------------------------------------
G-(0)-------------------(0)------------(0)------------------
C--0--0------------------0--0-----------0--0----------------
 
 
The open top string is sometimes used for the last C chord,
giving Cadd2 (000770), but for much of the time you just play
the plain C chord (000775).
 
You can play the open G and middle C strings along with the
low C string, though the bottom C string is the dominant sound.
 
 
In one or two places (e.g. "The future is inside us"), some
higher chord voicings are used for the riff, like this:
 
D--------10----10---8----12--------0-------------------------
A--------10----10---8----12--------10---10---------10---10---
F--------10----10---9----12--------11---11---------11---11---
C-(0)----10----10---10---12--------12---12---------12---12---
G-(0)--------------------------------------------------------
C--0--0----------------------0--0-----------0--0-------------
 
 
During the intro and early verses, a few short hammer-on riffs
are played between riffs:
 
D-----------------------------------------------------------
A--------7--------------------------------------------------
F----7h9---h9--7h9------------------------------------------
C------------------9----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------
C-----------------------------------------------------------
 
 
For most of the song, a simple hammer-on fill on the F string
(at the 7th and 9th frets) is used between riffs.
 
All chord shapes are given at the end of the tab (based on the
alternative guitar tuning).
 
 
Verse 1
---------
 
(Repeat the main riff throughout)
 
He holds us like a phantom
The touch is like a breeze
It shines its understanding
See the moon smiling
 
 
Verse 2
---------
 
(Main riff continues)
 
Open all channels
Ready to receive
Cos we're not at the mercy
Of your shimmers or spells
Your shimmers or spells
 
 
Verse 3
---------
 
(Main riff continues)
 
We are of the earth
To her we do return
The future is inside us
It's not somewhere else
It's not somewhere else
 
Cm7    Gm/C        Bb        F        (main riff restarts)
It's not somewhere else (one day at a time)
 
 
Chorus 1
---------
 
Bb  F        Abmaj7
One day at a time
 
E Gb Ab   G   Bb   F/A
 
(the Ab sounds like it might be played as Ab/C on the guitar)
 
 
Verse 4
---------
 
(Main riff continues)
 
We call upon the people
People have this power
The numbers don't decide
The system is a lie
The river running dry
The wings of a butterfly
 
 
Verse 5
---------
 
(Main riff continues)
 
And you may pour us away like soup
Like we're dreary broken flowers
We'll take back what is ours
 
Cm7   Gm/C        Bb     F  Fm
Take back what is ours
 
 
Chorus
-------
 
E Gb Ab  G
 
Bb  F/A      Abmaj7
One day at a time
 
G7sus4    C(no 3rd)
 
 
 
Chord shapes
-------------
 
All chord shapes are shown using the alternative guitar tuning
used in the song.
 
 
CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD
000565      000555      000787      000775      000770
 
  Cm7        Gm/C        F/C          C         C(add2)
 
 
CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD
x32010      5x5433      x1323x      4x432x      6x654x
 
  Bb           F        Abmaj7        E           Gb
 
 
CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD      CGCFAD
8x876x      x5333x      x02220      x20003      5x5333
 
  Ab         Ab/C         G          F/A          Fm
 
 
CGCFAD      CGCFAD
x02030      000xxx
 
G7sus4     C(no 3rd)
X