World Before Columbus Suzanne Vega
World Before Colombus
written by Suzanne Vega
originally performed by Suzanne Vega
track #8 on "nine objects of desire"
"World Before Colombus" is a rather simple song. The chord
progression is easy, and the fingerpicking is simple as
well. I have included the lyrics with the basic chords,
and then the tablature below that.
Chords:
Em=022000 Dsus2/E=0x0230 Cmaj7=x32000 G=320033
Amsus=x02210 D/F#=2x0230 F=133211 Bm=x24400
C=x32010
Lyrics and chords:
[Dsus2/E](intro)
[Em]If your l[Cmaj7]ove were taken f[Bm]rom me[Cmaj7]
[Em]Every [Cmaj7]color would be b[Bm]lack and w[Cmaj7]hite.
[G]It would [D/F#]be as flat as the [Em]world before [Amsus]Colombus.
[G]That's the [D/F#]day that I lose [Em]half my [F]sight.[Dsus2/E]
[Em]If your [Cmaj7]life were taken f[Bm]rom me[Cmaj7]
[Em]All the [Cmaj7]trees would freeze in [Bm]this cold [Cmaj7]ground.
[G]It would b[D/F#]e as cold as the w[Em]orld before [Amsus]Colombus.
[G]Sail [D/F#]to the edge and I[Em]'ll be t[F]here, looking
[Dsus2/E]Down.
[G]Those [D/F#]men who lust for l[Em]and and for r[C]iches strange and [G]new,
All those [D/F#]trinkets of d[Em]esire, but they n[C]ever will have [G]you.
And they'll [D/F#]never know the [Em]gold or the c[C]opper in your h[G]air,
How c[D/F#]ould they weigh the [F]worth of you so r[Dsus2/E]are.
[Em]If your lo[Cmaj7]ve were taken f[Bm]rom me[Cmaj7]
[Em]Every [Cmaj7]light that's bright would [Bm]soon grow [Cmaj7]dim.
[G]It would b[D/F#]e as dark as the [Em]world before [Amsus]Colombus.
[G]Down the w[D/F#]aterfall and I[Em]'d swim o[F]ver the
[Dsus2/E]Brim.
[G]Those [D/F#]men who lust for l[Em]and and for ri[C]ches strange and [G]new,
All those [D/F#]trinkets of d[Em]esire, oh they n[C]ever will have y[G]ou.
And they'll [D/F#]never know the [Em]gold or the c[C]opper in your h[G]air,
How c[D/F#]ould they weigh the [F]worth of you so r[Dsus2/E]are.
[Dsus2/E](outro)
TAB notation:
P: pull off
h: hammer on
(intro riff)
[Dsus2/E]
E-------------------------------0-|------------------------B-------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3--G---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0----D---------------------------------|------------------------A---------------------------------|------------------------E-0-------------------------------|-0----------------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
-------0-|-------------------------------0-|--------------------3---|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3--2h4-----|---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2--------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|-0-------------------------------|-0-------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^
-----------------0-|| -------3-------3---|| -4---0-----2h4-----|| -------------------|| -------------------|| -------------------||
. + . ^ . + . ^ .
(verse)
[Em] [Cmaj7] [Bm] [Cmaj7]
---------------------------------|--------------------------------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0---------0--------------0---------------0---|-----------0------------------2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4-----------2--------------------3---------------|-2---------------3--------0-------------------------------|-------------------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
If your love were taken...
If your life were taken...
[Em] [Cmaj7] [Bm]
-------|---------------------------------|----------------------0-|-------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0------0---|-------------0---------------0---|-----------0------2-----|-----2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4--------------|-----------------3---------------|-2----------------------|-0-------------------------------|-----------------
. ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
[Cmaj7] [G] [D/F#] [Em]
-----------------|---------------------------------|--------------0---------|-------3---------------3---------|------------------------|-----------0---------------2-----|------------2-----2-----|-----0---------0-----0---------0-|-----2--3-----------0---|---------------------------------|------------------------|-3---------------2---------------|-0-----
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^
[Amsus] [G] [D/F#]
---------------------------|--------------------------------0---------------3---------|-------3---------------3------------0---------------2-----|-----------0---------------2------------0-----2---------0-|-----0---------0-----0--------------------0---------------|----------------------------------------------------------|-3---------------2-------------
. + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^
(these two measures go with the first verse)
[Em] [F]
---|--------------------------------|-----------------|| ---|-------0------------------------|-----------------|| ---|-----------0--------------------|-----------------|| -0-|-----2---------0----------------|-----------------|| ---|-----------------3--------------|-(3)-------------|| ---|-0---------------1--------------|-(1)-------------||
. + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
(these two measures go with the second and third verses;
they replace the two measures above)
[Em] [F]
---------------------------------|-----------------|| -------0(3)------------1---------|-------1---------|| -----------0---------------2-----|-----------2-----|| -----2---------0-----3---------3-|-----3---------3-|| ---------------------------------|-----------------|| -0---------------1---------------|-1---------------||
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
(pre-chorus riff)
[Dsus2/E]
-------------------------------0-|--------------------------------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3------------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------0-------------------------------|-0-----------------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
...down.
...brim.
(chorus riff)
[G] [D/F#] [Em]
---------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------2-2-2-2----------|---------------------------------|----------------0---2---|-3---------------2---------------|-0-------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^
[C]
-0-------0-0-0-0-0-|| -0-------1-1-1-1-1-|| -0-------0-0-0-0-0-|| -2-------2-2-2-2-2-|| ---3---------------|| -------------------||
. + . ^ . + . ^ .
(repeat chorus riff 3 times; the last time, play only the
first measure, then the chorus outro)
(chorus outro)
[F]
-------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-|| -------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-|| -------2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-2-2-|| -------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-3-3-|| ---------------------------------|-----------------|| -1---------------1---------------|-1---------------||
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
(play intro riff 2 times; replace the last measure with the
outro riff)
(outro riff)
[Dsus2/E]
-------------------------0------------------------------|| -----3-------3-------3---3------------------------------|| ---------2-----4---0-----4------------------------------|| -------------------------2------------------------------|| -------------------------0------------------------------|| -0-----------------------0------------------------------||
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . +
That's it everybody. Have fun.
Important: The song above is NOT stored on the Chordie server. The original song is hosted at www.azchords.com. Chordie works as a search engine and provides on-the-fly formatting. Chordie does not index songs against artists'/composers' will. To remove this song please click here.
