Jethro Tull

Life Is A Long Song by Jethro Tull

Tab

Rate for accuracy
🎸
0/5 ( votes)
Transpose
Font
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 ...
          And you hear your ...


|-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 ...
  as you choke  On what ...



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, ....


|-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 ...

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 ...
2.Life's a ...
3.Life's a ...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 ....



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

Other Versions & Arrangements

Song History

Last Updated: