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The Grave

Don Mclean

Text File

#----------------------------------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: francis@gribb.hsr.no (Wilhelmsen, Lee F.)

The Grave

	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:
                          C                                E7
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...
   Am                    G                     C           B        E
e|--------------------------------3------------------------------------------------|
b|----------1--1/3\1-p0--------------0/1\0-----------------------------------------|
g|-------2-----2/4\2-p0--------0-----    0/2\0--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.
   Am       G        C        E                     A
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.
                                                           E7
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.
          C                     Dm            E7
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.
          C                Dm             E7
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.
          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-----------------|
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.
         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

francis@GRIBB.hsr.no
francis@hsr.no
19(C)95