Falling Down is track two from James’ 2001 album Pleased To Meet You. It was scheduled to be the second single off the album and an Orbital radio edit and remix were commissioned, but the release was shelved.
It was not performed live during the Autumn 2000 tour when most of the new album was previewed.
Speaking on BBC Later With Jools Holland in May 2001, Tim said the following about the song:
“The first song I think we’re now doing is Falling Down, which was a jam we did with Brian Eno, just messing around and we gave it to an engineer we had with us called KK, who’s a whizz and is going to be a very famous producer I think one day and he just chopped it up and none of us thought much about it for about a week and then he handed me a CD and it just sounded fantastic. He’d chopped up the jam and put it back together again. So I resang a vocal and eventually we presented it to the rest of the band and people were a bit slow to catch on that it was a really great song. But eventually it came through. That’s its history.”
“Lyrically, I’m not sure what it’s about, it’s about some mad, strange, eccentric woman who’s coming into her power. “Baby’s on the lamb tonight”, on the lamb means on the run, prison jargon, “her sky’s all full of stars and love’s just something that always goes wrong, it looks and smokes like Eva Gardner” And it’s kind of this woman, you can see her, she’s almost like that, what’s that hitchhiker , the girl from Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, that kind of free spirit. That was the only idea I got when I was writing the lyrics. It kept on coming like that.”
Details
Her skies all full of stars
And love's just something that always goes wrong
That looks and smokes like Ava Gardner
Baby's gonna blow your lights
Adjust your back - lit charm
And if she deems to touch your heart
You can tune into your senses
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
She can burn down the lie to the dream
Baby trades you blow for blow
Crowns you like a queen
But if you stroke her long enough
Baby turns to cream
Baby's neptune is in your moon
Venus in your third
She's in bloom from June through June
Says, "love's no noun, love's a reverb"
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
She can burn down the lie to the dream
| Song: | Falling Down |
| Released: | 2nd July 2001 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | Pleased To Meet You |
| First Heard Live: | Later With Jools – 18th May 2001 |
- 9 Tracks from Pleased To Meet You (CDR) :Promo, Album, 2001
- Space (a.k.a Pleased To Meet You) (UK CDR) :Promo, Album, 2001
- Five Tracks From The Forthcoming Album :Promo, Album, 2001
- Pleased To Meet You (US CDR promo) :Promo, Album, 2001
- Pleased To Meet You (UK CDR promo) :Promo, Album, 2001
- Pleased To Meet You (Europe) :Studio, Album, 2001
- Pleased To Meet You :Studio, Album, 2001
- The Gathering Sound :Compilation, Box Set, 2012
Taken from the album Pleased To Meet You
Written and performed by James
Main Riff:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G--11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9--------------
D--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9--------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Intro Riff:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A--2~--4~--6h7p6h7p6h7p6h7--7~--------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Verse Riff 1:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D------------9--11--9----9------------------------------
A--9-9-9--9--7--9---7--7---7----------------------------
E--7-7-7--7---------------------------------------------
Verse Riff 2:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B--0--0-0h2p0-------------------------------------------
G------------h2-----------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Chorus Riff:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------2--0--------------------------------------
G----------2--------2-1---------------------------------
D------2-4--------------2-4-----------------------------
A--2-4--------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Instrumental Section Riff 1:
e--5-------5--4---------4-------------------------------
B----5---5------5-----5---------------------------------
G------6----------4-4-----------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Instrumental Section Riff 2:
e----------- --------------------------------------------
B--14b(16)r- -16b(19)r----16^V^V^V^V-----------------
G----------- x4 --------------------------------------------
D----------- --------------------------------------------
A----------- --------------------------------------------
E----------- --------------------------------------------
b = bend string up (note it should sound like written in bracket)
r = release bend
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
~ = vibrato
Song Structure:
Song begins with Saul playing the main riff. After he's played it twice Adrian comes in with the intro riff, which takes us into the verse.
The verse is just a single chord of B, and in the latter half of both verses Saul comes in with Verse Riff 1. For the whole of the second verse Adrian plays Verse Riff 2. Alas, poor Mike is forced to just jig about; he has no guitar part.
For the chorus Adrian plays the Chorus Riff, Saul plays the chords A E B and Mike plays the chords Asus2 Esus4 B5.
During the middle instrumental bit Adrian plays Instrumental Section Riff 1 while Instrumental Riff 1 is played (presumably put in by KK/Eno because it doesn't appear in live versions). And just before Saul comes in he plays the 16b(19)r bit again. Then Saul comes in with his Main Riff, Adrian plays his Intro Riff again, followed by another few choruses then the end.
Lyrics/Chords:
B E
B E
B E
B E
B
Baby's on the lamb tonight
Her skies are full of stars
But love's just something that always goes wrong
That looks and smokes like Ava Gardner
Baby's gonna blow your lights
Adjust your back-lit charm
And if she deems to touch your heart
You can tune into your senses
A E B
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
A E B
She can burn down the lie to the dream
Baby trades you blow for blow
And crowns you like a queen
But if you stroke her long enough
Baby turns to cream
Baby's Neptune's in your moon
Venus in your fur
She's in bloom from June through June
Says "Love's no noun; love's a reverb"
A E B
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
A E B
She can burn down the lie to the dream
A E B
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
A E B
She can burn down the lie to the dream
A E B
A E B
B E
B E
A E B
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
A E B
She can burn down the lie to the dream
A E B
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
A E B
She can burn down the lie to the dream
A E B
Baby's coming alive to her wild side
A E B
She can burn down the lie to the dream
Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.
alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk
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