Ian Janis - Stars guitar tab
Janis Ian: "Stars" from the CD "Up 'til now"
Lyrics from the booklet and from the ear, capo on 1.
It's rather lengthy because I liked to put every detail there!
The rhythm is a bit chaotic, and I wasn't always sure of what to do
with it, but it is probably where part of the beauty of the song
comes from!
Erik Olofsen (olofsen@rullf2.leidenuniv.nl)
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Intro
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I was never one for singing what I really feel
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--2------------- | ---------------- | --0------------- | 0--------------- |
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--------3------- | 3--------------- | 2--------------- | ---------------- |
Except tonight I'm bringing everything I know that's real
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--0------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- |
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Stars, they come and go, they come fast or slow
They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze
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------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- |
----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |
--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
---------------- | 3--------------- | 2--------------- | 2--------------- |
And all you see is glory
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-------- | -------- | -------- | ---------------- |
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Hey but it gets lonely there when there's no one here to share
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--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | --------0------- |
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We can shake it away, if you'll hear a story
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People lust for fame like athletes in a game, we break our collarbones
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and come up swinging, some of us are downed
some of us are crowned, and some are lost and never found
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But most have seen it all, they live their lives in sad cafes and music halls
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They always come up singing
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-------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
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Some people make it when they're young, before the world has done its dirty job
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--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | 0-------0---0--- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
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and later on someone will say "You've had your day, now you must make way"
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But they'll never know the pain of living with a name you never owned
or the many years forgetting what you know too well
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That the ones who gave the crown have been let down
You try to make amends without defending
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Perhaps pretending you never saw the eyes of grown men of twenty-five
that follow as you walk and ask for photographs
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--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- |
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Or kiss you on the cheek and you never can believe they really loved you
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--0----- | --0----- | --0----- | --0----- |
-------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
3------- | 2------- | 1------- | 0------- |
Some make it when they're old
(Perhaps they have a soul they're not afraid to bare
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or perhaps there's nothing there)
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----0-------0--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | 2---2---1---1--- |
--0------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- |
---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
3--------------- | 2--------------- | 1--------------- | 0--------------- |
Stars, they come and go, they come fast they come slow
They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze
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------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- |
----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |
--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
---------------- | 3--------------- | 2--------------- | 2--------------- |
And all you see is glory
-------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
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----0--- | 2---2--- | 2---2--- | 1---1--- |
--0----- | --0----- | --0----- | --0----- |
-------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
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But most have seen it all, they live their lives in sad cafes and music halls
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----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |
--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
---------------- | 3--------------- | 2--------------- | 2--------------- |
They always have a story
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--0----- | --0----- | --0-------0----- | --0------------- |
-------- | -------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
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Some women have a body men will want to see
and so they put it on display
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--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | 0--------------- |
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Some people play a fine guitar, I could listen to them play all day
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Some ladies really move across the stage and gee, they sure can dance
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I guess I could learn how, if I gave it half a chance
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But I always feel so funny when my body tries to soar
And I seem to always worry about missing the next chord
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-------- | -------- | -------- | ---------------- |
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I guess there isn't anything to put up on display
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--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- |
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Except the tunes, and whatever else I say
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----0--- | ----0--- | ----0--- | ----0---0-----0- |
--0---0- | --0---0- | --0---0- | --0-------0----- |
2------- | 1------- | 0------- | ---------------- |
-------- | -------- | -------- | 4--------------- |
-------- | -------- | -------- | ---------------- |
But anyway, that isn't really what I meant to say
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---------------- | ---------------- |
I meant to tell a story, I live from day to day
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--0------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- | --0------------- |
---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
3--------------- | 2--------------- | 1--------------- | 0--------------- |
Stars, they come and go, they're coming fast they come slow
They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze
--------0------- | --------0------- | --------0------- | 2-------2------- |
------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- | 1-----1---1---1- | --1---1---1---0- |
----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |
--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- | ---------------- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
---------------- | 3--------------- | 2--------------- | 2--------------- |
And all you see is glory
-------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
------0- | ------0- | ------0- | ------0- |
----0--- | 2---2--- | 2---2--- | 1---1--- |
--0----- | --0----- | --0----- | --0----- |
-------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
3------- | 2------- | 1------- | 0------- |
But most have seen it all, who live their lives in sad cafes and music halls
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------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- |
----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |
--2------------- | --2------------- | --0------------- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
---------------- | 3--------------- | 2--------------- |
And we always have a story
-------- | -------- | -------- | --------0------- |
------0- | ------0- | ------0- | ------0---0---0- |
----0--- | 2---2--- | 2---2--- | 2---2---1---1--- |
--0----- | --0----- | --0----- | --0------------- |
-------- | -------- | -------- | ---------------- |
3------- | 2------- | 1------- | 0--------------- |
So if you don't lose patience with my fumbling around
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------1---1---1- | ------1---1---1- | ------0-------0- | ------0-------0- |
----2-------2--- | 2---2-------2--- | ----0---2---2--- | 2---2---1---1--- |
--2------------- | --0------------- | --0-------0----- | --0-------0----- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
------------3--- | 2--------------- | 3-------2------- | 1-------0------- |
I'll come up singing for you, even when I'm down
---------------- | 0-------2------- | 3--------------- | --------3------- |
1-----0-1---0-1- | ------1---1---0- | ------0-1---1--- | ------0--------- |
----2-----2----- | ----2-------2--- | ----0-----0---0- | ----0----------- |
--2------------- | --0------------- | --0-----0---0--- | --0------------- |
0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
---------------- | 2--------------- | 3--------------- | 3--------------- |
End