A Thousand Matches

For fingerpicking, where I have added notes in brackets, they are optional and can be taken out for variation. Riff#1 In this riff, only the bottom E of the Em is plucked / strummed e|---------------------------------|------------------------------------| B|-----1--------(1)----1-----------|-------1---------------1----------1-| G|-----------0------------0--------|-------------0----------------0-----| D|-----0h2-----2-------2-----------|-------2-------2-------0--------0---| A|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|------------------------------------| E|-----------------------------0---|---1-------1-------3-------3--------| Riff #2 e|------------------------------------------------------------------| B|-----1--------(1)----0---------0-----1---------1-----3--------(3)-| G|-----------0---------------0---------------0---------------0------| D|-----2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------0-------0----| A|-0-------0--------------------------------------------------------| E|-----------------0-------0--------1------1-------3-------3--------| Intro Riff#1 is played three times, Riff#2 once before returning to 2 bars of verse 1 Lying on the mattress 'cos my friend's crazy sister took my bed away Sleeping she looked like an actress, in theory and in practice, I said "There's got to be a better way" She said "You light a thousand matches when you finally set fire while you run away So why'd you go and do it when you knew that you would go and I would stay I hit the wall in frustration - the conversation had been circling for days She said "Don't take it out on him, for the wall has always been supportive in the best of ways" We're laughing and crying like mad men dying in the snow For just one second it was funny that she would have to stay and I would go. Chorus e|-------------------------------------------------------------------| B|-----1---------1-----1---------1-----3---------3-------1---------1-| G|-----------0---------------0---------------0-----------------0-----| D|-----3-------2-------2-------2-------0-------0---------2-------2---| A|-----------------3-------3-------------------------3-------3-------| E|-1-------1-----------------------3-------3-------------------------| She said "Love, you know I love you so; when you love someone well you've got to let them know." And I said "Nothing's changed I love you the same, but when you love someone sometimes you gotta let 'em go" Bridge Riff #1*3, Riff #2, 2 bars of verse 2 She handed me a stone in the perfect shape of a heart She said "I'm gonna take this home for I know you'll only lose it somewhere after dark In some faceless hotel room where you seem to lose everything you own" She didn't mean it how it sounded, what she meant was she would stay and I would go I said "Love, you know I love you so. When you love someone well you've got to let them know She said "Nothing's changed I love you the same, but when you love someone sometimes you gotta let them go" Refrain Riff#1 *3 Sometimes you tear it all apart, to see the wood from the trees. Sometimes you break your own e|----------------------------------------------| B|----1-------1------1--------(1)-----1---------| G|-------------------------0----------------0---| D|----2-------0------2-------2--------2---------| A|3-------2------0-------0--------0-------0-----| E|--------------------------------------------0-| heart e|----------------------------------| B|-----1---------1------1---------1-| G|-----------0----------------0-----| return to Riff #1 D|-----3-------3--------0-------0---| A|----------------------------------| E|-1-------1--------3-------3-------| to set yourself free verse 3 (quietly - single plucking / strums) I walked her to the station, hesitation in our movements and our tone Words finally left after they realized how uncomfortable they'd become See, what you want and what you need, well they seldomly succeed to grow We reluctantly agreed that when you love someone, you've got to let them go