World Before Columbus by Suzanne Vega #----------------------------------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. # #------------------------------------------------------------------------------# # World Before Colombus written by Suzanne Vega originally performed by Suzanne Vega track #8 on "nine objects of desire" transcribed by Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com) "World Before Colombus" is a rather simple song. The chord progression is easy, and the fingerpicking is simple as well. I have included the lyrics with the basic chords, and then the tablature below that. Chords: Em=022000 Dsus2/E=0x0230 Cmaj7=x32000 G=320033 Amsus=x02210 D/F#=2x0230 F=133211 Bm=x24400 C=x32010 Lyrics and chords: Dsus2/E [intro] Em Cmaj7 Bm Cmaj7 If your love were taken from me Em Cmaj7 Bm Cmaj7 Every color would be black and white. G D/F# Em Amsus It would be as flat as the world before Colombus. G D/F# Em F Dsus2/E That's the day that I lose half my sight. Em Cmaj7 Bm Cmaj7 If your life were taken from me Em Cmaj7 Bm Cmaj7 All the trees would freeze in this cold ground. G D/F# Em Amsus It would be as cold as the world before Colombus. G D/F# Em F Sail to the edge and I'll be there, looking Dsus2/E Down. G D/F# Em C G Those men who lust for land and for riches strange and new, D/F# Em C G All those trinkets of desire, but they never will have you. D/F# Em C G And they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair, D/F# F Dsus2/E How could they weigh the worth of you so rare. Em Cmaj7 Bm Cmaj7 If your love were taken from me Em Cmaj7 Bm Cmaj7 Every light that's bright would soon grow dim. G D/F# Em Amsus It would be as dark as the world before Colombus. G D/F# Em F Down the waterfall and I'd swim over the Dsus2/E Brim. G D/F# Em C G Those men who lust for land and for riches strange and new, D/F# Em C G All those trinkets of desire, oh they never will have you. D/F# Em C G And they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair, D/F# F Dsus2/E How could they weigh the worth of you so rare. Dsus2/E [outro] TAB notation: P: pull off h: hammer on (intro riff) Dsus2/E E-------------------------------0-|------------------------B-------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3--G---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0----D---------------------------------|------------------------A---------------------------------|------------------------E-0-------------------------------|-0---------------------- + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . -------0-|-------------------------------0-|--------------------3---|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3--2h4-----|---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2--------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|-0-------------------------------|-0------------- + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ -----------------0-|| -------3-------3---|| -4---0-----2h4-----|| -------------------|| -------------------|| -------------------|| . + . ^ . + . ^ . (verse) Em Cmaj7 Bm Cmaj7 ---------------------------------|--------------------------------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0---------0--------------0---------------0---|-----------0------------------2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4-----------2--------------------3---------------|-2---------------3--------0-------------------------------|------------------------- + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . If your love were taken... If your life were taken... Em Cmaj7 Bm -------|---------------------------------|----------------------0-|-------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0------0---|-------------0---------------0---|-----------0------2-----|-----2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4--------------|-----------------3---------------|-2----------------------|-0-------------------------------|----------------- . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . Cmaj7 G D/F# Em -----------------|---------------------------------|--------------0---------|-------3---------------3---------|------------------------|-----------0---------------2-----|------------2-----2-----|-----0---------0-----0---------0-|-----2--3-----------0---|---------------------------------|------------------------|-3---------------2---------------|-0----- + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ Amsus G D/F# ---------------------------|--------------------------------0---------------3---------|-------3---------------3------------0---------------2-----|-----------0---------------2------------0-----2---------0-|-----0---------0-----0--------------------0---------------|----------------------------------------------------------|-3---------------2------------- . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ (these two measures go with the first verse) Em F ---|--------------------------------|-----------------|| ---|-------0------------------------|-----------------|| ---|-----------0--------------------|-----------------|| -0-|-----2---------0----------------|-----------------|| ---|-----------------3--------------|-(3)-------------|| ---|-0---------------1--------------|-(1)-------------|| . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . (these two measures go with the second and third verses; they replace the two measures above) Em F ---------------------------------|-----------------|| -------0(3)------------1---------|-------1---------|| -----------0---------------2-----|-----------2-----|| -----2---------0-----3---------3-|-----3---------3-|| ---------------------------------|-----------------|| -0---------------1---------------|-1---------------|| + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . (pre-chorus riff) Dsus2/E -------------------------------0-|--------------------------------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3------------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------0-------------------------------|-0----------------------- + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . ...down. ...brim. (chorus riff) G D/F# Em ---------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------2-2-2-2----------|---------------------------------|----------------0---2---|-3---------------2---------------|-0------------- + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ C -0-------0-0-0-0-0-|| -0-------1-1-1-1-1-|| -0-------0-0-0-0-0-|| -2-------2-2-2-2-2-|| ---3---------------|| -------------------|| . + . ^ . + . ^ . (repeat chorus riff 3 times; the last time, play only the first measure, then the chorus outro) (chorus outro) F -------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-|| -------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-|| -------2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-2-2-|| -------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-3-3-|| ---------------------------------|-----------------|| -1---------------1---------------|-1---------------|| + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . (play intro riff 2 times; replace the last measure with the outro riff) (outro riff) Dsus2/E -------------------------0------------------------------|| -----3-------3-------3---3------------------------------|| ---------2-----4---0-----4------------------------------|| -------------------------2------------------------------|| -------------------------0------------------------------|| -0-----------------------0------------------------------|| + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + That's it everybody. Have fun. transcribed by: Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com) www.TAB6.com