search
Life Is A Long Song
Jethro Tull
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:
Subject: Tab: Jethro Tull - Life Is A Long Song
To: guitar@nevada.edu
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 20:08:17 +0200 (MET DST)
X-Charset: ASCII
X-Char-Esc: 29
Here is my version of Jethro Tulls Life's A Long Song. I've put most of the
work in the intro as this is the the hard part. The key to master this song
is to get the picking and rythm right. I've therefore included the number of
beats in each bar and indicated how the string should be played(upstroke or
downstroke) in the first 17 bars. After this point it is easier to listen to
the record to get it right.
^ - downstroke
v - upstroke
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
()- play these weak or ignore them
Standard tuning, capo at 7th fret. All fret numbers are relativ to capo.
LIFE IS A LONG SONG (Jethro Tull)
---------------------------------
_____ upstroke here to get more sound out of 2.string than 3.
| or ignore the (2) and play downstroke
|
v
^ v ^ v v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v
|-------2-------|-------0---0-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|---------0h3p0-|-----1-1---1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|
|-----2--(2)----|---0---0--(0)|-----0-0-0-0-|-0-4-4-4-4-4-|
|---0-----------|-0-----------|-0-2---------|-------------|
|-0-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
^ v ^ v ^ ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v
|-------2-------|-----0-0---0-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-----3---0h3p0-|---1---1---1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|
|---2-----------|-0-----0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-0-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-0-------------|-------------|-0-2---------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
_____ An alternative here is to play -4- on 3.string.
| I'm not sure which of them Ian is playing, but
| I prefer -0- on 2.string
|
|
v
^ v ^ v ^ ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v
|-2-----2-----|-2---2-0-----|-0-----0-0-0-|-0-----------|
|-3---------0-|-3---3---1---|-1-----1-1-1-|-1-0(0)0-----|
|-2-------2---|-2---2-----2-|-0-----0-0-0-|-0(0)0(0)0-2-|
|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|-0-----------|
|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
^ ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v v v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------------|-------------|-----------0h2|
|-3---3-3-3-3-|------(3)--0-|h1-----1-1-0-|-3---2-2-0-3--|
|-2---2-2-2-2-|---0-2-0---0-|-------0-0-0-|-2---2-2-2-2--|
|-0-----------|-4-----------|-------------|-----------0--|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
v v ^ v
||-2-----2-----|-2-----2-2-2-|-0-----0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-----|
||-3---------0-|-3-----3-3-3-|-1-----1-1-1-|-1-0-0-0-----|
||-2-------2---|-2-----2-2-2-|-0-----0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-2-|
||-------------|-0-----------|-2-----------|-------------|
||-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
||-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1 2 3 4 5 6
When you're fallen awake And you
And you hear your voice croak
|-2---2-2-2-2-|---------0---|-------------|-----------0h2-||
|-3---3-3-3-3-|---------0---|-----1-1---0-|-3---2-2-0-2---||
|-2---2-2-2-2-|---0-2-0---0-|-----0-0---0-|-2---2-2-2-3---||.
|-0-----------|-4-----------|---4---------|-----------0---||.
|-------------|-------------|-3-----------|---------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------||
take Stock of the new day
as you choke On what you need to
2. time, replace bar 24 with:
|-------------|
|-3---2-2---0-|
|-2---2-2---0-|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
say
|-1---1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-1---1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-1---1-1-----|-----1-1-1-1-|
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-0-2-2-2-2-2-|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-3-|-2---2-2-0h2-|---2---------|
|-------------|-------------|-3---3-3-----|-3-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
Well, don't you fret, don't you fear I will
|-3---3-3-----|-----3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-3---3-3-----|-----3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-2-2-2-0-0-0-|
|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-2---2-2-0-2-|---2-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-------------|
|-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
give you good cheer
Repeat 3 times:
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-|-------1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-4---------|-0-2---------|-----2-2-2-2-|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-3---------|
|-------------|-------------|---------------------------|
1.Life's a long song
2.Life's a long song
3.Life's a long song If you
|-3---3-3-----|-----3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-3---3-3-----|-----3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-2-2-2-0-0-0-|
|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-2---2-2-0-2-|---2-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-------------|
|-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
wait then your plate I will fill
Additional verses:
------------------
As the verses unfold and your soul suffers the long day,
And the twelve o'clock gloom spins the room, you struggle on your way.
Well don't you sigh, don't you cry,
Lick the dust from your eye.
Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
We will meet in the sweet light of dawn.
As the Baker Street train spills your pain all over your new dress,
And the symphony sounds underground but you under du - ress.
Well don't you squeal as the heel
Grinds you under the wheels.
Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
But the tune ends too soon for us all
But the tune ends too soon for us all
Ending:
-------
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|---2---------|
|-3-3-2-2-0-0-|-0-3---------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0-2---------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0-0---------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|
************************************************************************
In the second verse there is another guitar playing:
|-5---3p2p0----------------
|-----------3-----3p1p0----
|-----------------------2--
|--------------------------
|--------------------------
|--------------------------
..suffers the long day
|-5---3p2p0----------------
|-----------3-----3p1p0--1-
|--------------------------
|--------------------------
|--------------------------
|--------------------------
..struggle on your way
Any corrections are welcome.
Transcribed by Sigurd Andre Lund
salund@lise.unit.no
![chord popup]()
