"Worn Out" by Kelly Joe Phelps
from 'Sky Like A Broken Clock'

Tuning: EADGBE (standard)
Capo : 5th fret
Time: 2/4

Listen carefully to the CD to understand how KJP gives that particular feeling to the song.
I'm not sure of the fingerings (I have been sent a slightly different transcription) but I
play it that way and it sounds good :)


> : slide
P : pull off
x : mute the string(s) with finger(s) of left hand
^ : slightly strum the strings


  |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |
|-7------|-5------|-0------|--------|-----3--|-2---0--|--------|--------|-----0--|--------|
|--------|--------|--------|-3------|-5------|-3------|-3------|--------|-1------|-3--P0--|
|-----0--|-----0--|-----0--|-----0--|-0------|-2------|-----2--|-4---0--|--------|--------|
|-5------|-4------|--------|--------|--------|-0------|-----0--|---0----|--------|--------|
|--------|--------|-3------|-2------|-3------|--------|-2------|--------|-0------|-2------|
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|-----2--|-3------|--------|--------|
                                               ^

  |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|-----0--|--------|--------|
|--------|--------|-0------|--------|--------|-3------|--------|-0------|-3---3--|--------|
|-2->-4--|-0---2--|-------2|P0------|--------|--------|-0---2--|-0------|--------|-2------|
|-0------|-0-0----|-----0--|-----4--|-2---2--|--------|-0------|--------|--------|-----0--|
|-x------|--------|--------|-2------|-3------|--------|-x------|--------|--------|--------|
|-2------|--------|-1------|--------|--------|--------|-1------|--------|-2------|--------|
  ^        ^                                            ^

  |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |
|--------|--------|-----0--|-----0--|--------|-3------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
|-0------|-0---1->|-3------|-6------|--0--1--|-----1--|--0-----|--------|--------|--------|
|-0---3--|--------|-4------|-4------|--------|-0------|-----2--|-2---0--|-----0--|-2------|
|-0------|-0------|-x------|--------|--------|--------|--------|-0------|-4------|-----4--|
|-x------|--------|-x------|--------|-0------|--------|-0------|--------|-5------|-3------|
|-3------|--------|-4------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
  ^                 ^        ^


  |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|-----0--|-1------|-1P0----|
|--------|--------|-0------|-0---1--|-3---3--|--------|-3---2--|-3------|-0------|-0----0-|
|--------|--------|-0---3--|--------|-2------|-2------|--------|--------|-1------|--------|
|-0------|-0------|-0------|-0------|--------|-0------|--------|-0------|-----0--|--------|
|-2------|-0------|-x------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
|--------|--------|-3------|--------|-2------|--------|-1------|--------|--------|--------|
                    ^                                                     ^

  |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |
|--------|-3---2--|-0------|-0------|--------|-0------|--------|-3------|
|--0---1-|--------|-----0--|--------|-1---3--|--------|--------|--------|
|--------|0-------|-----1--|--------|-0------|-----2--|-0------|0-------|
|--------|--------|-----0--|--------|-0------|----0---|-0---0--|--------|.....
|-0------|--------|--------|--------|-x------|--------|--------|--------|
|--------|--------|-4------|--------|-3------|-2------|-3------|--------|
                        ^             ^                 ^
End :

  |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |    |   |
|-7------|-5------|--------|--------|-----3--|-2---5--|--------|-3------|
|--------|--------|-5------|-3------|-5------|-x------|-------0|--------|
|-----0--|-----0--|-----0--|-----0--|--------|-2------|-----0--|--------|
|-5------|-4------|--------|--------|--------|-0------|--------|--------|
|--------|--------|-3------|-2------|-3------|--------|--------|--------|
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|-----3--|--------|
                                               ^

LYRICS:
------

Wonder flood the valley
Tunnel feed the soil
Free advice with constant wit
Never to recoil
Bums rush o'er the high grass field
With shoes of plastic lace
That untie at the first step
Not the last that wins the race
Herein lies my sure demise
Or 'haps my one bright seed
This or then the other tact
Falls right and starts to bleed
Can you hear a toneless rhyme
Between my bones and sunken eyes?
No... I think not-
It's as if my thought has worn
The clown's disguise
Oh, my little life worn out
On this goddamn road
I live to breath more than believe
A reason for this load.

Is it my own version
Of a terrifying leap across
An unforgiving landscape
When all I want is sleep?
Unfolding here before me
Is an ugly naked truth
I know no more than a drunkard
In a circus dunk-tank booth
The balls come flying one-two-three
In and down I go
The people retch in laughter
While I scream out for more
Now i'm dry electric shock
I watch the sky like a broken clock
I tie my plastic lace and then I
Go back to my walk
Stuttering for coffee
Or a comforting brush
Across the backs of both my knees
Mother sings to hush.

Make a castle to the sky
In honnor of a man like sand,
Who'll wass away in time and he will
Ne'er be here again.
Oh, my little life worn out
On this goddamn road
I live to breath more than believe
A reason for this load.

Website by Jean-François G. Background Image by Michael Bystrom Design mostly stolen to SLSY

top of page