I Want You

Elvis Costello

tom:

    Em     Em/F# G    G/B   C         B  B/F#
E|-----0----------3------|-----3-----2------|
B|-----0----------3------|-----5-----4------|
G|-----0----------0------|-----5-----4------|
D|-----2----------0------|-----5-----4------|
A|-----2----------2---2--|--3-----3--2------|
E|--0------2----3--------|---------------2--|

This riff is simplified just for additional guitar accompaniment,
the actual bass develops into a walking bass line from the 3rd
verse onwards. 
The C6 in brackets are optional and are added by the keyboards,
as are the Cadd9 near the end too.

 A     = x02220     F#m  = 244222
 E7    = 020100     Em * = x79987
 E     = 022100     Em   = 022000
 D     = xx0232     C    = x35553 or 8-10-10-9-8-8
 D/A   = x00232     B    = x24442 or 799877
 G     = 355433     Ebm  = x68876
(C6)   = x32210     B7   = x21202 or x24242
 Cadd9 = x32030     Baug = x21003 or xx5443 

^ = Emphasise the beats   ~ = add vibrato

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[Intro]
A      E7    A                                E
Oh, my baby, baby, I love you more than I can tell,
  A                 A7          D         D/A
I don't think I can live with - out you,
      A           E     A       E7
And I know that I never will,
A      E7    A                                  E
Oh, my baby, baby, I want you so, it scares me ...to death,
  A               A7           D           D/A
I can't say any - more than 'I love you!',
           A         G        F#m         Em *
Everything else is a waste of breath

[Verse 1]
Em          G         C                 B                 Em
     I want you!  You had your fun, you don't get well no more,
  G               C              B                 Ebm
I want you!  Your fingernails go dragging down the wall,
   B        C        B
Be careful, darling, you might fall

[Verse 2]
Em          G    C              B             Em
    I want you!  I woke up, and one of us was crying,
  G             C                   B                 Em
I want you! You said, 'Young man, I do believe you're dying!'
  G                C                 B
I want you! If you need a second o - pinion,
               Em
As you seem to do, these days,
  G          C                  B
I want you!  You can look in my eyes,
            Ebm                B    C    C    B
And you can count the ways  |  /_/  /_/  /_/  /_/  |
                               ^ ^  ^ ^  ^ ^  ^ ^

[Verse 3]
Em         G             C      (C6)      B        B7       Em
    I want you!  Did you mean to tell me, but seem to for - get?
  G                C        (C6)    B             B7     Em
I want you!  Since when were you so generous, and inar - ticulate?
  G             C        (C6)   B       B7      Em                G
I want you, but it's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for,
         C        (C6)      B          B7           Em
It's the way your shoulders shake, and what they're shaking for,
  G               C       (C6)    B         B7         Em
I want you!  It's knowing that he knows you now, after only guessing,
G           C                   B
   It's the thought of him un - dressing you,
    Ebm                      B    C    C    B
Or...    you undressing   |  /_/  /_/  /_/  /_/  |
                             ^ ^  ^ ^  ^ ^  ^ ^

[Verse 4]
Em          G         C          (C6)   B        B7        Em
     I want you!   He tossed some tatty compli - ment your way,
  G             C       (C6)      B        B7
I want you, and you were fool e - nough to love it...
   C       Ebm     Em    G          C      B
...When he said,     ...'I---- want you!'

[Break]
E|-------------------|----------------| [x2]
B|-------------------|----------------|
G|---~9---~9----~9---|----~9----~9----|
D|-~8---~8----~8-----|--~8----~8------|
A|-------------------|----------------|
E|-------------------|----------------|

[Verse 5]
Em         G         C                     B                  Em
    I want you!  The truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark,
   G                   C                 B                    Em
It scares you witless, but, in time, you see things clear and stark,
  G             C                B                 Em
I want you!  Go on, and hurt me, then we'll let it drop,
  G          C            B                   Em
I want you!  I'm afraid I won't know where to stop,
  G              C              B                Em
I want you!  I'm not ashamed to say, I cried for you

[Verse 6]
  G            C                B                    Em
I want you!  I want to know the things you did, that we do too,
  G            C               B                Em
I want you!  I want to hear he pleases you more than I do,
  G            C       (C6)     B           B7     Em
I want you!  I might as well be useless for all it means to you,
  G                  C       (C6)      B     B7       Em
I want you!  Did you call his name out as he held you down?
  G              C     (C6)      B        B7        Em
I want you!  Oh, no, my darling,   ...not with that clown,
G           Cadd9  C    B   B7
E|-----| want you!

[Verse 7]
Em         G            C                 B                 Em
    I want you!  You've had your fun, you don't get well no more,
  G             C                   B                  Ebm
I want you!  No one who wants you,   ...could want you more,
Em    G    C     B                Em    G     C    B
                     I want you!                 I want you!
Em          G      C                 B           Em
     I want you!   Every night, when I go off to bed,
           G         C       B7
And when I wake up,     ...I want you!
Em    G       C            B        B7         Em            G
          I'm gonna say it once a - gain, 'til I instill it-------,
    C                  B         B7       Em              G
I'm going  ...going to feel this way un - til you ...kill it,
C      B    B7    Em    G    Cadd9 C   B  B7      Em         G
     I want you!                       I-----  ...want you--------!
Cadd9 C   B  B7  Em        G      Cadd9 C    Baug  B7    Em
E|-----| ....want you!