Nov/6/07
12comments

Beirut – Closing Song

This song is an all round mystery to me. The first time I heard it was on the SXSW session on The Line of Best Fit (it’s still available for download) but it was referred to as ‘Sunday Smile’. But it’s completely different from the ‘A Sunday Smile’ on Flying Club Cup. There are a couple of videos of it on YouTube where it’s listed as ‘Closing Song’.

The mystery doesn’t end there. I can’t work out what he’s singing most of the time. That means I haven’t be able to put together my usual chord chart. The fact that there are only live recordings also makes it a bit trickier to get the chords, but here’s my best guess.

beirut closing song tab chords

This progression makes up the intro and carries on for the first half of the song.

Midway through he goes into a short vamp on the F and C7sus4 before switching to this progression:

beirut closing song ukulele tab chords

He might be playing C7sus4 instead of Fsus2 or vice versa in that bit. It’s hard to make out under the brass. Try it out and decide which you think is best.

And if you see Zach Condon tell him to stop mumbling.

Requested by Sigi

More Beirut tab and chords on Uke Hunt

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12 Comments

  1. John November 7th, 2007 10:38 am

    I saw them last night in Manchester, I think Zach was a little jet lagged / utterly knackered because he was pretty much unintelligible. Or maybe he’s like that all the time. Great gig though.

  2. Woodshed November 8th, 2007 11:53 pm

    I’m very jealous, John. He does seem to mumble quite often.

    I just checked out your website. Good luck with NaNoWriMo. I did it last year. Almost killed me.

  3. sigi November 12th, 2007 12:49 am

    thank you so much for working out the cords !!
    you made my week!

  4. Gunther November 12th, 2007 3:27 pm

    I don’t get it…how is the ukulele tuned?

    Please tell me, I’m new to this, so it’s not obvious to me…thank you

  5. Woodshed November 12th, 2007 10:20 pm

    Hi Gunther,

    The ukulele is tuned GCEA. Similar to the top 4 strings of a guitar with a capo at the fifth fret. The difference is that the G is tuned an octave higher than you’d expect (so it’s pitched between the E and A strings).

    You can hear the notes on this page – which should make it clearer than my explanation.

  6. b December 25th, 2007 4:50 am

    A “clear” version of this song is available on KEXP Seattle’s site …
    http://www.kexp.org/aspnet_client/KEXPViewMediaGroup.aspx?rID=15625&pID=528&fID=4027&artist=AI
    from an in studio performance.

  7. Woodshed January 3rd, 2008 8:47 pm

    Thanks for the link, b.

  8. Natalie January 31st, 2008 2:18 am

    LOL i love the last part
    “And if you see Zach Condon tell him to stop mumbling.”
    i got a good chuckle out of it

    but i thank this site very very much. it has been my first week of starting to play the uke, and i learned all the beirut songs posted
    so thanks : D

  9. Woodshed January 31st, 2008 10:00 am

    Thanks, Natalie.

    I just checked out your version of New Soul. Loved it. I’d never have guessed you’ve only been playing a week. Have you heard Yael Naim’s ukulele version of the song?

  10. Natalie January 31st, 2008 10:06 pm

    thank you so much! : D
    yeah, my friend has recently shown me to the uke world. and i love it, i have been practicing every day haha its very fun i love it.

  11. Beirut - Lon Gisland and Others | Uke Hunt March 4th, 2008 6:05 pm

    […] Closing Song (Post) […]

  12. Joe December 22nd, 2012 2:39 pm

    from what I’ve gathered I think the lyrics in the first part of the song “hold on hold on, and return fire, so hold on hold on, and return fire” but that as far as i managed to get.

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