Surfing With A Spoon Chords

KeyE CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays604

Surfing With A Spoon by Midnight Oil is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of E. It uses the chords E, D, C, Bb, Em and Em7. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
E
Text
16
Speed
  			Transcribed by... Jeff Scott 
 
Intro: 
 
E---12-----12--------|---11-------11-----|---------9-----------| 
B------9-------9-----|------9--------9---|------10-----10------| 
G--------9-------9---|--------9--------9-|----9-----------9----| 
D------------------9-|-------------------|-11---------------11-| 
A--------------------|-------------------|---------------------| 
E--------------------|-------------------|---------------------| 
 
 
E----------------------|--------12-------|---11-------11-----| 
B----------------------|-----9-----9-----|------9--------9---| 
G-------9-------9------|-----9--------9--|--------9--------9-|etc.. 
D----11------11-----11-|----9------------|-------------------| 
A-12------11------9----|-7---------------|-------------------| 
E----------------------|-----------------|-------------------| 
 
intro repeats until finish on chords:  E   D   C   Bb 
 
Now the tricky bit - the verses.  As far as I can work out the verse line  
is over an Em or possibly Em7 played on the 7th fret.  Between lines is  
this riff: 
 
E-----------------|-------------------| 
B-----------------|-------------------| 
G-----------------|-------------------| 
D------2---0------|-------------------| 
A-----------------|-2-1-0-------------| 
E--0--------------|--------4-3-0------| 
 
The chorus has got me stuffed for the moment as well: 
 
Em 
Working in the city from nine to five 
? 
Traffic on the highway gonna blow my mind 
? 
Surfing with a spoon all the rest of the time 
   D 
Oh yeah, all the rest of the time 
 
 
The first guitar solo is an interesting one.  When I saw this song live 
in December I realised that the first solo is actually played entirely 
on harmonics.  The bends on some notes are done by bending the string 
behind the nut.  On my guitar this has the effect of putting the strings 
out of tune very quickly, and I have to use the "merry go round" keyboard 
bit to quickly retune them.  
 
Harmonics solo 
 
E-------------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------| 
B-------------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------| 
G-----------|------------|-----------|-~~~~~~~----| 
D-------------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------| 
A-------------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------| 
E-------------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------| 
 
E---------------|---------------|------------------| 
B---------------|---------------|------------------| 
G---------------|---------------|-~~~~~~~~~-----| 
D-------------------|------------------|------------------| 
A-------------------|------------------|------------------| 
E-------------------|------------------|------------------| 
 
Then Martin plays harmonic slashes across the 12th, 7th, 5th and 9th  
frets - I haven't worked in exactly what order! 
 
Then we get to the "Merry Go Round" keyboard bit (which is where,  
in recent live shows, they have segued into the intro of Powderworks),  
then the second guitar solo. 
 
Then back to the last verse and chorus, and finishes on the E D C Bb  
chords like in the intro. 
 
Anyone who can fill in the gaps wins a prize! 
 
(ps - it wasn't me who offered the prize - mkelly) 

    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

--
Start the tuner and play a string

Reference tones

Standard tuning, lowest to highest. Click a string to play it; the string the mic hears is highlighted.

Click Start tuner and allow microphone access. The needle centers and turns green when a string is in tune (within 5 cents).
No microphone? You can still tap any string above to hear its exact reference pitch.

Metronome

100 BPM Andante