Intro over D. In acoustic versions Trey fingerpicks an open C-shaped chord like this:
E|-0-------------| B|---------3-----| G|-----0-------0-| (4x) D|---4-------4---| A|-5-------------| E|-------5-------|
D Am F G Tumbling greens and pick up screams alone above the square, Bb C Bb F Whoa, sing softly D Am F G Above the trees where Billy breathes we float upon the air, Bb C Eb Bb Whoa, whoa (whoa)
F Dm7 C Bb F Dm7 Eb Bb Softly sing sweet songs, Softly sing sweet songs, [backing vocals: Tumbling greens, pick up screams, float upon the air] F Dm7 C C/Bb C/A C/G Bb Am D5 Softly sing sweet songs, ooooh
[see Note 1 below for how to play those C chords.]
D Am F G Silent scenes, emotion beams, I’ll wake you when we’re there, Bb C Bb F Whoa, sing softly D Am F G Time it seems in broken dreams to sleep beside the stair, Bb C Eb Bb Whoa, whoa (whoa)
F Dm7 C Bb F Dm7 Eb Bb Softly sing sweet songs, Softly sing sweet songs, F Dm7 C C/Bb C/A C/G C Bb Softly sing sweet songs, ooooh
Bridge: Eb Bb F Cm Ab Bb Db Eb Gb Db Ab Cm Ab Bb Db Eb
Then the chorus again:
F Dm7 C Bb F Dm7 Eb Bb Softly sing sweet songs, Softly sing sweet songs, F Dm7 C Bb F Dm7 Eb Bb Softly sing sweet songs, Softly sing sweet songs, F Dm7 C C/Bb C/A C/G C Bb Eb F Softly sing sweet songs, ooooh
Break [see Note 2 below]: D Am/D F/D G Bb C (x4)
Solo [see Note 3 below]: Eb Bb F Cm Ab Bb Db Eb Gb Db Ab Cm Ab Bb Db Eb Gb Ab Bb Fm Db Eb Gb Ab B B Db Fm Db Eb Gb Ab B Db Eb Eb/Db Eb/C Eb/Bb (2x) Db Cm F
Note 1: In the choruses, the C chord with descending bass line can be played like this: C C/Bb C/A C/G E|----------------| B|-5—5----5---5—| G|-5—5----5---5—| D|-5—5----5---5—| A|-3--------------| E|----6----5---3—|
Note 2: The chords in the break are based on the first six chords of the verses, but the first three are played over a D bass note. (Trey clearly plays Am and F arpeggios in live versions, these are not modified D chords.) You can easily play them like this:
D Am/D F/D E—2—0----1--- B—3—1----1--- G—2—2----2--- D—0—0----0--- A-------------- E--------------
Note 3: looking at the solo chords I’ve noticed that lines 4-5 are almost the same as lines 2-3, transposed 5 semitones up. Lines 6-7 are the same as the end of chorus 1, transposed 3 semitones up.
Back to the break, this is what Trey plays over it in the studio version: (Note: A tilde ’~’ symbol just means the note is sustained longer than others.)
3:24 D Am/D F/D G Bb C D Am/D F/D G Bb C D Am/D F/D G E|---------------------------------------------------------------3h5—| B|--------------------------------------------------------------------| G|-12b14~---------12b14r12~-----b14r12-11~----------------------------| D|--------------------------------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------------------------------| E|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
3:51 Bb C D Am/D F/D G Bb E|---------------------------| B|---------------------------| G|—5h7/9-h9p7~~-------------| D|-7-------------------------| A|---------------------------| E|---------------------------|
This leads directly to the solo:
4:03 C Eb Bb F Cm E|---------------8/11-13\11------------11\10-----------------------------| B|-------------10----------13p11-----11-----11---------------------------| G|---------7-10--------------------12---------10-------------------------| D|—10-7-8-----------------------13-------------13-12---10-----/15~-13~—| A|---------------------------------------------------13----12~-----------| E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
4:12 Ab Bb Db Eb Gb E|------------------------------------15-15h16~-15~—14-------------------| B|---------------------------13-16/18------------------16p14-16p14--------| G|----------------------12-15--------------------------------------15-15—| D|---13\12------12h13-15----------------------------------------------16—| A|-15-----14/15-----------------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
4:20 Db Ab Cm Ab Bb E|-----------------------------------------------10/11-----13p11-----11-13~-| B|---------------------------------------------13-----12/13--------13-------| G|---------------------------------------11h12-------------------13---------| D|----15p11-------------10-13-9/10-12-13------------------------------------| A|-11------11----------11---------------------------------------------------| E|-----------14-13-11-11----------------------------------------------------|
4:28 Db Eb Gb Ab E|--------13-15-16~-13------13-16-15~-13b14------------------| B|------15------------14—14---------------14-11----11-14-13~| G|-14/15----------------13------------------------11---------| D|----------------------------------------------11-----------| A|-----------------------------------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
4:34
Bb Fm Db Eb Gb Ab B
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----13h15~-15~-13-15-16~/1818-18-20p18-16-18b19—18-16-18b19~-|
G|---13-----------------------------------------slow---------slow—|
D|-13--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
At this point (4:48) the recording diverges into two guitars. The first guitar continues playing sustained notes on the B string until the end of the song:
Db Fm Db Eb Gb Ab B Db Eb /Db /C /Bb Eb /Db /C /Bb Db Cm FB|-19b21~-18~---18/20~-19~-18-16-14~~~~~16~~(long sustained note)~~\14~/16~/18-|
A second guitar joins in with the following melody:
4:48 Db Fm Db Eb Gb Ab B Db Eb E|---------------------------------------------------------------------13-14-15~-| B|---------------------11-14p11---------13~------14~----12/14--------------------| G|----10-13~~~/15---11-11------11—11h13------11------11------13-11-13~----------| D|-11-------------11---11--------11---------13------13---------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
5:03 (a.k.a. the Dave’s Energy Guide theme) Eb/Db Eb/C Eb/Bb Eb Eb/Db E|---16\15b16r15-----15b16r15-------15-------15b16r15------15----| B|-16-----------16-----------16---14—16---14--------16—14—16—| G|-----------------15-----------15-------15------------15--------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
5:11 Eb/C Eb/Bb Db Cm F E|-----15----------15b16r15------15b16r15---------------------| B|---14—16------14--------16—14--------16-14~-13~-----------| G|-15-------15-15------------15---------------------12/13/14~-| D|------------------------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------------------|