Chords for "Alcohol"

Written by: Raymond Douglas Davies 
Published by: Davray Music Ltd. 

Transcribed by Ian Grant

Note: Don't let the 9th and 11th chords put you off. They simply describe the
lagging, lazy melody. The melodic pattern descends beautifully as one does into
a stupor.

Melody:  E  A  E  G  F F
Words:   Oh demon alcohol..
Chords:  Am      Dm11 Dm

The melody G on 'Alc' is the dominant 7th of Am but the 11th of the next chord,
Dm.

I transcribed it on a piano, where the bass notes alternate sometimes from the
5th to the 1st, at other times from the 1st-5th. I briefly checked it on a
guitar, which I can't play but it sounded fine. However, I am not sure about a
couple of parts: 

Does it really modulate to A major for a few bars?
Is the Am on 'the floosie made...' right?
If anyone has a different view of the chorus changes, I'd like to hear them.

Enjoy that meditarraenean/ Kurt Weillian thang!!

yours, Ian

Manchester, England, England.


Alcohol

[Intro 16 bars + 16 bars (with trumpet)]

Am E Am E....Am E Am E7 etc...

          Am
Here is a story about a sinner, 

He used to be a winner who enjoyed a life of prominence and 
  E/B
position, 

But the pressures at the office and his socialite engagements, 
                                 Am
And his selfish wife's fanatical ambition, 

A
It turned him to the booze, 

And he got mixed up with a floosie 
                              Dm
And she led him to a life of indecision. 
Am
The floosie made him spend his dole 

She left him lying on Skid Row 
          Am             E7     E7/B Am E7 Am
A drunken lag in some Salvation Army Mission. 

E7 (an introductory arpeggio)
It's such a shame. 

<A Chorus>
Am       Dm11 Dm
Oh demon alcohol,                   
Dm             E7(b9)  E7
Sad memories I cannot recall,     
Am          Dm9  Dm
Who thought I would say, 
E7           Am11    Am
Damn it all, blow it all,

<B Chorus> 
Am       Dm11 Dm
Oh demon alcohol,  
Dm         E7(b9)  E7
Memories I can't   recall, 
Am          Dm9            E7             Am  E7 Am
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol. 

[Repeat <B Chorus> Instrumental on line 1, Vocals on 2 and 3 as below]

Dm             E7(b9)  E7
Sad memories I can't  recall,     

Am          Dm9            E7             Am  E7 Am
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol. 

[16 Bars as intro]

Am
Barley wine pink gin,
He'll drink anything, 
                E/B
Port, pernod or tequila, 
Rum, scotch, vodka on the rocks, 
                                Am
As long as all his troubles disappeared. 

A
But he messed up his life when he beat up his wife, 
                                         Dm
And the floosie's gone and found another sucker 
Am
She's gonna turn him on to drink 
She's gonna lead him to the brink 
And when his money's gone, 
       E7        E7/B   Am
She'll leave him in the gutter, 

E7 (ascending roll)
It's such a shame. 

<A Chorus>
Am        Dm11
Oh demon alcohol, 
Dm                    E7(b9)
Sad memories I cannot recall, 
Am          Dm9
Who thought I would fall, 
E7           Am11    Am
Damn it all, blow it all.

[Instrumental on <A Chorus> and the 1st line of <B chorus> Vocals on Lines 2 and
3, as below]

Dm             E7(b9)  E7
Sad memories I cannot recall,     

Am          Dm9            E7             Am  E7 Am
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol. 

[A 4 count before the melodic piano outro on the changes of <B Chorus>]



Date:  November 21, 2009
From: Kit Potamkin

Ian Grant asks if anyone "has a different view of the chorus changes" in the song, 
"Alcohol", and I humbly suggest the two chords over "Sad memories I cannot recall" 
are C and G respectively, not Dm and E7 as he has transcribed. I did like his 
inclusion of the D11 though- THAT was a pretty cool observation.



Date:  March 18, 2011
From:  Ryan

Such great chords! 
But I'm hearing Am to F in the second 16th of the intro, the part with the horns 
before the first verse. Also, I agree with the updated chorus, but it's G to C, 
not C to G. I also like throwing in an A7 as the first chord of the <B Chorus>, 
makes the accordion shine through.

G.S.T.K.