The Grave Don McLean
The Grave by Don McLean Taken from the album "American Pie" by Don McLean 24 February 1995 This song isn't too hard to play I think. A nice combination of fingerpicking and strumming. Listen to album "American Pie" otherwise you haven't a chance. Comments and corrections are always welcome. The lyrics follow after the TAB. Good luck Lee Francis The Grave (Don McLean) Intro: C E7 e|-1p0-----------0-------------------------0-------------------------------0-- b|------3-----------3--------------0h1--3-----3-------0-----------------3----- g|---------2-----------2--------0----------------0h2-----2-----------1-------- D|------------0--------------2------------------------------------0----------- A|------------------------3------------------------------------2-------------- E|----------------------------------------------------------0----------------- Verse: When the wars of our nation... A man barely... Am G C B E e|--------------------------------3------------------------------------------- b|----------1--1/3\1-p0--------------0/1\0------------------------------------ g|-------2-----2/4\2-p0--------0----- 0/2\0--2--------0-----------0-----1------ D|----2---------------------0---------------------2-----------0--------2------ A|-0-------------------------------------------3-----------2------------------ E|-----------------------3------------------------------------------0--------- Proud of the trust... nation. He's gone. Am G C E A e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------- b|---------------------------------------------------------------------------- g|-------0--------0--------0--------1----------------------------------------- D|----2--------0--------2-----------2----------------------------------------- A|-0-----------------3-----------2------------------0------------------------- E|----------3-----------------0----------------------------------------------- But eternity knows... And it knows what we've done. E7 e|------1p0-----0h1-----------------------1-----3----5--------------------0--- b|-----------3----------------------------3-----5----6-----------------3------ g|------------------------------------------------------------------1--------- D|---------------------------------------------------------------0------------ A|------------------------------------------------------------2--------------- E|---------------------------------------------------------0------------------ [Strumming part begins] And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers. Am Bm/A D? E7 e|---------0--------------0-------------0-------------0----------------------- b|-strum---1--------------3-------------0-------------3----------------------- g|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------1------ Repeat this ---- D|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------0------ sentence 3 ---- A|---------0--------------0-------------5-------------2------ times ---- E|----------------------------------------------------0----------------------- . . As he held to his rifle and prayed not to die. C Dm E7 e|--------0---------------------5-------------0------------------------------- b|-strum--1---------------------6-------------3------------------------------- g|--------0---------------------7-------------1------------------------------- D|--------2---------------------7-------------0------------------------------- A|--------3---------------------5-------------2------------------------------- E|--------3-----------------------------------0------------------------------- But the silence of night was shattered by fire. Dm Am Asus2...Am... e|----------1-----------------0----------------------0--0--0------------------ b|-strum----3-----------------1----------------------0--1--0------------------ g|----------2-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- Repeat this ---- D|----------0-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- sentence 3 ---- A|----------------------------0----------------------0--0--0- times ---- E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------- . . In a morgue of marines alone standing there. C Dm E7 e|--------0----------------5--------------0----------------------------------- b|-strum--1----------------6--------------3----------------------------------- g|--------0----------------7--------------1----------------------------------- D|--------2----------------7--------------0----------------------------------- A|--------3----------------5--------------2----------------------------------- E|--------3-------------------------------0----------------------------------- He crouched ever lower, ever lower of fear. F Am e|--------1----------------------------------0-------------------------------- b|-strum--1----------------------------------1-------------------------------- g|--------2----------------------------------2--------------- Repeat this ---- D|--------3----------------------------------2--------------- sentence 3 ---- A|--------3----------------------------------0--------------- times ---- E|--------1------------------------------------------------------------------- . . I'll cover myself - I know I'm not brave! The earth, the earth F E7 C Dm e|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------0----------------- b|-strum--1-----------------------------3-------------------1----------6------ g|--------2-----------------------------1-------------------0----------7------ D|--------3-----------------------------0-------------------2----------7------ A|--------3-----------------------------2-------------------3----------5------ E|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------3----------------- The earth is my grave. E7 e|-------0-------------------------------------------------------------------- b|-------3-------------------------------------------------------------------- g|-------1-------------------------------------------------------------------- D|-------0-------------------------------------------------------------------- A|-------2-------------------------------------------------------------------- E|-------0-------------------------------------------------------------------- [Strumming part ends] Solo: (Hint: Barre in 5 position, beware of tricky rythme) Am7 G e|--5--5--5--------------5--7-----5--------5--5--3---------------------------- b|--------------------5-----------------------------------0--1-----0---------- g|-----------------5-----------------5-----------------0--------0-----0h2----- D|--------------5--------------5--------------------0--------2-----0---------- A|-----------7---------------------------------------------------------------- E|--------5-----------------5-----------5-------\3---------------------------- C e|--3-----------3--3--5-----3--------------------3--------------0-----0--0---- b|-----------1--------------------6-----6-----6-----6-----6------------------- g|--------0--------------0-----3-----3--3--3-----------3-----3-----0---------- D|-----2--------------5-----------------0------------------------------------- A|--3------------------------------------------------------------------------- E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------- E7 e|--0---------------3-----1-----0--0-------------0-----------------------0---- b|--1------------1-----------------1----3-----------3-----0-----------0------- g|--2---------2--------2-----2-----2-------2-----------2--1--------1---------- D|--3------3-----------------------3----------3-----------2-----2------------- A|--0---0--------------------------0------------------------------------------ E|-----------------------------------------------------------0---------------- [Repeat 1st verse picking pattern] Lyrics: The Grave (Don McLean) [Without guitar] The grave that they dug him had flowers Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone He's gone [Intro - guitar] When the wars of our nation did beckon A man barely twenty did answer the calling Proud of the trust that he placed in our nation He's gone But eternity knows him And it knows what we've done [Strumming begins] And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers Leaving brown muddy clay where the earth had been dry And deep in the trench he waited for hours As held to his rifle and prayed not to die But the silence of night was shattered by fire As guns and grenades blasted sharp through the air One after another his comrades were slaughtered In a morgue of marines, alone standing there He crouched ever lower, ever lower of fear They can't let me die, they can't let me die here I'll cover myself with the mud and the earth I'll cover myself, I know I'm not brave! The earth, the earth, the earth is my grave [Solo] The grave that they dug him had flowers Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone He's gone Lyrics & guitar transcribed by: Lee Francis Wilhelmsen Erlevn 4, Lye 4340 Bryne Norway francis@GRIBB.hsr.no francis@hsr.no 19(C)95
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