My God

Song

#----------------------------------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: BROCKMAN@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu

MY GOD

Jethro Tull

from: Aqualung, 1971

Transcribed by:

brockman@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu (Bob Brockman)

Corrections welcome (please email) - Thanks.

Notes:

1. On the Aqualung album, a lot of the guitar is covered over

by the strong piano parts. I gleaned most of the guitar

background from a bootleg recording on which this cut

consists pretty much of Ian Anderson and acoustic guitar.

Might be a little different from what's played on the

album.

2. My naming of a couple of the more bizarre chords might be

off; if my ignorance is showing, someone let me know

(gently) where I'm all wet.

3. The lyrics below are different in 2-3 places from the ones

printed in the album liner notes; this happens in spots

where I'm pretty sure the liner notes are off.

Intro:

e|----------------|--------------------||
B|----------------|--------------------||
G|----------------|--------------------||
D|---7-----------7|----7---7---7--5-h7-||
A|-0--------------|--0---0---0---------||
E|----------------|--------------------||

let ring | repeat several times,

at increasing tempo

Am B7/A

e|----------------|----------------|
B|-5--------------|-4--------------|
G|-5--------------|-4--------------|
D|-7--------------|-7--------------|
A|-0--------------|-0--------------|
E|----------------|----------------|       Repeat to this point 2x

finger pick in let ring

this position

for a while...

e|---------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------2--------2-s4--------|
D|------------------------0-2-3--------3---s5----5---|
A|-0---0------------0-2-3----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|

let ring

Verse 1:

Part 1: This part can either be strummed (muting both E and e)

or finger-picked. The Aqualung album version seems to

be mostly strumming, but it's almost overpowered by the

piano part once that starts. On the bootleg, Anderson

finger-picks it, and it sounds really nice. If you do

finger-pick it, throwing in a little of the high 'e'

string sounds good -- play with it and see.

Am B7addE/A DmaddE/A E7/A Am

e|--0-------------------------4-----0-----|   Repeated twice as intro,
B|-10--0------------6---------5----10-----|   before piano line begins.
G|--9--8------------7---------4-----9-----|   Then repeated throughout
D|-10--7------------7---------0----10-----|   first part of each verse.
A|--0--0--------0---0---------0-----0-----|   See below for timing.
E|----------------------------------------|

Here's how it lines up with the lyrics:

Am B7 Dm E7 Am Am B7

People, what have you done

Dm E7 Am Am B7 Dm E7 Am

Locked Him in His golden cage

Am B7 Dm E7 Am Am B7

Made Him bend to your religion

Dm E7 Am Am B7 Dm E7 Am B7 Dm E7

Him resurrected from the grave

Part 2: Chords, all strummed:

D G

He is the God of nothing,

C G Am B7 Dm E7 Am Am B7 Dm E7

If that's all that you can see

D G

You are the God of everything,

C G D CaddD D ( CaddD = XX0030 )

He's inside you and me.

Verse 2:

Am B7 Dm E7 Am Am B7

So lean upon Him gently

Dm E7 Am

And don't call on him to save

Riff #1

e|--------------------------|      This riff replaces the Am - B7addE/A etc.
B|--------------------------|      chord progression for the remainder of
G|--------------------------|      the verse.  There are a couple of minor
D|--------------------------|      variations here and there, very simple.
A|--7--6------5-3-----------|
E|---------------5-0-3-5----|

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ <-- rough idea of timing: 6/8, ^ = 1/8

(keep playing Riff #1 here ...) D C

you from your social graces, and the sins you used to waive.

D G

The bloody Church of England,

C G (Riff #1 again)

in chains of history,

D G

requests your earthly presence

C G D C D

at the vicarage for tea.

Solo section: (sorry for the lack of detail here, but I'm pretty lame at

picking out solos note for note)

Lead-in to flute solo:

Chord progression is: Am E D C G (2x)

Solo riff here is blues scale rooted at fret 5 through Am-E-D,

then up to fret 8 at the change to C, etc.

Flute solo:

Background chord progression is: A E D/F# G

Gregorian chant section:

(No instrumental part here.)

Next, repeat same chord pattern used during flute solo: A E D/F# G

Then return to: Am B7 Dm E to lead in to verse 3

Verse 3

(Same as Verse 2; start quietly, then switch to Riff #1 on "crucifix"):

And the graven image you-know-who,

with His plastic crucifix,

Confuses me as to who and where and why,

and to how He gets His kicks.

Confessing to the endless sin,

the endless whining sounds.

You'll be praying 'til next Thursday,

to all the Gods that you can count.

Repeat lead-in section to flute solo (same chord pattern, different solo)

End with:

Am B7 Dm E7 Am B7 Dm E7 Am B7 Dm E7 Am B7