Phish - Esther guitar tab
Esther
Eric Berman (ericbe@microsoft.com)
expanded upon by emil
(Music and Lyrics - Trey Anastasio)
Here's how to play the main riff chords in the song. The chords are shown in the
inversion that you should use, top note on top and bottom note on bottom:
F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb BbMaj7/D BbmMaj7/Db Am7 Gm7 C7
--- --- --- ---- --- --- --- --- ---
A A A A A A G Bb Bb
F F F F F F E G G
C C# D Eb D C# C D E
E-------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------(3)--------(3)--------------------
G---2-----2------2----2------2----------2----------0----3---3-
D---3-----3------3----3------3----------3----------2----5---5-
A---3-----4------5----6------5----------4----------3----5---7-
E-------------------------------------------------------------
(Notice that in the BbMaj7 and BbmMaj7/Db, the Bb is implied. When Mike comes in
on the bass, the bass plays the Bb, but the organ doesn't. Likewise, the A isn't
stated in the Am7 until Mike plays it on the bass.)
There are other chords in the song, but the fingering on them isn't as important
as for these, so you can use whatever is comfortable.
Most of the song, especially at the start, has an "oom-pah-pah" feel (which kind
of makes sense, since the song is in 3/4.) To play the chords correctly, play the
bass note, then the othertwo notes twice. For example, the intro starts like this:
F/C F+/C# Dm F+/C#
----- ------ ----- ------
A A A A A A A A
F F F F F F F F
C C# D C# ....
Find a good Hammond patch to play it with and your all set...
"Circus theme" Intro:
F E Eb E Eb D C# C B C
Intro:
F/C F+/C# Dm F+/C# F/C F+/C# Dm F+/C#
F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb
It was late one fall night at a fairground near town
BbMaj7/D BbmMaj7/Db F/A
When Esther first saw the Armenian man
Am7 Dm
Who grovelled toward her and stood by her side
Gm7 C7
With a bucket that swung in his hand (Bass joins in here)
F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb
His grin stretched the folds of his pasty white cheeks
BbMaj7 BbmMaj7 F/A
And his lips hurled a dollop of murk on the curb
Am7 Dm
And the lights from the rides showed a mischievous sparkle
Gm7 C7
That flashed in his hollow eyed stare
(same)
He said "Little girl, you can chop off my legs
And then peel off my socks if you want to.
But I'd rather you took this old puppet from me
That I hold in my pail as we speak."
(same except transition chords at end of verse)
And he stood looking down at the innocent girl
And she stared at the bucket bewildered
Til he lifted the doll for the young girl to see
Gm7b5/Db Eb
