"Boat on the Charles" Todd Rundgren From the album "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" (1971) Transcribed by Brian Canfield As usual, if I indicate a particular chord voicing, it doesn't mean you have to play the chord like that, but I think it sounds best that way. For example: Em7/G Fmaj7/G (G-B-D-E) (A-C-E-F) The first chord, you'd play Em7 like that: G-B-D-E, from low to high, and with your left hand, play a G note for the bass. Same with Fmaj7. But you can play the Em7 as: E-G-B-D, non-inverted, if it's more comfortable. Whatever works. Verse: First off, you hear the bass line? The notes are F# G G, with the second G note being an octave lower than the first G note. If you have enough hand independence on the piano, you can play that for the chords in the first part of the verse. I'm not very good, so I just play a low G note instead of the actual bassline thing. That bass line isn't constant for the entire verse. But for any of the following chords where there's a G in the bass, you can choose to play it. So here goes: G F F <---- Constant G in the bass for all of those (B-D-G) (A-C-F) (C-F-A) chords, OR you can play the actual F# G G bassline under them. (Those three triads repeat in succession, over and over, until Todd sings "..riverside") Bb/C F Bb/C F Riverside G F/G F/G <-- (same voicings as I listed above..) ..the doors open wide Planes in a line just seven Bb/C F Bb/C F ..miles away.. G F/G F/G They leave every day and someone's always Fm Bb/C Ab/F Bb/C (F-Ab-C) (F-Bb-D) (Ab-C-Eb) (F-Bb-D) Goin south.. Fm Bb/C Ab/F Bb/C (F-Ab-C) (F-Bb-D) (Ab-C-Eb) (F-Bb-D) A guy in a truck.. Em7/G Fmaj7/G (x4) (G-B-D-E) (A-C-E-F) ..Why don't you leave..why don't you leave.. Chorus: F/C C F/C C (C-F-A) (C-E-G) (A-C-F) (G-C-E) Whyyyyy dont I leave.. C/Bb F/Bb C/Bb F/Bb (C-E-G) (A-C-F) I can't make myyyyy self believe.. Fmaj7/G Em7/G (x4) No one really cares.. F F/Eb Eb I can't spend another day Dm G Without hearing from you F F/Eb Eb Throw my life away Dm G And pass my body through, into the Charles (Back to the verse and so on) Then, the Bridge goes as follows: Am G/A (x2) (C-E-A) (B-D-G) How many times must a man be told.. Am/F G/F (x2) How many times before I lose control D C/D D C/D I don't give a damn for my immortal soul C/D D C/D D It's just about time I let my insides show F/G G F/G G <---(keep repeating those chords for the outro.. So here I go.. If you can, keep playing them higher on the piano. It sounds nice.)