John Mayer
"Helpless"
Standard tuning. Corrections welcome!
F C Dm7 Am E7 Eb Am7
e|-1----------(5)----5-----7----(6)----5-----|
B|-1-----5-----6-----5-----9-----8-----5-----|
G|-2-----5-----5-----5-----7-----8-----5-----|
D|-3-----5-----7-----7-----9-----8-----5-----|
A|-x----(3)----5-----x-----7-----6-----7-----|
E|(1)----------------5-----------------5-----|
[Intro]
F C Dm7 Am7 F C
e|1---------------|--------------------------------|----------------1---------------|
B|1-------5-------|6p5h6---x---5-------6-----------|----------------1-------5-------|
G|2-------5-------|5-------x---5-------5-------5---|----------------2-------5-------|
D|3-------5-------|7p5h7---x---5-------7-------5h7~|--7-5---7-------3-------5-------|
A|x-------3-------|----------------------------x---|----x-----------x-------3-------|
E|1---------------|----------------------------5---|----5-----------1---------------|
3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Dm7 Am7 F C
e|--------------------------------|----------------1---------------|
B|6p5h6---x---5-------6-----------|----------------1-------5-------|
G|5-------x---5-------5-------5---|----------------2-------5-------|
D|7p5h7---x---5-------7-------5h7~|--7-5---7-------3-------5-------|
A|----------------------------x---|----x-----------x-------3-------|
E|----------------------------5---|----5-----------1---------------|
Overdub (intro only)
e|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|5-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|7--p5--h7--p5--h7--p5---h7------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Main rhythm fig.
e|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|6p5h6---x---5-------6-----------|----------------6-------5-------|
G|5-------x---5-------5-------5---|----------------5-------5-------| Main ryhthm fig. repeats throughout
D|7p5h7---x---5-------7-------5h7~|--7-5---7-------7-------5-------| the verses. Chords listed below
A|------------x---------------x---|----x---------------------------| reflect overall harmony icluding bass.
E|------------5---------------5---|----5---------------------------|
[Verse]
F C Dm7 Am7
The same drink that gets me out the door
F C Dm7 Am7
Is the same drink that puts me on the floor
F C Dm7 Am7
And the new thing I wanna try some more
F C Dm7 Am7
Is the same mistake I used to make before
[Chorus]
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7 Am
And I'll stop trying to figure it out
Dm7 Am
Dm7 Am
[Verse]
F C Dm7 Am7
The same brain that brings me ecstacy
F C Dm7 Am7
Is the same pain that gets the best of me
F C Dm7 Am7
And the one I love the most just said to me
F C Dm7 Am7
A broken heart is all I'll ever be
[Chorus]
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7 Am
And I'll stop trying to figure it out
[Solo]
Dm7 Am x7
E7
E7 Eb
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------8-----------------------------|
G|----5b.5-7--7~p5-7~p5-7--b9r7p5---5~-h7-------5b.5-7-7p5---7b9b9r7-5-------------------|
D|--7-----------------------------7-------7---7------------------------7p5----7~---------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------7------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------------5--------------------------------------|
B|----------------------8------------------------------------8-----8-----8-----8-----10~-|
G|-----5-7-7b8-7-5--7b9--------5-7-7b8-7-5----7b9------5-7b9---7b9---7b9---7b9---7b9-----|
D|5--7-----------------------7-------------7---------7-----------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------15~-----------------------------------------------------------17-|
B|13--15--15--13--15b17------r15--13--15--13-----------13------13--15b16r15-13--15b17----|
G|-------------------------------------------14p12-14~-----14----------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|17~--17-15------------15----------17-20b22--20b22-17----17~----17------20b22-17~-------|
B|-----------17p15--17~-------17-20-----------20b22----20------------20------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|------12--------12---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|15b17----15b17-----15-12------12-------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------14b16---12b13----------9---7-------------------------------7--|
D|----------------------------------------14-12~--------9-7\5--------------5h7-7p5-/9--9-|
A|------------------------------------------------------------7p5-7p5---/7---------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------8b.5-------------8------------8-------------------------------------|
G|-----7------/9---------9p7--h9--7---7b9r8r7------7b9~r---------------------------------|
D|/9-----9-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
[Bridge]
Dm7 Am7
Help me
Dm7 Am7
Help me
Dm7 Am7
Help me
[Chorus]
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
Am
Tell me now
Dm7 Am
And I'll stop trying to figure it out
Dm7
If I'm helpless
Am
If I'm helpless
Dm7
If I'm helpless
Dm7 Am
Then I'll stop trying to figure it out
[Outro]
Dm7 Am x8
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|10~-------10b12b13r10~----14b15-13--------15b17----15b17----15b17--15b17--15b17--15b17-|
G|-----------------------------------14~-------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|15b17-13------15b17b17b17----15b17-14b15-13--------------15b17-15b17-13----15b17b17----|
G|---------14---------------------------------14--14p12-------------------14-------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|15-------------------------8~--5---8---5---8-5---8-5----------------------------8~--5--|
B|-pb16r15-13--------------5-------5-------5-----5-----5---5--------------------5-------5|
G|------------14--14-12\---------------------------------7---5---7-5b6------5------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------7--------7~---------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|8-5---8-5------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----5-----5----5----5-8-5------------------------------15b17-----r15b17r15-13-13----13~|
G|------------7b9--7b9------7b9-7-5---7-5b6---5------------------------------------14----|
D|----------------------------------7-------7---7--5-------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------12b15----r12----|
B|15---------15-15b17---15b17r15-13--13\12-12-pb13r12-10--10--10--------(12b15----r12)---|
G|--------14------------------------------------------------------12---------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|12-12-10-10-------10-10-------10---12b15---r12---12-12---------------------------------|
B|------------13-13~---10-13-13~----(12b15---r12)--------13-13b15-10-10------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------\7--7--5--5-------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------7--7-|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------13b.5------13b.5-------------------------------13-------15b16r15b15---15----|
G|---------------14p12-----14p12---14~------------------------14p12-------------------14-|
D|\5--5-3p0-----------------------------\12-10-------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------12-10-12~-10------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----x---------------------------|
B|13--x---------------------------|
G|----x---14---14~--14--/17b18----| Fade out
D|----x---------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|
***********************************
| h Hummer-on
| p Pull-off
| ~ Vibrato
| x Dead note
| b Bend
| b.5 Bend 1/4 step
| pb Pre-Bend
| r Release
| () Ghost note
***********************************
