Rem - Swanswan guitar tab
From: Michael Higgins
REM - Swan Swan Hummingbird
This is the tablature and chords for REMs Swan Swan Humming Bird. I
got the words and chords from Scott A. Yanoff
(yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu). I have included my tablature for what
goes on behind the singing. I hope it is satisfactory, being my
first tablature.
The Rhythm guitar is played on a 12 - string while the other part is
played on a regular 6 - string.
> This song is in 6/8 time. In the intro, Peter plays an Am chord. On
>beat four, he lifts up his finger on the second fret of the D string
>then hammers it right back on. Its an old trick but one of my
>favorites. He also does it on the Dm chord when it's played for a
>whole 6 beats - except of course, he lifts his finger off of the G
>string.
Am Dm G
> Swan swan hummingbird
Am Dm
> Hurrah we are all free now
Am Dm G
> What noisy cats are we
Am Dm
> Girl and dog he bore his cross
Am Dm G Am
> A long low time ago people talk to me
>
Em F
> Johnny Reb what's the price of pans
Em F
> Forty a piece or three for one dollar
Em F
> Hey captain don't you want to buy
Em C G
> Some bone chains and toothpicks
>
{same as first verse}
> Night weaves her hair chains
> Years you wouldn't bring back sing
> Wooden beams and dove tails sweep
> I struck that picture ninety times
> I walked that path a hundred ninety
> Long low time ago people talk to me
>
G Bm
> A pistol hot cup of rhyme
C D
> The whiskey is water the water is wine
G Bm C C/B
> Marching feet Johnny Reb what's the price of heroes
>
> Six and one half dozen the other
> Tell that to the captain's mother
> Hey captain don't you want to buy
> Some bone chains and toothpicks
>
> Night weaves her hair chains
> Swan swan hummingbird
> Hurrah we are all free now
> What noisy cats are we
> Long low time ago people talk to me
> A pistol hot cup of rhyme
{end on Am}
> The whiskey is water the water is wine
Here's what goes on in the background:
#1:
Swan Swan...
Am Dm G Am Dm
(D)--------0-2-|-0---|-----|-------0-2-|-0-|
(A)-0-2-3------|---0-|-----|-0-2-3-----|---| Back over
(E)------------|-----|-3---|-----------|---|
#2:
Johnny rep...
Em F Em F
(A)-2---0-2-|-3-0---|-2---0-2-|-3-|
(E)---3-----|-----1-|---3-----|---|
When switching from #1 to #2 or #3 do this
...some bones, chains...
Em F Em Am
(A)-2---0-2-|-3--|-2---|-0-2-3-|
(E)---3-----|----|-----|-------| ... 1st time
| G D C D
This on (G)-----|-0-0-0-----|---------|---------|---------|
A Pistol... (D)---0-|-------4-2-|-4-2-0-0-|---------|-0-0-2-4-|
(#3) (A)-----|-----------|---------|-3-3-2-3-|---------|
|2nd time
|D Em
(D) |-0-0-0-|Six...
(A) |-------|
I hope that you can make sense out of this mess. Well figuring it
out should be interesting.
Enjoy,
Michael.
PS. Thanks for keeping this up James!
\Z
