Van der Graaf Generator - Man-Erg
from the album Pawn Hearts (1971).
Transcribed by Cory (coryp23@gmail.com), August 2011
| F | C | Dm | C |
F C Dm C
The killer lives inside me: yes, I can feel him move.
F C Dm C
Sometimes he's lightly sleeping in the quiet of his room,
G C Dm Em Dm C G
but then his eyes will rise and stare through mine;
C Dm Em Dm C Am G
he'll speak my words and slice my mind inside.
F C Dm C
Yes the killer lives
F C Dm C
Angels live inside me: I can feel them smile...
F C Dm C
Their presence strokes and soothes the tempest in my mind
G C Dm Em Dm C Gsus G
and their love can heal the wounds that I have wrought
C Dm Em Dm C Am
They watch me as I go to fall
G
-well, I know I shall be caught,
F C Dm C
while the angels live.
Adim
|-----------|-------------|
|-----------|-------------|
|-5-5-5-5-5-|-------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-|-------------|
|-----------|-------------|
|-5-5-5-5-5-|-6-8-5-8-4-8-|
How can I be free?
How can I get help?
Am I really me?
Am I someone else?
Organ plays these chords over the riff after the vocals: (3m41s)
Cm Bdim
|-8-8-8-8-8-|-6-8-5-8-4-8-| |-8-8-8-8-8-|-6-8-5-8-4-8-|
Cm Bdim
|-8-8-8-8-8-|-6-8-5-8-4-8-| |-8-8-8-8-8-|-6-8-5-8-4-8-|
Bbm Fm
|-8-8-8-8-8-|-6-8-5-8-4-8-| |-8-8-8-8-8-|-6-8-5-8-4-8-|
repeat riff, slowing down
Maybe something like this on the last one:
Ao Bb Ao Ab
|-8-8-8-8-8-|-6-8-5-8-4---|
|-7-7-7-7-7-|-6---4-7-4---|
|-8-8-8-8-8-|-7---5-8-5---|
|-7-7-7-7-7-|-8---4-7-6---|
|-----------|-8-------6---|
|-----------|-6-------4---|
Fm9 Dm#11
|----3-----3-1-----1----|----4------4-1-----1----|
|----1-----1-1-----1----|----3------3-1-----1----|
|----1-----1-1-----1----|----5------5-1-----1----| x2
|-3------3-------3---3--|-0-------0-------0---0--|
|-----------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------------|------------------------|
Fmaj9 Dm11
|----3-----3-1-----1----|----3------3-1-----1----|
|----1-----1-1-----1----|----3------3-3-----3----|
|----2-----2-2-----2----|----2------2-2-----2----|
|-3------3-------3---3--|-0-------0-------0---0--|
|-----------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------------|------------------------|
Fmaj9 Dm11
But stalking in my cloisters hang the acolytes of gloom
Fmaj9 Dm11
and Death's Head throws his cloak into the corner of my room
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/v/van_der_graaf_generator/man_erg_crd.html ]
Bb+ Bb Bbo F maj9 Dm11
|-2--1--0--|-1--3-----3-1-----1----|----3------3-1-----1----|
|-3--3--2--|-1--1-----1-1-----1----|----3------3-3-----3----|
|-3--3--0--|-2--2-----2-2-----2----|----2------2-2-----2----|
|----------|-3------3-------3---3--|-0-------0-------0---0--|
|-1--1--1--|-----------------------|------------------------|
|----------|-----------------------|------------------------|
and I am doomed...
Fmaj9 Dm11
Fmaj9 Dm11
But laughing in my courtyard play the pranksters of my youth
Fmaj9 Dm11
and solemn, waiting Old Man in the gables of the roof:
Bb+ Bb Bbo Fmaj9
he tells me truth...
| Fmaj9 | Dm11 | Fmaj9 | Dm11 |
| Fmaj9 | Dm11 | Bb Bb+ Bb Bbo | Fmaj9 |
| Dm11 | Am | Gm | Dsus D |
| Csus C | Bb | A7sus A7 | Dsus D |
| Csus C | Bb Bb+ Bb Bbo | F |
| C D | D | Eb F | F |
| C D | D | Eb Fm Fm Fm A A G | FFF AbAbAb | (4/4, 4/4, 5/4, 2/4)
| Bb7 | F
F C Dm C
And I too, live inside me and very often don't know who I am:
F C Dm C
I know I'm not a hero, well, I hope that I'm not damned.
G C Dm Em Dm C Gsus G
I'm just a man, and killers, angels, all are these:
C Dm Em Dm C Am G
Dictators, saviours, refugees in war and peace
F C Dm C
as long as Man lives...
G C Dm Em Dm C Gsus G
I'm just a man, and killers, angels, all are these:
C Dm Em Dm C Am G
Dictators, saviours, refugees
C Dm Em Dm C Gsus G
C Dm Em Dm C Am G <- at this point the diminished riff comes back
C Dm Em Dm C G
C Dm Em Dm C Am
Adim Ab A A Gm F F F
|--------------4-4-4--5----5----3--1-1-1-|
|--------------4-4-4--5----5----3--1-1-1-|
|--5-5-5-5-5---5-5-5--6----6----3--2-2-2-|
|--4-4-4-4-4---6-6-6--7----7----5--3-3-3-|
|--------------6-6-6--7----7----5--3-3-3-|
|--5-5-5-5-5---4-4-4--5----5----3--1-1-1-|
| Ab Ab Ab Bb Bb Ab | Gb Gb E |
| D D D F F F | Ebm |
| Ebm Ebm Ebm Dm Dm Dm | C#m Cm B |
| Bb Bb Bb A A A | Ab G F# |
| F
