Rush - Cygnus X1 guitar tab
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE----------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
# song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
h - Cygnus X-1
From the CD 'A Farewell to Kings'
Written by Lee/Lifeson/Peart
Mercury/Polygram Records 822546-2
This is not wholly original. The solo was taken from a previous
version of the tab, done by Blake Butterworth (butterwo@rex.cs.tulane.edu).
The rest of it appears similar, but that's just because it was mostly done
right the first time. I have included it here because it appears to be
correct, and my purpose is to merge all previous versions to make the most
comprehensive and correct tab, not necessarily an original version.
Standard tuning [EADGBe] (low to high). The key is C.
Jimmy Pena - jimmy@walrus.com
| = not a standard bar line; just used to separate music
~ = vibrato or held note
h = hammer on
p = pull off
s = slide
b = bend string up to indicated pitch/fret
r = release bend to indicated string/fret
/ = slide up from infinity
= slide down into infinity
o _
o / repeat sign (always look for these!)
[x35553] = fret box; this is a C chord - this is the same as standard
tablature, only turned on its side. Tilt your head clockwise to read.
Chord legend:
A : [x0222x]
G : [320033]
C : [x3555x]
F : [xx3211]
D : [xx0232]
Cm : [x35543]
Ab : [466544]
[Intro]
N.C.
e:----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:-------------5-------------5-5b----------------5--------------5-5-5b--|
A:----7---5----------7--5---------------7--5-----------7--5-------------|
E:-0---------7----0--------7---------0--------7-----0--------7----------|
[Riff 1a] [Riff 1b]
A5 C5
e:---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B:---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G:-2-2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2-|-5-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5|
D:-2-------------------------------|-5------------------------------|
A:-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|-3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3--|
E:---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
[Riff 2]
C5
e:------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:-5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5--5-5-------------------------------------------|
D:-5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5--5-5-------------------------------------------|
A:-3-3-3-3---3-3-3-3--3-3-------------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------------------------------------|
[Riff 3]
D C# B Asus2
e:--------------------0~----------------|----0~---------------------|
B:--------------------0~----------------|----0~---------------------|
G:--7--6--4~--5--4----3~----7--6--4--5--|----2~---------------------|
D:--7--6--4~--5--4----4~----7--6--4--5--|----2~---------------------|
A:--5--4--2~--3--2----4~----5--4--2--3--|----0~---------------------|
E:--------------------2~----------------|---------------------------|
[Riff 4a] [Riff 4b] [Riff 4c]
C#m Em Ab G Ab G
e:--------------------|--4-4-4-----3--4--3--|-----------------------|
B:--5-5-5------8-8-8--|--4-4-4-----3--4--3--|-----------------------|
G:--6-6-6------9-9-9--|--5-5-5-----4--5--4--|-----------------------|
D:--6-6-6------9-9-9--|--6-6-6-----5--6--5--|------------------4~-5~|
A:--4-4-4------7-7-7--|--6-6-6-----5--6--5--|-------2~-3~-5~-6~-----|
E:--------------------|--4-4-4-----3--4--3--|--3~-4~----------------|
[Riff 5a]
Cm Bm F# Ebm Dm
e:---3--3-3--3-3--3-3-2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2--6--6-6--6-6--6-6-5------|
B:---4--4-4--4-4--4-4-3-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2--7--7-7--7-7--7-7-6------|
G:o--5--5-5--5-5--5-5-4-3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3--8--8-8--8-8--8-8-7-----o|
D:o--5--5-5--5-5--5-5-4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4--8--8-8--8-8--8-8-7-----o|
A:---3--3-3--3-3--3-3-2-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4--6--6-6--6-6--6-6-5------|
E:----------------------2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2--------------------------|
[Riff 5b]
e:--3--3-3--3-3--3-3-2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2----|
B:--4--4-4--4-4--4-4-3-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2----|
G:--5--5-5--5-5--5-5-4-3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3-3----|
D:--5--5-5--5-5--5-5-4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4----|
A:--3--3-3--3-3--3-3-2-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4--4-4----|
E:---------------------2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2----|
Song progression:
[Spoken]:
In this constellation of Cygnus
There lurks a mysterious, invisible force
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
Six Stars of the Northern Cross
In mourning for their sister's loss
In a final flash of glory
Nevermore to grace the night...
[Intro] x5 (after fade-in repeats)
[Riff 1a] x1
[Riff 1b] x1
[Riff 1a] x1
[Riff 2] x1
[Riff 3] x2 (no Asus2 second time)
[Riff 4a] x1
[Riff 4b] x1
[Riff 4a] x1
(tacet during drum fill)
[Riff 4a] x1
[Riff 4b] x1
[Riff 4a] x1
[Riff 4c] x1
[Riff 5a] x9
[Riff 5b] x1
Invisible to telescopic eye.
Infinity, the star that would not die.
A [Riff 2] x1
All who dare to cross her course
A [Riff 2] x1
are swallowed by a fearsome force
[Fill 1] x2 /w lyrics:
e:-----------------0--------------0~--------0------------------------|
B:---------------0---0------------0~------0---0------------0~--------|
G:-7--6--4~----4---------5--4-----3~----3---------7-6-4-5--2~--------|
D:-7--6--4~--4-----------5--4-----4~--4-----------7-6-4-5--2~--------|
A:-5--4--2~--------------3--2-----4~--------------5-4-2-3--0~--------|
E:--------------------------------2~---------------------------------|
Through the void, to be destroyed, or is there something more?
Atomized at the core, or through the Astral Door,
G G
to soar...
Play: C~ F~ D~ G~, then:
e:------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:-9~---10~---7~----12b14r12~---------------------------------------|
D:------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------------------------------------|
[133211]
C F D G
I set a course just east of Lyra, northwest of Pegasus.
[133211]
C F D G
Flew into the light of Deneb, sailed across the Milky Way.
[133211]
C F D G
On my ship, the Rocinante, wheeling through the galaxies,
[133211]
C F D G
headed for the heart of Cygnus, headlong into mystery.
G
e:--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3------------------------------|
B:--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3------------------------------|
G:--4-4-4-4--4-4-4-4--4-4-4-4--4-4-4-4------------------------------|
D:--5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5------------------------------|
A:--5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5------------------------------|
E:--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3------------------------------|
Cm
The X-ray is her siren song;
Ab
my ship cannot resist her long.
F [Riff 4c] x1 [Begin Solo]
Nearer to my deadly goal until the Black Hole gains control.
[Guitar Solo] /w wah-wah pedal
e:-20~-20-20-18-17--------------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------20-18-18~--20-18-17~-----------------------------|
G:--------------------------------------12-12-13-13-14-14-15-15-16--|
D:------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------------------------------------|
e:--------------------20-18-17------17-----------------------------|
B:------------------------------20-----20--18~--------------------|
G:-16-17-17b19~~r17-----------------------------------14--------12-|
D:----------------------------------------------12-12----12--10----|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
e:-----------------------------------------------------|-10~-15~-18~|
B:-----------------------------------------------------|------------|
G:-----------------------------------------------------|------------|
D:-------10~-----15p13p12---------------------/17----|------------|
A:--------------------------15p13p12-------------------|------------|
E:-------------------------------------14--14----------|------------|
/
[Riff 4c] x1, then end of solo (/w wah-wah) ----------------||
C
e:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5-----------------------o|
D:o-----------------------------------------------------------------o|
A:--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3-------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Ab B
e:------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o---------------4---4-----5---5---5---5--------------------------o|
D:o---6----6-------------------------------------------------------o|
A:--------------2---2-----3---3---3---3-----------------------------|
E:--4----4----------------------------------------------------------|
[on second repeat, omit last two]
/
e:--------------------------------------|----------------------------|
B:--------------------------------------|----------------------------|
G:o--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5-|----5---5------------------o|
D:o-------------------------------------|---------------------------o|
A:--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|--3---3---------------------|
E:--------------------------------------|----------------------------|
e:------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o---------------4---4-----5---5---5---5--------------------------o|
D:o---6----6-------------------------------------------------------o|
A:--------------2---2-----3---3---3---3-----------------------------|
E:--4----4----------------------------------------------------------|
[on second repeat, omit last two]
/
e:--------------------------------------|----------------------------|
B:--------------------------------------|----------------------------|
G:o--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5-|----5---5------------------o|
D:o-------------------------------------|---------------------------o|
A:--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|--3---3---------------------|
E:--------------------------------------|----------------------------|
Bb A Ab G F# F
e:-------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------|
G:---4---4---4---4---3---3---2----2----------------|
D:-----------------------------------6---5---4---3-|
A:-2---2---2---2---1---1---0----0------------------|
E:---------------------------------4---3---2---1---|
[Repeat 8 times]
E
e:------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o----------------------------------------------------------------o|
D:o---2~---------2-------------------------------------------------o|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--0~---0-0-0-0---0------------------------------------------------|
[Repeat 4 times]
F#
e:------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o----------------------------------------------------------------o|
D:o-------4~----------4--------------------------------------------o|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----2~------2-2-2-2---2-------------------------------------------|
[Block 1]:
_
[Riff 4a] x1 |
[Riff 4b] x1 |
[Riff 4a] x1 |----repeat this whole block four times
[Riff 2] x1 _|
[Block 1] x1 /w lyrics:
Spinning, whirling, still descending, like a spiral sea, unending.
[Block 1] x1 but last C's are 2 triplet sets
[Block 1] x1
[Block 1] x1 but last C's are 2 triplet sets
[Block 1] x1
[Block 1] x1 /w lyrics:
Sound and fury drown my heart, every nerve is torn apart!!!!!
Wallop C repeatedly
End on Cm
Strum while fading out:
Cm Ebm Em(addF#) Em
e:--3----------6----------0-----0-|
B:--4----------7----------0-----0-| (fade out on 3rd repeat)
G:--5----------8----------0-----0-|
D:--5----------8----------4-----2-|
A:--3----------6----------2-----2-|
E:------------------------0-----0-|
