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Eternal Life by Jeff Buckley
Album: Grace
Transcription by: Jim Ferraiolo ([email protected])

I don't know how many times I have requested Jeff Buckley stuff on the
TAB newsgroups and such.  Nobody seems to have the desire or skill to
transcribe anything he has done.  I worked hard on this: a transcription
of a complex song by one of today's great artists.  If anyone else has
any Jeff Buckley tab that's NOT on the homepage (I am especially looking
for Last Goodbye (it's in dropped-D, and I haven't gotten around to
working it out yet)) or if you have the musical ear and the CD to attempt
transcribing some of his stuff, please, I want to hear from you.  If you
use and like this transcription, please e-mail me.  It did take me
substantially longer than transcribing some stupid Green Day or Nirvana
song.

Opening intro part:

Play with treble pickup and keep a steady drone on the Chord diagramE MajorE string.  Follow
the rhythm of the recording to get it exact, but this is all it is, really.

A---5h7--------------
E---0----------------

Then comes the really noisy part.  I don't think anyone except Jeff himself
could decipher this.  Just make a lot of noise around the key of Chord diagramE MajorE and
throw in some octaves high up on the neck.
------

This is the noisy part in Jeff Buckley's "Eternal life". I tried to make
noise, and I realized it was something like this:

E---------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------------------
G---------------------------------------------------------------------
D--2--9---7--11--12--12--14--12--14-----------------------------------
A--3--10--8--12--12--12--14--12--14-----------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope this could help everyone playing this great song.  Love.  Maria
------


Then slide into the verse
progression.  If you're playing it like the acoustic version on Live
at the Sin E, then you dont include the noise.  Just do some sliding
7#9th chords or something. :)

Chords used:

Cmaj7:   X32000
Gmaj7:   320030
Fmaj7:   XX2310
A:       X02220
Asus2:   X02200
Chord diagramA7sus4A7sus4 : 002030 *not sure about this chord name*
Em7:     022030
D/F#:    2X023X
Verse notes:

The Chord diagramFmaj7Fmaj7 is quick, but it IS in there.  It's played on the 4 beat of the
Chord diagramGmaj7Gmaj7 measure.  Listen to the recording, again, to get the rhythm.
Also, I am not sure what the Chord diagramA augmentedA chord is, but it is some kind of Chord diagramA augmentedA chord.
Usually, I use the sus2 form or a powerchord.

[Cmaj7, Gmaj7, Fmaj7, A(Asus2, Chord diagramA7sus4A7sus4)]

Eternal Life is now on my trail...

[Chord diagramGmaj7Gmaj7]
And as your fantasies ....
[Chord diagramE minor 7Em7]
Did you really think this bloody ....
[Chord diagramD/F#D/F#]                                   [Chord diagramAsus2Asus2]
You better turn around and blow your ....

There is a little fill that goes underneath the Chord diagramA augmentedA chords.  It is played
by a second guitar.  It's played in all the verses I think.

E-----------------
B-----------------
G--------0--------
D------0---0---0--
A----4-------4----
E--5--------------


Then repeat the intro hammer on Chord diagramE MajorE drone thingy before going into the
2nd verse.

[Cmaj7, Gmaj7, Fmaj7, A(Asus2, Chord diagramA7sus4A7sus4)]

Racist everyman, what have ....

[Chord diagramGmaj7Gmaj7]
And as your fantasies ...
[Chord diagramE minor 7Em7]
Did you really think this ....
[Chord diagramD/F#D/F#]                                   [Chord diagramAsus2Asus2]
You better turn around and blow your ....

Bridge:

This is where it gets hairy.  While Jeff is screaming, I think he plays
something like this:

C#m7dim5 : X42000  (Just like a Cmaj7, except with a Chord diagramC#C# root)
Cmaj7:     X32000
F#7sus4:   244300  (Just like an Chord diagramF#F# major barre chord, leave last 2 open)
Fmaj7:     133200  (Ditto, Chord diagramFF major barre)
B:         X2444X

The Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaay part (sorry, didn't know what else
to call it) goes something like this:

Chord diagramA augmentedA octave: 5X7XXX and then 2 single notes on the Chord diagramA augmentedA string.  Strum the octave
a bit then throw in that Chord diagramE MajorE and Eb.

D--7-----------
A-------7--6---
E--5-----------

During this next part, instead of strumming out the bridge chords, the
chords are picked, usually omitting the open Chord diagramE MajorE string though.  Once again,
listening to the recording will help you get it perfect.

[C#m7dim5] [Chord diagramCmaj7Cmaj7]  [Chord diagramF#sus4F#7sus4]   [Chord diagramFmaj7Fmaj7]
There's no time for ....


Okay everyone, its powerchord time! Yippee!

B5:  X244XX
A5:  X022XX
G5:  355XXX
F5:  133XXX
E5:  022XXX
E/F5:033XXX

[Chord diagramB5B5]
What is ...
[Chord diagramA5A5]
Where is ...
[Chord diagramG5G5]
What is...
[Chord diagramF5F5]
Where is ....

[E5,E/F5, E5,E/F5]  (just keep slidin' it and workin' it)
When will I find the ....

[Cmaj7, Gmaj7, Fmaj7, A(Asus2, Chord diagramA7sus4A7sus4)]
Tell me where is the love in what .....[Lead 1]
Man, it sounds to me just ....[Lead 2]
And I've got a message for ....[Lead3]
You better turn around and blow your ....
Leads:

These aren't exact.  Make something up in E-minor pentatonic if you don't
like these.

b= bend
r= release
v= vibrato
h= hammer
p= pull

Lead 1 (with heavy arm vibrato)

G---12--14--14--12--14--14--12-14-14b15---r14---12h14p12--14p12-----
D---------------------------------------------------------------14--

Lead 2

D---14b15--14b15--14b15--12--14b15--14------------
A----------------------------------------14--12---

Lead 3

E--------------------17-----------------
B------15bvvvv17r15-----15bvvvv17r15----

Repeat chorus progression 2 times over Jeff's singing and end on the
Chord diagramE MajorE hammer drone thing.

If you have a better transcription, or you see something that needs to
be fixed, feel free to add on to this file but do not change what I have
done.  Thanks.

Other versions of Eternal Life

Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Eternal life by Jeff Buckley

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