Well after lurking for a few weeks on t'net I thought I ought to give as
well as take. So here's my first post.
After the post about a week ago asking for Tom Verlaine / Television
tabs, I thought I'd better get my guitar out and actually write down some
of the songs I play along to. Unfortunately a lot of these tend to be
incomplete, but I managed to get pretty much all of Mars from the triff
'n' brill last album. Anyway, here goes:
'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 B7e-|-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 dampedRepeat 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
John Howell
