#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
#
MELISSA (by Allman Bros.; covered by Indigo Girls)
--------------------------------------------------
[E=022100; F#m7(4)=x44200; Emaj7=066400; A=x02220; Bm=x24432; Amaj7=x06654;
Cmaj7=332000 or x35500; A(9)=577600; B(4)=799800; C#m=466544; B=x24442.]
[I'm not sure how to finger the chord I listed as B*. You could try
x24440 or x24442. I usually play B5 (2244xx), because it's easy.]
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4) Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
[intro; see tab #1 at end of file]
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4) Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
The crossroads seem to come and go
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
The gypsy flies from coast to coast
A Bm Amaj7 Bm
Knowing many, loving none
E F#m7(4) Emaj7 F#m7(4)
Bearing sorrow, having fun
Cmaj7 Cmaj7 B* [hold]
But back home he'll always run
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4) Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
To sweet Melissa [tab #2]
The freight train, each car looks the same, all the same
No one knows the gypsy's name
No one hears his lonely sigh
There are no blankets where he lies
In all his deepest dreams the gypsy flies
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4) Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
With sweet Melissa [guitar solo; tab #3]
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4) Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
[guitar solo; tab #3]
E E D(9) D(9)
Again the morning's come, again he's on the run
A(9) A(9) B(4)* B(4)*
Sunbeams shining through his hair, appearing not to have a care
C#m C#m A A B B (2-bar riff, no chord)
Pick up your gear and gypsy, roll on, roll on [tab #4]
Crossroads, will you ever let him go
Will you hide the dead man's ghost
Or will he lie beneath the plain
Or will his spirit float away
Cmaj7 Cmaj7 B* [hold]
But I know he won't stay here
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
Without Melissa [tab #5]
Cmaj7 Cmaj7 B [hold]
Yes I know that he won't stay here
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4) Emaj7 Emaj7
Without Melissa [tab #6]
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4) Emaj7 Emaj7
[instrumental; tab #6]
RHYTHM:
Amy's part has a rhythm like this through most of the song:
("V" is a loud strum, "v" is soft.)
V v V v V V V V v v
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -
TAB:
[T is the 10th fret; E is 11; W is 12. I did this so that the spacing
would still make sense.]
[An equal sign (=) is a hammer-on or pull-off; a tilde (~) is a bend.]
["9E" or any other numbers right next to each other are just a fast
hammer-on.]
TAB #1: intro
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|----------------|----------------|--------4-5-7/9-|
G ----------------|----------------|4=6-------------|----4-6---------|
D ----------------|--------2-4-4/6-|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----2=4---------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E 7---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|T=9-------------|----------------|----------------|
G ----------------|----E=9-9E------|----------------|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|9E--9-----------|------2-4/6-----|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|--2=4-----------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/i/indigo_girls/melissa_tab.html ]
TAB #2: end of first verse
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B --------9(10)9--|----------------|----------------|--------9-T-W---|
G --------[bend]--|9E--9-----------|----------------|----9-E---------|
D ----------------|------E-9E--9---|9E------9---9---|--9E------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ------W---------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B W---T-------T=9-|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G ----------------|E---9E--9-------|----------------|----4---2---1---|
D ----------------|----------E-9=E-|9-----------2=4-|4/6-------------|
A ----------------|----------------|--------2=4-----|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
TAB #3: guitar solo
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|T~--9~~~~--(T-T)|(T)9-------------|--------T=9---W-|
G ------------9-E-|[bend]----[bent-|[rel.]---9E------|----------------|
D --------9-E-----|---------up from|-------------9---|----------------|
A ----------------|---------fret 9]|-----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------W-----|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----T=9---------|T=9---W---T---9T|--9-------------|----------------|
G ----------------|----------------|--------9E--9---|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|--------------E-|9E--9-----------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|------------2=4-|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|------------4---|454---7-----5=4-|--------0-----0-|
B ----------------|5=4---4-5-7-----|----5-----------|5-----------5---|
G ------------4=6-|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D 2-------46------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E --0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|--0---2-----4---|--2---0---------|
B 4---2---0-------|----------------|0---0-----0-----|----------------|
G ------------4---|2---1---2---4---|----------------|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
TAB #4: riff at end of bridge
E
E ----------------|----------------|0-
B ----------------|4=5--4----2-----|0-
G 2=1-----2/4---4-|----------------|1-
D ----2-----------|----------------|2-
A ----------------|----------------|2-
E ----------------|----------------|0-
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
TAB #5: riff in last chorus
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|T---T-----------|----------------|----------------|
G ----------------|E---------------|------------4=6-|4---------------|
D ----------------|--------9E--9---|------2-4/6-----|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----24----------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
TAB #6: ending
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|--------------W-|----------------|
B ----------------|--------9-T=9---|W-------T=9-----|----T=9---------|
G ----------------|----9=E---------|----------------|--------E=9-----|
D ----------------|9=E-------------|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G ------------4=6-|4-------4=6-4---|----------------|----1=2-1-------|
D ----2=4-4/6-----|--------------4-|4-4-4-4-4---4---|------------0---|
A 2=4-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
E E F#m7(4) F#m7(4)
E ----------------|0-----0---------|----------------|--------7-9-----|
B ----------------|--0-----0-------|--------------4-|5-7-7/9---------|
G ----------1-1=2-|----2-----2-----|----------4-6---|----------------|
D 2---------------|------------0---|----2=4/6-------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|2=4-------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Emaj7 Emaj7 F#m7(4) F#m7(4) E.
E --------------5-|----4---2-------|----------------|----------------|0-
B ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|0-
G ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|1-
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|2-
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|2-
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|0-
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
- Adam Schneider, schneider@pobox.com
