One Of The Three - The James Band Archive

I Defeat

Posted on Posted in Song

I Defeat is a b-side to the 1999 James single Just Like Fred Astaire and it also appears on the 2001 B-Sides Ultra compilation.

It is a duet between Tim and Sinead O’Connor that was kept off the Millionaires album as the band did not want two Sinead tracks (the other is Vervaceous) on the album. At the time it appeared on the b-side of Just Like Fred Astaire, Tim was quoted as saying that the duet could have been released as a single.

The song made a reappearance at a Stirling tour warm-up show in 2013 but never made the tour setlist.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
We were doing so well,
We had broken the spell,
And freedom seemed just within reach.
We had managed the bend,
Between lover and friend,
Found a place we could possibly meet,

Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I just run headlong to defeat,

Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, I defeat, I defeat

I'm so hard on myself,
Don't deserve any help,
So I must let you go, let you go.
So I pushed you away,
While I hoped you would stay,
But I don't let you know, let you know,

Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I keep running around to this beat,

Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, I defeat, I defeat

Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I keep running around to this beat,

Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, help me,

I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, help me,

I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, help me.

Open in Spotify

Song:I Defeat
Released:4th October 1999
Main Associated Album (or Single):Just Like Fred Astaire
First Heard Live:Hereford Leisure Centre – 4th December 1998
Played at:
James - I Defeat

Taken from the single Just Like Fred Astaire

Written by James. Performed by James and Sinead O' Connor.

Riff 1:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A--2-----2-0-----0-2---2-----------2-----2-0------------
E------3-------3---------3-0---0-3-----3-------3-2-0----

Riff 2:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------2----------------------------------
A--2-----2-0-----0-2---2--------------------------------
E------3-------3---------3-0----------------------------

Riff 3:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D------------9------------------------------------------
A--7--9--10-----10--9-----------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Song Structure:

This has a more tradition verse/chorus structure, and so is pretty straightfoward.
Saul plays an acoustic guitar hardly ever deviating from the chords G D Em C,
while Adrian plays the riffs. Riff 1 opens the song and Riff 2 is played between
the end of the first chorus and the start of the second verse. In the middle bit
Riff 2 is played first followed by Riff 3 repeatedly. Riffs 1 and 2 are played
over the ending choruses. Sadly, Mike seems to have no parts in this song.

Lyrics/Chords:

G D Em C

G
We were doing so well

D
We had broken spell

Em C
And freedom seemed just within reach

G
We had managed the bend

D
Between lover and friend

Em C
Found a place we could possibly meet

G
Yes it's me

D
I can't help myself

Em C
I just run headlong to defeat



G
Yes it's me

D
I can't help myself

C
I defeat I defeat I defeat



I'm so hard on myself,

Don't deserve any help,

So I must let you go, let you go.

So I pushed you away,

While I hoped you would stay,

But I don't let you know, let you know,



Yes it's me,

I can't help myself,

I keep running around to this beat,



Yes it's me,

I can't help myself,

I defeat, I defeat, I defeat,



Yes it's me,

I can't help myself,

I keep running around to this beat,



Yes it's me,

I can't help myself,

I defeat, I defeat, help me,



I can't help myself,

I defeat, I defeat, help me,



I can't help myself,

I defeat, I defeat, help me.




Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk
Share:
Facebooktwitterredditpinteresttumblr