REELIN' IN THE YEARS - Steely Dan --------------------------------------- Transcribed by Howard Wright Howard.Wright@ed.ac.uk From the album 'Alive in America' This is based on the live version of the song, from the 'Alive ...' release. There are quite a few differences with the original recording - the chords for the verse have been spiced up a bit, and there are a couple of new changes thrown in as well. In the chorus, the new version uses nearly all Gmaj7 and F#m7 chords - the original used Aadd2 chords as well. But - if you play these chords along with the original track, most of them should work OK. For the chorus sequence (which is repeated several times for the solos) there are only two basic chords - Gmaj7, and F#m7. I've listed the chord shapes at the end, and I've written out some alternatives for these two chords. For example, you could play D/G and F#m11 and it will work fine. Choose the shapes you prefer for these two chords, or mix and match all the different possible shapes. / indicates another beat on the same chord. This does not indicate the strumming pattern - it just shows roughly how long you stick with each chord. Listen to the track to get the strumming patterns - as a rough guide, for the verses you change to each chord just before the beat. For the choruses you play more on the beat, with a triplet feel. INTRO : -------- Aadd2 Gmaj7 / / / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / Rest of the band come in here Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / Asus2/C# VERSE 1: -------- The way I've written the words under the chords here is only an approximation of the way it actually sounds on the live version. Donald really rushes through some of the lines - so I've put the chord changes to correspond more closely with the changes in the original version. D Asus2/C# Bm11 F#m11 You're everlasting summer you can see it fading fast D Asus2/C# A/B E/F# So you grab a piece of something that you think is gonna last Em7 Bsus2/D# Dm7 Asus2/C# Well you wouldn't know a diamond if you held it in your hand D Asus2/C# E/D The things you think are precious I can't understand CHORUS 1: ----------- A / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Are you reelin' in the years stowin' away the time are you gatherin' up the Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / Asus2/C# tears have you had enough of mine VERSE 2: --------- (Chords are the same as verse 1) You've been telling me you're a genius since you were 17 In all the years I've known you I still don't know what you mean The weekend in the college didn't turn out like you planned The things that pass for knowledge I can't understand CHORUS 2: ----------- Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / SOLO 1 (Guitar - Walter) ------------------------- Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / SOLO 2 (Sax) ------------- Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / Dsus2/C# VERSE 3: --------- I've spent a lot of money and I've spent a lot of time The trip we made to Hollywood is etched upon my mind After all the things we've done and said you find a nother man The things you think are useless I can't understand CHORUS ------- Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / RIFF ----- Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / SOLO 3 (Guitar - Wadenius) --------------------------- Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / CHORUS (with guitar solo continuing) ------------------------------------- Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / Gmaj7 / / / F#m7 / / / OUTTRO: -------- Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / Gmaj7 / / / B/A / / / B/A / / / B/A / Chord Shapes : --------------- Try out any of these G-type and F#m-type chords for the chorus/solo sequences. EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE E A D G B E E A D G B E x07600 3x443x 3xx232 3x5432 x 10 12 11 12 10 x 10 9 11 10 0 Aadd2 Gmaj7 D/G Gmaj7 Gmaj7 Gmaj9add6 EADGBE E A D G B E 355400 x 10 9 7 0 0 G6 G6 EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE E A D G B E EADGBE 242222 242252 244200 2x2200 x 9 11 9 10 9 x97500 F#m7 F#m7 F#m11 F#m11 F#m7 F#m7 EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE x02220 x5777x x4x455 x2x230 A D Asus2/C# Bm11 E A D G B E EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE x x 9 9 10 9 x9x997 x79787 x6x677 A/B E/F# Em7 Bsus2/C# EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE x57565 x7777x 5x444x x0444x Dm7 D/E B/A B/A