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The Grave Tab by Don Mclean

The Grave tab by Don Mclean

Guitar Tab

The Grave
by Don McLean

Taken from the album "American Pie" by Don McLean


This song isn't too hard to play I think. A nice combination of fingerpicking
and strumming. Listen to album "American Pie" otherwise you haven't a chance.
Comments and corrections are always welcome. The lyrics follow after the TAB.

Good luck

Lee Francis


The Grave (Don McLean)

Intro:
                          C                                E7
e|-1p0-----------0-------------------------0-------------------------------0--
b|------3-----------3--------------0h1--3-----3-------0-----------------3-----
g|---------2-----------2--------0----------------0h2-----2-----------1--------
D|------------0--------------2------------------------------------0-----------
A|------------------------3------------------------------------2--------------
E|----------------------------------------------------------0-----------------


Verse:

   When the wars of our nation...              A man barely...
   Am                    G                     C           B        E
e|--------------------------------3-------------------------------------------
b|----------1--1/3\1-p0--------------0/1\0------------------------------------
g|-------2-----2/4\2-p0--------0-----	0/2\0--2--------0-----------0-----1------
D|----2---------------------0---------------------2-----------0--------2------
A|-0-------------------------------------------3-----------2------------------
E|-----------------------3------------------------------------------0---------

   Proud of the trust...      nation.          He's gone.
   Am       G        C        E                     A
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
b|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
g|-------0--------0--------0--------1-----------------------------------------
D|----2--------0--------2-----------2-----------------------------------------
A|-0-----------------3-----------2------------------0-------------------------
E|----------3-----------------0-----------------------------------------------

   But eternity knows...           And it knows what we've done.
                                                           E7
e|------1p0-----0h1-----------------------1-----3----5--------------------0---
b|-----------3----------------------------3-----5----6-----------------3------
g|------------------------------------------------------------------1---------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------0------------
A|------------------------------------------------------------2---------------
E|---------------------------------------------------------0------------------


[Strumming part begins]

   And the rain fell like pearls on ...
           Am             Bm/A          D?            E7
e|---------0--------------0-------------0-------------0-----------------------
b|-strum---1--------------3-------------0-------------3-----------------------
g|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------1------ Repeat this ----
D|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------0------ sentence 3  ----
A|---------0--------------0-------------5-------------2------ times       ----
E|----------------------------------------------------0-----------------------
		.
		.

    As he held to his rifle and ...
          C                     Dm            E7
e|--------0---------------------5-------------0-------------------------------
b|-strum--1---------------------6-------------3-------------------------------
g|--------0---------------------7-------------1-------------------------------
D|--------2---------------------7-------------0-------------------------------
A|--------3---------------------5-------------2-------------------------------
E|--------3-----------------------------------0-------------------------------

    But the silence of night     was ....
            Dm                Am                     Asus2...Am...
e|----------1-----------------0----------------------0--0--0------------------
b|-strum----3-----------------1----------------------0--1--0------------------
g|----------2-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- Repeat this ----
D|----------0-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- sentence 3  ----
A|----------------------------0----------------------0--0--0- times       ----
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
		.
		.

    In a morgue of marines ...
          C                Dm             E7
e|--------0----------------5--------------0-----------------------------------
b|-strum--1----------------6--------------3-----------------------------------
g|--------0----------------7--------------1-----------------------------------
D|--------2----------------7--------------0-----------------------------------
A|--------3----------------5--------------2-----------------------------------
E|--------3-------------------------------0-----------------------------------

       He crouched ever lower, ...
          F                                  Am
e|--------1----------------------------------0--------------------------------
b|-strum--1----------------------------------1--------------------------------
g|--------2----------------------------------2--------------- Repeat this ----
D|--------3----------------------------------2--------------- sentence 3  ----
A|--------3----------------------------------0--------------- times       ----
E|--------1-------------------------------------------------------------------
		.
		.

     I'll cover myself - I know I'm not ...
          F                             E7                  C          Dm
e|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------0-----------------
b|-strum--1-----------------------------3-------------------1----------6------
g|--------2-----------------------------1-------------------0----------7------
D|--------3-----------------------------0-------------------2----------7------
A|--------3-----------------------------2-------------------3----------5------
E|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------3-----------------

     The earth is my grave.
         E7
e|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------
b|-------3--------------------------------------------------------------------
g|-------1--------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-------2--------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------

[Strumming part ends]

Solo:
(Hint: Barre in 5 position, beware of tricky rythme)

          Am7                                    G
e|--5--5--5--------------5--7-----5--------5--5--3----------------------------
b|--------------------5-----------------------------------0--1-----0----------
g|-----------------5-----------------5-----------------0--------0-----0h2-----
D|--------------5--------------5--------------------0--------2-----0----------
A|-----------7----------------------------------------------------------------
E|--------5-----------------5-----------5-------\3----------------------------

    C
e|--3-----------3--3--5-----3--------------------3--------------0-----0--0----
b|-----------1--------------------6-----6-----6-----6-----6-------------------
g|--------0--------------0-----3-----3--3--3-----------3-----3-----0----------
D|-----2--------------5-----------------0-------------------------------------
A|--3-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                         E7
e|--0---------------3-----1-----0--0-------------0-----------------------0----
b|--1------------1-----------------1----3-----------3-----0-----------0-------
g|--2---------2--------2-----2-----2-------2-----------2--1--------1----------
D|--3------3-----------------------3----------3-----------2-----2-------------
A|--0---0--------------------------0------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------0----------------

[Repeat 1st verse picking pattern]


Lyrics:

The Grave (Don McLean)

[Without guitar]

	The grave that they dug him had ....

[Intro - guitar]

	When the wars of our nation ....

[Strumming begins]

	And the rain fell like pearls on the ....


[Solo]

	The grave that they dug him had ...

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