#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: francis@gribb.hsr.no (Wilhelmsen, Lee F.)
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-------------------------------
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/mclean_don/the_grave_tab.html ]
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]
transcribed by:
Lee Francis Wilhelmsen
Erlevn 4, Lye
4340 Bryne
Norway
francis@GRIBB.hsr.no
francis@hsr.no
19(C)95
Lyrics:
