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Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

Game: Portal (Orange Box)
Song: Still Alive (end credits/theme)
Composer: Jonathan Coultan
Vocalist Ellen Mclain
Year:2007
Platform: PC and Xbox360

This is a song that is getting insanely popular around the net including numerous youtube posts of/about this song possibly in the hundreds. I noted the basic chord structure but a lot of the song is arpeggiated. I could not get the fingerpicking exact because the lyrics obscure the notes, so I left it out. It can easily be improvised though. there is also a lead melody in the middle of the song that I didn't tab out. It seams easy but i don't have time to figure it out right now. I have had a lot of people ask me for the chords so I thought I should post them here.

*FINAL UPDATE*
Fixed the chords (B to Bb)
Added the main Arpeggio
Placed chord changes over the lyrics
Tweaked some things to hopefully make it easier to read.

Here is a link to the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxYfMRtun5w

FILE: 40-Portal - Still alive.rtf
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 12:45

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

Stamen47

no0bzOrG

Joined: Jun 16 2007

Oh, cool! I was thinking of doing this eventually, but you beat me to it. Nicely done, buddy.

I think it needs a few minor changes. First, all the B's should be Bb's. Also, you have:

B Gm F B
And the Science gets done. And you make a neat gun.
F A D
For the people who are still alive.

and I think it should be:

Bb C F F/E Dm
And the Science gets done. And you make a neat gun.
Bb A D
For the people who are still alive.

One last thing, it would be nice to have the chord changes over the words that they happen. However, you might have already done this and my computer just shows it weird for some reason.

Other than that, awesome job!

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Is this the end of zombie Shakespeare?
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 13:44

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

thanks for having a good eye. I kind of did this in a rush. i also think the chords over "the people who are still alive should be Bb A D instead of F A D. I will fix these mistakes now.
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 13:52

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

nozzie

The talkbox guy.

Location: Utah

Joined: Apr 06 2007

I already knew it >< i should of posted it

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Voila! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the “vox populi” now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygon
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 15:16

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

hey nozzie don't hate on the speedy delivery
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 15:43

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

archard

Joined: Jan 11 2007

Heh, that's cool. I'll put it up now if you think it's ready.

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DANG
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 15:44

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

Joined: Dec 31 1969

"Jonathan Coultan" posted:

CHORDS:

D Bm (repeat like crazy)
This was a triumph...

Em A
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction

D Bm (repeat like crazy)
Aperture Science...

Em A
For the good of all of us

BbM7
Except the ones who are dead

F C Bb F
But there's no sense crying over every mistake

F C Bb F
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake

Gm C F Dm
And the science gets done and you make a neat gun

B A D Bm (repeat some more)
For the people who are still alive

=\
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 18:09

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

where did you get that quote from?

originaly i had:
Gm C F Dm
And the science gets done and you make a neat gun

but stamen47 suggested it differently... both ways sound good

im not so sure about that BbM7 it sounds off. and i don't think this is right at all:

B A D Bm (repeat some more)
For the people who are still alive

I am positive it is supposed to be Bb A D Bm

So you're quoting the composer is dubious at best because he is a professional and i doubt he would be that mistaken about his own song. they way i have it written right now is at bare minimum in the same key and a very close match to the chord structure
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 21:02

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

well slap my mouth.

http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/10/15/portal-the-skinny/

This guy was either making typos on his own song or it's not him running that site or he must be intentionally giving bad tabs

i hope it is the second answer... i know the guy wrote it and all but some chords on his site are wrong. just try and play it against the actual recording. it doesn't take a musical genius to know somethings not right. i will give him everything except B A D Bm part (im telling you it should read Bb A D or possible F A D) and the Bbm7 ( that should be F and C possibly Bb to F)

Anyone have any thoughts?
Submitted on Sun, 10/21/2007 - 21:33

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

actually i have made a few more tweaks to make it simpler so by all means go ahead and put up i have played it along with the song and i have a pretty good ear and the chords i use are about dead on. regardless of what the other site says :P

Basically took alittle bit from everyones suggestions i figured out that what was on Johnathon's site was mostly typos but understand now what he meant and used pretty much his tab but i like the Bb better than the Gm
Submitted on Mon, 10/22/2007 - 00:37

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

archard

Joined: Jan 11 2007

Ok, here it is.

http://www.gametabs.net/pc/portal/still-alive

I used the attachment from your first post. I'm assuming you just edited the post when you updated the tab. Tell me if its the wrong version.

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DANG
Submitted on Mon, 10/22/2007 - 22:53

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

Joined: Dec 31 1969

Wow, yours is much more accurate. I had a feeling that the one on johnathancoulton.com sounded kind of off, especially the "for the people who are alive..." part. Every time I played that B chord when she sang "for the people", it sounded like a train wreck. A B flat chord is much better.
Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2007 - 02:14

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

EeinX

Joined: Apr 10 2007

I still haven't played this game. =[ I'm a loser.
Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2007 - 10:08

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

Archard~ you got the right one i just edited my first post with the updated tab. However the Chord placement seems to have shifted slightly to the right when you put it on the site. The chords are one or two words to the right of their proper placement... I think its because i didn't post it in courier font?

Ex. The D's should be over "triumph" and "note" on the first two lines.

EeinX~ It's a GREAT game. They basically made portal as a vehicle to introduce a new character and the portal gun into the half life series but i think it is more effective as a standalone game... And the ending/theme song is INFECTIOUS!!!
Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2007 - 13:15

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

kindkayne

Joined: Oct 21 2007

Archard~ I switched the text to courier and it should be right now... sorry for all the mistakes
Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2007 - 13:31

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

Bakuryu

Joined: Jun 24 2007

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to play this are the notes only played at a certain part of the song?
Submitted on Wed, 10/24/2007 - 11:44

Re: Portal - Still Alive (chords)

Joined: Dec 31 1969

I think the notes are played continuously throughout the entire song, but when the chords enter, they are less noticeable.
Submitted on Thu, 10/25/2007 - 16:52