Theme Songs

Theme Songs - Television: Mars guitar tab

'Mars' by Television, from their eponymous third album.

I haven't bothered with the solo - if you know the song

you'll appreciate why it would be fairly pointless to

transcribe it. When I last saw them (in the Town & Country

club as it was then) they didn't play this - WHY NOT?, but

Tom Verlaine used a knife for a bit of the solo on Rocket. He

held it at one end, and wiggled it so the other end whizzed back

& forth across the strings - makes a good racket & would be

suitable for this song, methinks. Doesn't wreck your strings to

fast, either, unless you turn it round and start sawing at

them (which also sounds good). Anyway, on with the song (in

which I'm sure there are tons of mistakes - any corrections

gratefully accepted)...

There are 2 main bits; the verse is based around an E D C# B

progression (I think), but playing those chords sounds a bit

weird.

The chorus is 4 repeats of G G G Em Am C B7, with the last B7

ringing out for a bar, big and wobbly.

There are 3 chunks to this transcription; the intro, the

verse and the chorus. The intro is virtually the same as the

verse; the end of each bar is different:

(Intro):

e-|--------------------|--------------------|

B-|--------------------|--------------------|

G-|--------------------|--------------------|

D-|----------------5-4-|------------------4-|

A-|----------4-3-2-----|----------4-3-2-----|

E-|-0------3-----------|-0------3-------3---|

(Verse): (Repeat this 4 times for each verse)

e-|-------------------------------|

B-|-------------------------------|

G-|-------------------------------|

D-|-------------------------------|

A-|----------------4-3-2----------|

E-|-0-----------3----------3-2----|

| |

(Verse Bass) |

|E D C# B |

G-|-------|-------|-------|-------|

D-|---5---|---5---|---5---|-------|

A-|-7---7-|-5---5-|-4---4-|-------|

E-|-------|-------|-------|-3-2---|

(Chorus) - the bass just follows the main chords here:

I play the chords open - they're not actually done like that,

but it's too complicated for me to work out. A second guitar

playing the same chords further up the neck would improve it.

G G G G Em Am C B7

e-|-3-3-3-3-0---------------------------|

B-|-0-0-0-0-0-------------1-------1-----|

G-|-0-0-0-0-0-----------2---2-------0---|

D-|-0-0-0-0-2---------2-------2---------|

A-|-2-2-2-2-2-------0-----------3-----2-|

E-|-3-2-2-2-0---2-3---------------------|

^-^-these 2 damped

Repeat this 4 times, and let the last B7 ring out, long &

loud.

And here's how you put them all together:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

(No apologies made for the lyrics, & I'm sure they're well wrong anyway)

(Intro)

(Verse 1) (4 x Verse part)

Guess I need some education

Grab some whilst I have the chance to free

Twice upon a time hear yea hear yea hear yea

Plastic bow wow no can't remember... can't remember No.....!

(Chorus) (4 x chorus part)

In my arms she's warm and smooth

All the bones in heaven will...

I'm just a dipstick yes I like that frying but...

That cop, that cop, hey! that cop's from

That cop's from MARS! Aaaaaaough baby

Ha. Mars. Mars

(Verse 2) (4 x Verse part)

Fried bones, in the air (?????who knows, it might be right)

Fried bones, everywhere

Hot bones, made of light

Someone's pulled my skin on my, on my oh Oh OH

(Chorus) (4 x chorus part)

...

...

I'm just a dipstick searching for truth

...

...

...

(Solo) (4 x Verse part)

(Verse 3) (4 x Verse part)

Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling time again time again

Must have some coffee Let's have some caw-fee

I die a coupla times for you

I die a coupla times a night for you, Aaaaaargh

(Chorus) (4 x Chorus part)

(Chorus) (4 x Chorus part)

Finally after the last B7 of the last bit of the chorus,

end with a REALLY BIG trembly EMaj7

Get this song at:  amazon.com sheetmusicplus.com

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