Owens Lament tab by Augie March

Tabs

Hey guys,
I've seen a few tabs of this one lying around but none have got it exactly right, so
it is. During the verses, make sure you're playing all barre chords! With the crescendo
feel free to use open chords though.
This is one of the greatest songs ever written.


CAPO II (Tab relative to capo)
6/8 TIME


(F#m(1): x 9 11 11 10 9
F#m(2): 2 4 4 2 2 2)


*1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--6--8--9---10-------10-----10---10-9--8---6------6-----6-----|
|---------------11-------11----11-------------7------7-----7---|
|------------------11---------------------------7--------------|
|--5--7--8--9---------------9-----9--8--7--5----------5--------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--6--8--9---10-------10-----10---10-9--8---6------6-----6-----|
|---------------11-------11----11-------------7------7-----7---|
|------------------11---------------------------7--------------|
|--5--7--8--9---------------9-----9--8--7--5----------5--------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

(waltz fingerpicking)

(Dm, Em, F minorFm) F#m(1)
       Level your fretting,
             DmDm
I won't be forgetting the flush of your face.
    F#m(1)
When I lifted you level to me and the wattle tree
DmDm
Framed your body.
B minorBm       DmDm
  In whispers welling with the dope
   A augmentedA
Of a new spring.
     B minorBm            G+G         D MajorD
You said kill me a dynasty or our love won't mean a thing.
 F#F#        G+G
A augmentedA bullet for a diamond ring,
 E minorEm         F#F#          G+G
A augmentedA favour promised, a promise delivered and more,
  D MajorD    A minorAm
To yoooouuuuu.
   C majorC        D MajorD
It's only a war, I'll back to your shore,
          A minorAm
Before you know I'm gone.
     C minorCm
And I'll cover your body.

*REPEAT INTRO*

(Dm, Em, F minorFm)  F#m(1)           DmDm
      And if you have to go, please, go lightly.
F#m(1)        DmDm
Keep it to a foxtrot, whether he's a fox or not.
B minorBm      DmDm            A augmentedA
 Keep it cold, keep all your heat for me
B minorBm            G+G         D MajorD
  I'll be needing it for when I'm cold, you see.
F#F#                G+G
Let your children remind you of me.
    E minorEm       F#F#       G+G
Whether by another, or by the ghost of me
  D MajorD    A minorAm
In you
C majorC       D MajorD
There goes my baby,
              A minorAm
I would think of you and a palm tree
   C majorC
Would cover your body.
G+G   D MajorD   A minorAm
 You, you.
  C majorC          D MajorD
In love and war, we are bound by a law
              A minorAm
It goes to you and then to yours.
  C majorC
To recover my body
C minorCm
Recover my body.

|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|--4--6--7----10-----10-----10---10-9--8---6-----6-----6----|
|---------------11-----11-----11-------------7-----7-----7--|
|-----------------11---------------------------7------------|
|--3--5--6--9-------------9------9--8--7--5----------5------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------0~-----|
|--6--8--9---10-------10-----10---10-9--8---6------6-----6~-----|
|---------------11-------11----11-------------7------7---7~-----|
|------------------11---------------------------7--------7~-----|
|--5--7--8--9---------------9-----9--8--7--5-------------5~-----|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|

*change to strumming*

A augmentedA  DmDm
Dm E minorEm F minorFm F# minorF#m
F#m F minorFm E minorEm

DmDm        A augmentedA
   Cover up my body...
        G+G  D MajorD  A minorAm
my body... and you, you
C majorC       D MajorD
There goes my baby,
              A minorAm
I would think of you and a palm tree
   C majorC
Would cover your body
  G+G  D MajorD   A minorAm
And you, you
   C majorC
It's only a war,
    D MajorD
I'll be back to your shore
          A minorAm
Before you know I'm gone
     C majorC
Then I'll cover your body
  G+G  D MajorD     A minorAm
And you, yooooou
  C majorC          D MajorD
In love and war, we are bound by a law
              A minorAm
It goes to you and then to yours
  C majorC
To recover my body
C minorCm
Recover my body

C minorCm DmDm D#mD#m E minorEm (crescendo)

---


*REMOVE CAPO*

In this section, when switching between the C majorC and Am, Glenn
slides the C majorC chord up two frets to a D MajorD for half a bar before landing on the Am.

C, A minorAm
("You may ask one of them, day or night! Are you cold? Are you wet?"
You always get the same answer, always with a smile. Not too cold sir..
not too wet sir! But it's wet... it's so cold...")
  C majorC
She dressed me up and hugged me,
   A minorAm
Says 'how your mother loves thee'
  C majorC
She covered my body
   A minorAm
In a ragged flag and bloody.

Not on your life.

*fade into piano chords*

G7G7 C majorC
G7G7
G6G6 G7G7 C majorC
A minorAm E minorEm C majorC
E7E7 FF G+G
C majorC


--