Cello Song Live tab by Nick Drake

Tabs

Tuning: EADF#Be, Capo 6th (but slightly flat of this)
Chords: A7: x02120  Esus2: 022000  A: x02320  D/F#: 2003xx
4/4 time, 118 bpm (but only 110 bpm for prelude, then speeding up during intro)

- This tab is for the version of Cello Song from the Peel Sessions EP that was released in 2014.
- The main differences between this version and that on the Five Leaves Left album are that this has a nice
 mysterious-sounding extra bit at the beginning (which I’ve called the "Prelude"), and also a unique
 instrumental link between the first two verses.
- The “Intro” following the Prelude is identical to the album version.
- The “Main Part” of the song is virtually identical with just the occasional difference.
- All chords are named relative to the capo.
- Each "-" below represents one semi-quaver (ie a 1/4 beat, or 1/16th of a bar)
- The Tuning EADF#Be (ie Standard except G+G string tuned down one semitone to F#F#) is known as "Lute tuning" for
 the obvious reason. Nick also used it (with Capo on 6th) on Fives Leaves Left for Thoughts of Mary Jane.

Prelude: (variations on E minorEm melodic scale)

e |--------------0-|----------------|--------------0-|------------0---|
BB |--------0-------|------0---------|--------0-------|------0---------|
F#F#|----1p0---0h1---|--0h1---0h1p0---|----1p0---0h1---|--0h1---0h1---1-|
D MajorD |--0-----0-------|----------------|--0-----0-----0-|----------------|
A augmentedA |----------------|--4-----4---4---|----------------|--2-----2-------|
E MajorE |0---------------|0-------------0-|0---------------|0---------------|

e |--------------0-|--------------0-|--------------0-|---
BB |--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|---
F#F#|----1p0---0h1---|----1p0---0h1---|----1p0---0h1---|1-- (Slowing at end)
D MajorD |--0-----0-----0-|----------------|----------------|---
A augmentedA |----------------|--4-----4-----4-|--3-----3-----3-|---
E MajorE |0---------------|0---------------|0---------------|---

Intro: (A7A7 chord)

e |----------------|   |----------------|   |----------------|   |0---------------|
BB |----------------|   |----------------|   |--h2------------|   |---h2-----------|
F#F#|----------------| x2 |--h1----h1---1--| x2 |-----1--h1---1--| x2 |-----1-h1----1--| x2
D MajorD |--h2-22-h2-22-2*|   |-----2-----h2--2|   |-----------h2--2*|   |---------2-h2--2^|
A augmentedA |0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|   |0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|   |0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|   |0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
E MajorE |----------------|   |----------------|   |----------------|   |----------------|

 *1st time only  ^2nd time only

?
Main Part: (all Esus2Esus2 chord except where noted below)

This consists of a handful of different bars repeated in various orders. I've shown all the different bars
(named Bars A-F) below and then how each of the lead-in, verses, links and ending are made up of those bars:

  Bar A augmentedA or A*       Bar BB          Bar C majorC or C*
e |0*--------------|   |0---------------|   |0*-----------0--|
BB |--------0-------|   |-------0--------|   |-------0--------|
F#F#|-----0-------0--|   |-----0---0---0--|   |-----0---0------|
D MajorD |---2-------2---2^|   |---2-------2---2^|   |---2-------2----|
A augmentedA |--2---2---2---2-|   |--2---2---2---2-|   |--2---2---2---2-|
E MajorE |0---0---0---0---|   |0---0---0---0---|   |0---0---0---0---|

* These initial open top e’s are only played where bar is A* or C*
^ These last “2”s on the D MajorD string are omitted whenever next bar starts with an open top e string
 (ie before bars A*, B, C* or the link after verse 1)

  Bar D MajorD
e |----------------|                  ----|
BB |----------------|                  ----|
F#F#|-----0---0---0--| first time bar D MajorD is played in   -0--|
D MajorD |---2---2---2---2| lead-in it is held for a further: ---2|
A augmentedA |--2---2---2---2-|  to make a 5/4 bar        --2-|
E MajorE |0---0---0---0---|                  0---|

  Bar E MajorE (A augmentedA chord)     Bars FF (D/F#D/F# chord)
e |--------0-------|   |----------------|----------------|
BB |-----2-------2--|   |----------------|----------------|
F#F#|---3-------3----|   |-----2--3----3--|-3---3---2---0--|
D MajorD |--2---2---2---2-|   |---0-------0---0|---0---0---0---0|
A augmentedA |0---0---0---0---|   |--0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|
E MajorE |----------------|   |2---2---2---2---|2---2---2---2---|

Lead-in to verse 1 is: AB AB ADAB ADAB ADAA*

Each verse 1-3: ACEAB ACE AC*E AE AC*E AFAB

Link between verses 1 and 2:

e |0-------0-------|----------------|---------0------|----------------|
BB |----------------|0------0--------|3-----3-----0---|0-------0-------|
F#F#|-----0-------0--|-----0---0---0--|---0----------3-|-----0-------0--| then a Bar BB
D MajorD |---2-------2----|---2-------2----|----------------|---2-------2----|
A augmentedA |--2---2---2---2-|--2---2---2---2-|--2---2---2---2-|--2---2---2---2-|
E MajorE |0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

Link between verses 2 and 3: ADAB ADAA*

After verse 3 ending is: ADAAAB AAAB AB AB


************************************

| x  Dead note
| g  Grace note
| (n) Ghost note
| h  Hammer-on
| p  Pull-off
| r  Release
| >  Accented note
| t  Tapping
| b  Bend
| br Bend release
| pb Pre-bend
| pbr Pre-bend release
| /  Slide up
| \  Slide down
| ~  Vibrato
| s  Slap
| P  Pop
| PM Palm mute
| TR Trill
| N  Tremolo

************************************

Lyrics: (same as album version)

Strange face with your eyes
So pale and sincere
Underneath you know well
You have nothing to fear
For the dreams that came
To you when so young
Told of a life
Where spring is sprung
You would seem so frail
In the cold of the night
When the armies of emotion
Go out to fight
But while the earth
Sinks to its grave
You sail to the sky
On the crest of a wave
So forget this cruel world
Where I belong
I’ll just sit and wait
And sing my song
And if one day
You should see me in the crowd
Lend a hand and lift me