Chorus:
Oh my what a shame
No one’s to blame
It just happened that way
And there’s nothing you can [Am/G]say
When [Am/F#]two people say goodbye

Oh my…

Instrumental verse:
Am, G, F, C
Am, Am/G, Am/F#, F, E, Am

Verse:
Two brothers, promised they’d return
When the war that they were fighting was over
But only one lived to keep his vow
And the story I was told said he lived to be quite old
Before time won out
Someone asked if he knew what they both fought for
But he could not recall he had ever been to war

(Chorus)

Bridge:
For there’s nothing you can say when it’s over
And there’s nothing you can do when it’s done
There’s no battle you can win
And there’s [D/F#]nothing to begin
That’s not begun

Verse:
On this moment, I recall your face
And I wonder if you still think about me
Occasionally I still think of you
And I watch the river flow and I know I must let go
But it’s oh so hard
For the waves are all around my small canoe
I had always hoped this boat could carry two

(chorus again)

INTRO: G

No one can take your place with me
And time has proven that I’m right
There’s no place I’d rather be
Than at your place for the night

No time can pass your sight unseen
No moment steals away unfound
Lifetime lived in such a dream
Floats like a feather to the ground

CHORUS:
And for the first time I’ve been seeing
The things I’d never noticed without you
And for the first time I’m discovering
The things I used to treasure about you

The birds like leaves on Winterwood
Sing hopeful songs on dismal days
They’ve learned to live life as they should
They are at peace with Nature’s ways

You are as natural as the night
And all that springs from you is good
And the children born beneath your light
Are like the birds on Winterwood

CHORUS:
And for the first time I’ve been seeing
The things I’d never noticed without you
And for the first time I’m discovering
The things I used to treasure about you

To him that seems as in her dreams
Unbroken by the storm on the sea
But quiet deep and warm ever free
To give his love away

And when these two have found the land
The world is not the same
For though it spins when love begins
The world is not the same

This is one change I always have longed for
I always belonged more to you than to anyone

And in your hand the stars the sand
The rain and wind are new, as we live
And learn what love can do
When we give all our love away

And now we too have found the land
The world is not the same
For though it spins when love begins
The world is not the same

#----------------------------------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. #
#

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##

#It’s just the sun
#
#Taken from Don McLean album Chain Lightning
#
#A really simple tune which was also released
#in a Spanish version: Yo Soy Tu Eres
#
#Only two chords are used. Listen to the album

e|----------0-----------0-------0---|----------1-----------1-------1---|
b|----------1-----------1-------1---|----------0-----------0-------0---|
g|------0-----------0---------------|------0-----------0---------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|--3-----------0-------------------|--2-----------0-------------------|
E|--------------------------3-------|--------------------------3-------|

Lyrics:
It’s just the sun
It’s just the sun that’s shining in your eyes
It’s just the moon that is the sun’s disguise
Just the sky with clouds that blowin’ by (?)
The sun and the moon and the sky and you and I
It’s just the rain that’s rolling down my cheak
It’s just the wind that makes me hear you speak
It’s just the song that anyone can sing
The rain and the wind and the song and the love you bring
It’s just the world that’s gonna break your heart
It’s just the past that’s tearing us apart
It’s just the time we have so little of
The world and the past and the time that we fell in love
It’s just the sun that’s shining in your eyes
It’s just the moon that is the sun’s disguise
It’s just the sky with clouds that blowin’ by
The sun and the moon and the sky and you and I
Guitar part and lyrics transcribed by
Lee Francis Wilhelmsen
francis@GRIBB.hsr.no
francis@hsr.no
19(C)94.

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##

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:

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…

e|--------------------------------3------------------------------------------------|
b|----------1--1/31-p0--------------0/1-----------------------------------------|
g|-------2-----2/42-p0--------0----- 0/2--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.

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.

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.

e|--------0---------------------5-------------0-------------------------------|
b|-strum--1---------------------6-------------3-------------------------------|
g|--------0---------------------7-------------1-------------------------------|
D|--------2---------------------7-------------0-------------------------------|
A|--------3---------------------5-------------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.

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.

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

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.

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)

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----------------------------|

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|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

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

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

Lee Francis Wilhelmsen
Erlevn 4, Lye
4340 Bryne
Norway

[19(C)95]