Optimistic - Radiohead
00:00 / 00:00
Tabs and lyrics
Tunning: Drop D (D A D G B E)
Tune down E string to D

D (Am)Bm D D Dm C D
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
E|--------------|----------|----------|--------|
B|10----10---12-|-7----7---|-6----5---|-3------|
G|--------------|----------|----------|-2------|
D|7-----10---12-|-7----4---|-3----5---|-0------|
A|0-----0----0--|-0----0---|-0----0---|-0------|
D|0-----0----0--|-0----0---|-0----0---|-0------|

D Am Bm D D Dm C D
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
E|--------------|----------|----------|--------|
B|10----10---12-|-7----7---|-6----5---|-3------|
G|--------------|----------|----------|-2------|
D|7-----10---12-|-7----4---|-3----5---|-0------|
A|0-----0----0--|-0----0---|-0----0---|-0------|
D|0-----0----0--|-0----0---|-0----0---|-0------|

Dm Am Em D
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
E|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----9--9--9---7777777-|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|

Dm Am Em D
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
E|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----9--9--9---(11)----|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|

[Verse]
Dm Am
Flies are buzzing around my head
Em D
Vultures circling my bed
Dm Am Em D
Picking up every last crumb
Dm Am
The big fish eat the little ones
Em D
The big fish eat the little ones
Dm Am Em D
Not my problem give me some

[Chorus]
D (Am) Bm
You can try the best you can
D D
If you try the best you can
Dm C D
The best you can is not enough

[Verse]
This one's optimistic
This one went to market
This one just crawled out of the swamp
This one drops a payload
Fodder for the animals
Living on an animal farm
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
(x2)
I'd really like to help you man
I'd really like to help you
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is not enough
The best you can is not enough
The best you can is not enough
Tunning: Standard (E A D G B e)
This is a correction to the other tabs for this song
Posted by me: SEYTIN
I assure you these tabs are correct and complete
This is my first posting there will be more in depth tabs in the future.
THE TUNING IS ACTUALLY: DADGBD
so the top E string is actually tuned down to D as well.
THE SONG IS STRUCTURED LIKE THIS
REFER TO THE LABELS ON THE RIFFS FOR THE ORDER


For the opening riff let the top string (tuned to D) ring out.
These are the chords, listen to the song for the rhythm
I borrowed this first riff from Mikhailo's Kid A album tab post because
he had this riff right (aside from the tuning)


[RIFF A]

strum the following 2x, then the second half 1x:
D|---0--------0-------0-------------0--------0----0----|
B|--10-------12-------7-------------6--------8----7----|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--10-------12-------7-------------8-------10----9----|
A|---0--------0-------0-------------0--------0----0----|
D|---0--------0-------0-------------0--------0----0----|


[MAIN RIFF and verses]

D|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----9--9--9---7777777-|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|


[CHORUS]

D|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B|10--10--10-10-10 -10 10 10 10 10 10 10|10--10--10-10-10--7-7-7-7-7-7-7|
G|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
D|10--10--10-10-10 --9 -9-9 -9- 9 -9 -9|-8---8---8--8--8--7-7-7-7-7-7-7|
A|-0---0---0--0--0 --0 -0-0 -0- 0 -0 -0|-0---0---0--0--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0|
D|-0---0---0--0--0 --0 -0-0 -0- 0 -0 -0|-0---0---0--0--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0|


D|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----9--9--9---7777777-|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|

The other guitar plays this on the chorus:

D|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------3--5--8/7-----|
G|-----------------------------2--3--5-------------------|
D|-----------------2--3--5-------------------------------|
A|--0--2--3--5-------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|

FROM THE SECOND CHORUS ON THE SECOND GUITAR ALSO PLAYS THIS
AFTER THE ABOVE RIFF:

D|--0------------------------------------0----------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------5/3--2------0----3--2----------------5/3-2---0----3--2--------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------0----|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------|


After the first chorus there is a break down where a guitar is strumming with the fingers from
the left hand covering the strings to make a rhythmic sound. LISTEN TO THE RECORDING FOR
THE RHYTHM
THE NUMBERS LINE UP TO THE RHYTHM its a tough beat but listen close and you can get it.
The strings go from muted to open to create a beat:


[BREAKDOWN]

-----1-------2-------3-------4------1------2-------3-------4-----

D|--|------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|--|------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|
D|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|
A|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|
D|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|

THIS RIFF IS PLAYED OVER THE BREAKDOWN AND MAIN RIFF IN THE SECOND VERSE
AND THROUGHOUT THE SONG:

D|--0------------------------------------0----------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------5/3--2------0----3--2----------------5/3-2---0----3--2--------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------0----|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------|


[BRIDGE]

"I'd really like to help you man..." The main riff changes a little bit:
It repeats both parts of the riff twice:

D|---------------------|---------------------|
B|---------------------|---------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----7--77---5555555-|
D|---------------------|---------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----8--88---7777777-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|

D|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----9--9-9--7777777-|-----9--9--9---7777777-|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----10-1010-9999999-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--0-0--0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|

RIFF A
MAIN RIFF 2x
VERSE 1 (MAIN RIFF 4x)
CHORUS (play riff 2x)
BREAKDOWN (4 MEASURES)
VERSE 2 (MAIN RIFF 4x)
CHORUS (play riff 2x)
MAIN RIFF 4x (sounds different because of the bass)
BRIDGE RIFF 2x
CHORUS (play riff 2x)
TAG (play second half of chorus riff 3x instead of once)
MAIN RIFF 4x (sounds different because of the bass)
RIFF A
OUTRO (this is just a mellower variation/breakdown of the main riff)



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Song info
Optimistic
Radiohead
2001
  • Electronic
  • Rock
  • Alternative Rock
  • Experimental
  • IDM
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