Details

Author
Robyn Hitchcock
Versions
Shatter Mix
According to our records, Robyn has played this song 143 times, most recently at Off Broadway on March 21, 2025. He first performed it at 7th St. Entry on March 08, 1989, 36 years earlier.

Lyrics

There's a justice in this world
And I know just what she's called
She's called Elaine

There's a dead man in your heart
And he takes up too much room
And I know just what he's called
He's called Steve

There's a farmer in the clouds
And he's sowing golden seeds
And he's feeding on your dreams
That's the only thing you need
And I know just what he's called
He's called Ray

I'm starting to freeze
Freeze
Freeze
Freeze

I know who wrote the book of love
It was an idiot
It was a fool
A slobbering fool with a speech defect and a shakin' hand
And he wrote my name
Next to yours
But it should have been David Byrne or somebody

DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG
DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG DOG
DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG
DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG DIG A DOG

There's a justice in this world
She's cruel but she's fair
And I know just what she's called
She's called Elaine

She's called Elaine 

Tablature

GENERAL NOTES:

I tabbed out all the chords for the verses in both the above
versions, and found that not only is the pattern inconsistent
from verse to verse, but that it's inconsistent from one
performance to another.  I say you can do whatever you want
with the verse; Robyn does.

The Queen Elvis version has been slavishly transcribed from
the recording. I started to do the same for Storefront, then
realised how futile it was.   The first verse only of the
Storefront version (third version  below) is transcribed
from the recording.  The rest is cut-and-pasted from the
Queen Elvis version.

An acoustic guitar (not tabbed) comes in at 'I know who wrote
the book of love...' and plays the same chords as guitar2 for
that section until DIG A DOG.  For DIG A DOG and the remainder
of the song, it plays E-major (022100).

PLAYING TECHNIQUE:

Between the actual chords in the verse the beat is kept on the
open 6th string, picking 'down,' and muting the string with the
right hand. 

VOICINGS:

E^ = E7  = X757XX
E' = Em7 = X767XX
E" = D/E = X707XX (just D and E notes, not a chord)

Guitar2 (rhythm) has a wah-wah effect throughout the song.  

E = E major 022100
A = A major X02220
B = B major X2444X

Just before the song starts (on QE) there's a lone, quiet
semisubliminal 079XXX strummed, with a depressed whammy bar
being released. It's untabbed.

QUEEN ELVIS VERSION:

Tab of Guitar1:

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
E^                     E^                  E^                    E'
E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
E^                     E'                   

E^                     E^                   E^                    E'
   There's a justice    in this      worlllllll      -       lllld

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And I know just      what she's    callllllll     -       llled

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
               She's    called       Elainnnnnnn     -       nnnne

E'                     E'                   E^                    E'
   There's a dead man   in your       heaaaaaaaa     -       aaart

E'                                     E'                    E^
   And he takes up      too much      rooooooooo     -       ooooom

E'                                     E^                    E'
   And I know just      what he's     callllllll     -       llled

E'                     E'                   E'                    E'
                              He's called   Steeeeeeee   -  eeeve     

         E'                              

riff on low E string:

0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0
0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0
0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   There's a farmer     in the        clouuuuuuu     -       uuuds

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And he's sowing gol - den         seeeeeeeeee     -       eeeds

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And he's feeding o - on your      dreeeeeeeee     -    eeeeeams  

E^                     E'                   E'                    E^
   That's the only thi - ng you      neeeeeeeeee     -       eeeed

                                    A           
   And I know just      what he's callllllllllllllllled,  He's called 

open 6th string
Rayyy -

E^                     E'                   E^
- yyy                                     I'm starting to

E(022100)           022200               022300            022400
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze

A(X0222X)           X0243X               X0254X            X0265X
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze     
             
open 6th string
Free -

E'                     E'                   E'                    E' -
eze

[guitar2 only]
   I know who wrote the     book of love!...................

[guitar2 only]
......................................It was an idiot!......

[guitar2 only]
...................It was a fool!...........................

[guitar2 only]
...A slobbering fool with a speech defect and a shakin' hand!

[guitar2 only]
.....................And he wrote my name................... 

                                     A(X 7 7 9 10 9)
........................................Next to yours!......

[guitar2 only]
.....................But it should have been David Byrne or somebody!

[guitar2 only]
DOG DIG A 

[guitar2 only.......................................................]
DOG DIG A DOG DIG A    DOG DIG A DOG DIG A  DOG DIG A DOG DIG A   DOG
                                     [DIG A DOG DIG A 

E'                     E'                   E^                    E' DOG
DIG A DOG DIG A    DOG DIG A DOG DIG A  DOG DIG A DOG DIG A   DOG
                                     [DIG A DOG

E'                     E^                   E'                    E^

E'                                     E^                    E'
   There's a justice    in this      worlllllll      -       lllld

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And she's cruel      but she's    faiiiiiii       -       iiiir

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And I know just      what she's    callllllll     -       llled

E'                              

riff on low E string:
0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0        5-h7-p5-p0

                          She's    called       Elainnnnnnnnnnnnne


0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0
0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0

[extended lead solo in E/A(?)]

                                     She's called Elaine

[solo continues until end of song]

Tab of Guitar2:

[guitar1 only.................................................]
[guitar1 only.................................................]

E                                 E          
E                                 E          
E                                 E          
E                                 E          
       There's a justice in this      worlllllll      -       lllld

E                                 E          
       And I know just  what she's    callllllll     -       llled

E                                 E          
                   She's called       Elainnnnnnn     -       nnnne

E                                 E          
      There's a dead man in your       heaaaaaaaa     -       aaart

E                                 E          
      And he takes up      too much      rooooooooo     -    ooooom

E                                 E          
       And I know just  what he's     callllllll     -       llled

E               
                              He's called   Steeeeeeee   -  eeeve     

        [guitar1 only]

E                                 E                 xxx777(harmonics)
       There's a farmer in the        clouuuuuuu     -       uuuds

E                                 E                 xxx555(harmonics)
       And he's sowing golden         seeeeeeeeee     -       eeeds

E                                 E                 xxx555(harmonics)
       And he's feeding o - on your      dreeeeeeeee   -    eeeeeams  

E                                 E          
       That's the only thing you      neeeeeeeeee     -       eeeed

E                                 A                    
       And I know just   what he's callllllllllllllllled,  He's called 

E                                 E
Rayyy -

- yyy                                     I'm starting to

[guitar1 only]
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze

[guitar1 only]
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze     
             
open 6th string
Free -

E                                 E
- eze

E                           B                      
   I know who wrote the     book of love!...................

E                                     A
......................................It was an idiot!......

...................It was a fool!...........................

                                     E
...A slobbering fool with a speech defect and a shakin' hand!

                            B
.....................And he wrote my name................... 

E                                     A
........................................Next to yours!......

.....................But it should have been David Byrne or somebody!

E                                     
DOG DIG A 

                                  E
DOG DIG A DOG DIG A    DOG DIG A DOG DIG A  DOG DIG A DOG DIG A   DOG
                                     [DIG A

E         
DOG DIG A 

                                  E
DOG DIG A DOG DIG A    DOG DIG A DOG DIG A  DOG DIG A DOG DIG A   DOG
                                     [DIG A 
                                     [DIG A 

E                                     
DOG

                                 E          
There's a justice    in this      worlllllll      -       lllld

E                                 E          
   And she's cruel      but she's    faiiiiiii       -       iiiir

E                                 E          
   And I know just      what she's    callllllll     -       llled

E                                 E          
          She's    called       Elainnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnne

E (some soloing too)

                                     She's called Elaine

E

SINGLE GUITAR (Storefront Hitchcock VERSION):

E^                     E'                    E^                    E'
E^                     E'                    E^                    E'
E^                     E^                   E^                    E'
   There's a justice    in this      worlllllll      -       lllld

E^                     E^                   E'                    E^
   And I know just      what she's    callllllll     -       llled

E'                                     E^                    E'
               She's    called       Elainnnnnnn     -       nnnne

E'                     E'                   E^                    E' E"
   There's a dead man   in your       heaaaaaaaa     -       aaart

E'                                     E'                    E^
   And he takes up      too much      rooooooooo     -       ooooom

E'                                     E^                    E'
   And I know just      what he's     callllllll     -       llled

E'                     E'                   E'                    E' E"
                              He's called   Steeeeeeee   -  eeeve     

         E'                              

riff on low E string:

0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0
0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0
0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   There's a farmer     in the        clouuuuuuu     -       uuuds

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And he's sowing gol - den         seeeeeeeeee     -       eeeds

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And he's feeding o - on your      dreeeeeeeee     -    eeeeeams  

E^                     E'                   E'                    E^
   That's the only thi - ng you      neeeeeeeeee     -       eeeed

                                    A           A#
   And I know just      what he's callllllllllllllllled,  He's called 

open 6th string
Rayyy -

E^                     E'                   E^
- yyy                                     I'm starting to

E(022100)           022200               022300            022400
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze

A(X0222X)           X0243X               X0254X            X0265X
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze     
             
open 6th string
Free -

E'                     E'                   E'                    E' -
eze

E                           B                      
   I know who wrote the     book of love!...................

E                                     A
......................................It was an idiot!......

...................It was a fool!...........................

                                     E
...A slobbering fool with a speech defect and a shakin' hand!

                            B
.....................And he wrote my name................... 

E                                     A
........................................Next to yours!......


.....................But it should have been David Byrne or somebody!

E'                     E^                   E'                    E^

E'                                     E^                    E'
   There's a justice    in this      worlllllll      -       lllld

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And she's cruel      but she's    faiiiiiii       -       iiiir

E^                     E'                   E^                    E'
   And I know just      what she's    callllllll     -       llled

E'                              
riff on low E string:

0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0

          She's    called       Elainnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnne

0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0
0 0 0 2-h3-p2-p0 3-h5-p3-p0  5-h7-p5-p0

[extended lead solo in E/A(?)]

                                     She's called Elaine

[solo continues until end of song]

EXTRA VARIATIONS:

Here is a slightly altered middle part incorpating some horn notes:

                                     -2---2---
                                     -0-0---0-
                                     -3-------
                                     -2-------
                                     -2-------
                                     -0-------
E(022100)           022200               022300            022400
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze

A(X0222X)           X0243X               X0254X            A(X02220)
freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze