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The Grave cover art

The Grave

Don Mclean
Tab
★4.8(13)

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

Strumming part begins

And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers.

Am Bm/A Dm E7

e|---------0--------------0-------------1-------------0-----------------------|
B|-strum---1--------------3-------------3-------------3-----------------------|
G|---------2--------------4-------------2-------------1------ Repeat this ----|
D|---------2--------------4-------------0-------------0------ sentence 3  ----|
A|---------0--------------0---------------------------2------ times       ----|
E|----------------------------------------------------0-----------------------|

As he held to his rifle and prayed not to die.

C/G Dm E7

e|--------0---------------------1-------------0-------------------------------|
B|-strum--1---------------------3-------------3-------------------------------|
G|--------0---------------------2-------------1-------------------------------|
D|--------2---------------------0-------------0-------------------------------|
A|--------3-----------------------------------2-------------------------------|
E|--------3-----------------------------------0-------------------------------|

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----------------1--------------0-----------------------------------|
B|-strum--1----------------3--------------3-----------------------------------|
G|--------0----------------2--------------1-----------------------------------|
D|--------2----------------0--------------0-----------------------------------|
A|--------3-------------------------------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----------1-----|
B|-strum--1-----------------------------3-------------------1----------3-----|
G|--------2-----------------------------1-------------------0----------2-----|
D|--------3-----------------------------0-------------------2----------0-----|
A|-------(3)----------------------------2-------------------3----------------|
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

Lyrics:

The Grave (Don McLean)

Without guitar

The grave that they dug him had flowers

Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours

And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone

He's gone

Intro - guitar

When the wars of our nation did beckon

A man barely twenty did answer the calling

Proud of the trust that he placed in our nation

He's gone

But eternity knows him

And it knows what we've done

Strumming begins

And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers

Leaving brown muddy clay where the earth had been dry

And deep in the trench he waited for hours

As held to his rifle and prayed not to die

But the silence of night was shattered by fire

As guns and grenades blasted sharp through the air

One after another his comrades were slaughtered

In a morgue of marines, alone standing there

He crouched ever lower, ever lower of fear

They can't let me die, they can't let me die here

I'll cover myself with the mud and the earth

I'll cover myself, I know I'm not brave!

The earth, the earth, the earth is my grave

Solo

The grave that they dug him had flowers

Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours

And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone

He's gone

Lyrics & guitar transcribed by:

Lee Francis Wilhelmsen

Erlevn 4, Lye

4340 Bryne

Norway

Comments

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