ACTIVITY
The Ocean
#
From [email protected] Tue Apr 8 13:08:25 1997
standard tuning, no capo. Each chord name or dash indicates one dotted
quarter note (one beat, since the song is in 12/8 most of the time).
Frequently on successive A chords, Dar does a hammer-on/pull-off, so
A-Asus4 is more accurate. Similarly, on successive D chords, she
frequently does D-Dsus2 (pulling off on the high E string). Finally, the
pattern G - Em - is frequently really G G/F# Em Em (listen for a
descending bass line on the recording to find out exactly when). This
transcription condenses the acoustic and electric guitar parts, is
faithful primarily to the acoustic part, and is playable on a solo
acoustic.
The Ocean
by Dar Williams
from the album _Mortal City_
intro: G G/F# / Em - / A - / D - / - -
G - Em - - -
When I went to your town on the wide open shore
A - D D G
Oh I must confess, I was drawn, I was drawn to the ocean,
G Em - - -
I thought it spoke to me
A A Bm G
It said, "Look at us, we're not churches, not schools
A Bm
Not skating ponds, swimming pools.
G - Em - - -
And we have lost people, haven't we though?"
A - D -
Oh, that's what the ocean can know of a body
G G A -
And that's when I came back to town
- - F#m
This town is a song about you
G A Bm G
You don't know how lucky you are
A Bm G A
You don't know how much I adore you
Bm G A Em - A - D - - -
You are the welcoming back from the ocean
G - Em - - -
I went back to the ocean today
A - D - G
With my books and my papers I went to the rocks by the ocean
- Em -
But the weather changed quickly
A - Bm G
Oh the ocean said, "What are you trying to find,
A Bm
I don't care, I'm not kind
G - Em - - -
I've bludgeoned your sailors, I've spat out their keepsakes,
A - D -
Oh it's ashes to ashes but always the ocean,"
G - A -
But the ocean can't come to this town
- - F#m
This town is a song about you
G A Bm G
You don't know how lucky you are
A Bm G A
You don't know how much I adore you
Bm G A Em - A - D - - -
You are the welcoming back from the ocean
Interlude: G - A Bm (4x) G - Em - A - D -
(same chords as last five lines of previous verse)
And the ones that can know you so well
Are the ones that can swallow you whole
I have a good and I have an evil
I thought the ocean, the ocean thought nothing
You are a welcoming back from the ocean.
(same as previous full verse, up to the last line)
I didn't go back today,
I wanted to show you that I was more land than water
I went to pick flowers.
I brought them to you, look at me, look at them
With their salt up the stem
But you frowned when I smiled and I tried to arrange them
You said, "Let me tell you the song of this town,"
You said, "Everything closes at five.
After that, well you just got the bars
You don't know how precious you are
Walking around with your little shoes dangling
Bm G A Em -
I am the one who lives with the ocean,
A -
It's where we came from, you know,
- - F#m
And sometimes I just want to go back.
G A Bm G
After a day, we drink till we're drowning
A Bm G A
Walk to the ocean, wade in with our workboots,
Bm G - D
Wade in our workboots, try to finish the job.
G A Bm G
You don't know how precious you are
A Bm G A
I am the one who lives with the ocean
Bm G A Bm
You don't know how I am the one.
G A Bm Em - A - D - - -
You don't know how I am the one"
Ending: repeat G - A Bm to fade
Enjoy,
Steve
--
[email protected] banafish on PBeM, IGS, FIBS ><> Bananafish ><>
http://www.cs.oberlin.edu/students/spostel he slept on leptons taco cat
"It's in B flat! We can't play it!"--Mike Mills tahini hat
From [email protected] Fri Apr 18 10:40:25 1997
(A copy of this message has also been posted to the following newsgroups:
rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature)
The Ocean
by Dar Williams
from her album _Mortal City_, published by Razor & Tie Entertainment, LLC.
All of the chords here are pretty straightforward. G/F# is just your
usual G major with an F# in the bass (that's 2nd fret on the low E
string). Instead of specifying major and minor, I've used capital letters
for major and lower-case for minor.
On the album there's a lot of extra stuff - electic guitar, violin, bass,
drums. It does OK with just voice and acoustic guitar, though.
I wrote out the rhythm for the intro; for the rest you're on your own.
Intro:
G / G/F# / e / e / A / A / D / A / D / A /
G G/F# e
When I went to your town on the wide open shore,
A D G
Oh I must confess I was drawn, I was drawn to the ocean,
G/F# e A
I thought it spoke to me, it said, ?Look at us,
b G A b G
We're not churches, not schools, not skating ponds, swimming pools,
e
And we have lost people, haven?t we though??
A D
Oh, that's what the ocean can know of a body,
G A f#
And that's when I came back to town, this town is a song about you.
G A b G A b G A
You don't know how lucky you are, you don't know how much I adore you,
b G A e A D
You are the welcoming back from the ocean.
G G/F# e
I went back to the ocean today,
A D G
With my books and my papers I went to the rocks by the ocean,
G/F# e A
But the weather changed quickly, oh the ocean said,
b G A b
?What are you trying to find, I don?t care, I?m not kind,
G e
I?ve bludgeouned your sailors, I?ve spat out their keepsakes,
A D
Oh it?s ashes to ashes, but always the ocean,?
G A f#
But the ocean can't come to this town, this town is a song about you.
G A b G A b G A
You don't know how lucky you are, you don't know how much I adore you,
b G A e A D
You are the welcoming back from the ocean.
Interlude: (La la)
G G/F# A b (4 times)
G e A D
G A f#
And the ones that can know you so well are the ones that can swallow you whole.
G A b G A b G A
I have a good and I have an evil, I thought the ocean, the ocean thought
nothing,
b G e A D
You are the welcoming back from the ocean.
G G/F# e
I didn't go back today,
A D G
I wanted to show you that I was more land than water,
G/F# e A
I went to pick flowers. I brought them to you,
b G A b
Look at me, look at them, with their salt up the stem,
G e
But you frowned when I smiled and I tried to arrange them,
A D
You said, ?Let me tell you the song of this town,?
G A f#
You said, ?Everything closes at five. After that, well, you just got the bars,
G A b G
You don?t know how precious you are,
A b G A
walking around with your little shoes dangling,
b G A e
I am the one who lives with the ocean,
A f#
It's where we came from, you know, and sometimes I just want to go back.
G A b G
After a day, we drink ?til we?re drowning,
A b G A
walk to the ocean, wade in with our workboots,
b G D
Wade in our workboots, try to finish the job.
G A b G A b G A
You don't know how precious you are, I am the one who lives with the ocean.
b G A b G A b e A D
You don't know how I am the one. You don't know how I am the one.?
Interlude: (La la)
G G/F# A b (22 times, fading out)
Enjoy,
Dave
--
Dave Lorand
http://www.cs.earlham.edu/~davel/
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