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Fare Thee Well

Indigo Girls

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

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


FARE THEE WELL (Emily Saliers)
------------------------------
[Actually in F#; capo 6.]
[Tune both E strings down to D.]
[Complete tablature is at the end.]
[Some of the chord names are kind of strange; this is what happens
 when you use alternate tunings.  Refer to the tab at the end for
 fingerings.]
[Thanks to Rich Tebb and Mark Coiley for the collaboration on the tab.]


C   G(4)/F   Em7   Am9      F6(#4)   G   C(9)   G(4)/B
[intro]

C            G7/F            Em7   Am7
  Fare thee well, my bright star
                F6(#4)      G                C(9)   G(4)/B
I watched your taillights blaze into nothingness
C                    G7/F         Em7           Am9
  But you were long gone before I ever got to you
F6(#4)         G                  Am9   Am7
  Before you blazed past this address

    Dm7(4)  C(9)/E         F6(9)            G
And now I think of having loved and having lost
    Dm7(4)                C(9)/E         F6(9)    G7
You never know what it's like to never love
Dm7(4)              C(9)/E         F6(9)              G  -  G#dim
Who can say what's better when my heart's become the cost
        Am7         D11/A         G9/D          G9
A mere token of a brighter jewel sent from up above

Fare thee well, my bright star
The vanity of youth, the color of your eyes
Maybe if I'd fanned the blazing fire of your day-to-day
Or if I'd been older I'd been wise

Too thick the heat of those long summer evenings
For a cool evening I began to yearn
But you could only feed upon the things which feed a fire
Waiting to see if I would burn

Fare thee well, my bright star
It was a brief brilliant miracle dive
That which I looked up to and I clung to for dear life
       F6(#4)      G - G#dim   Am9          Am7
Had to burn itself up just to make itself alive

And I caught you then, in your moment of glory
Your last dramatic scene against a night sky stage
With a memory so clear it's as if you're still before me
My once in a lifetime star of an age

So fare thee well, my bright star
Last night the tongues of fire circled me around
And this strange season of pain will come to pass
When the healing hands of autumn cool me down


TAB:

[An equal sign is a hammer-on; / is a slide.]
[Play all the notes on the lower three strings with your thumb.]
[Each verse might have a few more or less notes, but the same fingerings.
 The only big difference is the extra G#dim (6x0x0x) in verse 3.]
[Actually, you can play it without tuning the high E down, if you want to
 avoid the risk of string breakage.  The only adjustment you have to make
 is in the second measure of the intro, and also on the "easy" version of
 the G9 measures.]

  C                G(4)/F           Em7              Am9
D ----------------|0---------0-----|----------------|----------------|
B ----------1-----|------1---------|----------0-----|0=1---0---------|
G ------0-------0-|--------------0-|------0-------0-|------0---0-----|
D ----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----2-------0---|
A 3-------3-------|----------------|--------2-------|0-------0-------|
D ----------------|3-------3-------|2---------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  [intro]

  F6(#4)           G                C(9)             G(4)/B
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------0-----|--0-------0-----|--1-------1-----|--1-------1-----|
G ------2-------2-|------4-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D ----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
A ----------------|----------------|3-------3-------|2-------2-------|
D 3-------3------/|5-------5-------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  [intro]

  C                G7/F             Em7              Am7
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------1-----|--3-------3-----|--0-------0-----|1---------1-----|
G ------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D ----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|
A 3-------3-------|----------------|--------2-------|0-------0-------|
D ----------------|3-------3-------|2---------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
        Fare thee well,  my bright star                   I watched your

  F6(#4)           G                C(9)             G(4)/B
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------0-----|--0-------0-----|----------1-----|--1-------1-----|
G ------2-------2-|------4-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D ----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
A ----------------|----------------|3-------3-------|2-------2-------|
D 3-------3------/|5-------5-------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
 taillights     blaze  into  nothingness

  C                G7/F             Em7              Am9
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------1-----|--3-------3-----|--0-------0-----|-----(1?)-0-----|
G ------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------5-------0-|
D ----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|
A 3-------3-------|----------------|--------2-------|0-------0-------|
D ----------------|3-------3-------|2---------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
    But you were long gone before I ever got to you

  F6(#4)           G                Am9              Am7
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------0-----|--0-------0-----|--1--(0?)-1-----|--1-------1-----|
G ------2-------2-|------4-------0-|------4-------2-|------0-------0-|
D ----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
A ----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
D 3-------3------/|5-------5-------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
      Before you blazed past this address                          And

  Dm7(4)           C(9)/E           F6(9)            G
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------1-----|--1-------1-----|--1-------1-----|--3-------3-----|
G ------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D ----3-------3---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D 0-------0-------|2-------2-------|3-------3-------|5-------5-------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  now       I   think   of having loved and having lost           You
  
  Dm7(4)           C(9)/E           F6(9)            G7
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------1-----|--1-------1-----|----------1-----|--0-------0-----|
G ------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|
D ----3-------3---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----3-------3---|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D 0-------0-------|2-------2-------|3-------3------/|5-------5-------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  never know what it's like to never love

  Dm7(4)           C(9)/E           F6(9)            G       G#dim
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------1-----|--1-------1-----|--1-------1-----|--3-------0---0-|
G ------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------0--(4?)---|
D ----3-------3---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----0-------3---|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D 0-------0-------|2-------2-------|3-------3-------|5-------6-------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  Who can say what's better and my heart's become the cost,  a mere

  Am7              D(11)/A          G9/D             G9
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------1-----|--3-------3-----|--6-------6-----|----------6-----|
G ------0-------0-|------0-------0-|------4-------4-|--------------0-|
D ----2-------2---|----4-------4---|----7-------7---|----7-------7---|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|5-------5-------|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|5-------5-------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
 token    of  a  brighter jewel   sent from above

[Note that in order to do the x5746x chord, you need to use your pinky
 and ring fingers for the Am7 and D(11/)A, rather than the index and
 middle fingers.  Then you slide up to the next chords, and use the
 index and middle fingers for the 5 and 4 in the G9.  If that's too
 hard, use the following instead:]

  Am7              D(11)/A          G9/D             G9
D ----------------|----------------|--3-------3-----|----------3-----|
B ----------1-----|--3-------3-----|------0-------0-|----------------|
G ------0-------0-|------0-------0-|----2-------2---|------------2-0-|
D ----2-------2---|----4-------4---|0-------0-------|----0-----------|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|----------------|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|5-------5-------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
 token    of  a  brighter jewel   sent from above


ENDING:
         Am(9)            Am(9)            Am(9)            Am(4)
       D ----------------|----------------|----------------|--------0-------|
       B --1-------1-----|--1-------1-----|--1-------1-----|------1---------|
       G ------4-------4-|------4-------4-|------4-------4-|----4-----------|
       D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|--2-------------|
       A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0---------------|
       D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
         ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
cool me down....

[Or you can play 0's on the B string instead of 4's on the G string; it sounds
 fine, but then the ending chord has to include a hammer-on from B to C.]
 


- Adam Schneider, schneider@pobox.com