Search tabs:
Browse artists: 0-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
/ Jethro Tull / 20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights (1988) / Life Is a Long Song guitar tab

#
From: 
Subject: Tab: Jethro Tull - Life Is A Long Song
To: guitar@nevada.edu
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 20:08:17 +0200 (MET DST)
X-Charset: ASCII
X-Char-Esc: 29

Here is my version of Jethro Tulls Life's A Long Song. I've put most of the 
work in the intro as this is the the hard part. The key to master this song 
is to get the picking and rythm right. I've therefore included the number of
beats in each bar and indicated how the string should be played(upstroke or
downstroke) in the first 17 bars. After this point it is easier to listen to 
the record to get it right.  


^ - downstroke
v - upstroke
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
()- play these weak or ignore them  

Standard tuning, capo at 7th fret. All fret numbers are relativ to capo.


                 LIFE IS A LONG SONG (Jethro Tull)
                 ---------------------------------

           _____ upstroke here to get more sound out of 2.string than 3. 
          |      or ignore the (2) and play downstroke
          |
          v

  ^ v ^ v v       ^ v ^ v ^ v   ^ v ^ v ^ v   ^ v ^ v ^ v

|-------2-------|-------0---0-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|---------0h3p0-|-----1-1---1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|
|-----2--(2)----|---0---0--(0)|-----0-0-0-0-|-0-4-4-4-4-4-| 
|---0-----------|-0-----------|-0-2---------|-------------|
|-0-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
  1 2 3 4 5   6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6

  
  ^ v ^ v ^       ^ v ^ v ^ v   ^ v ^ v ^ v   ^ v ^ v ^ v
                 
|-------2-------|-----0-0---0-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-----3---0h3p0-|---1---1---1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|
|---2-----------|-0-----0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-0-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-0-------------|-------------|-0-2---------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
  1 2 3 4 5   6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6



             _____ An alternative here is to play -4- on 3.string.
            |      I'm not sure which of them Ian is playing, but 
            |      I prefer -0- on 2.string 
            |
            |
            v  
                                              

  ^     v ^ v   ^   ^ v ^ v   ^     v ^ v   ^ v ^ v ^ v

|-2-----2-----|-2---2-0-----|-0-----0-0-0-|-0-----------|
|-3---------0-|-3---3---1---|-1-----1-1-1-|-1-0(0)0-----|
|-2-------2---|-2---2-----2-|-0-----0-0-0-|-0(0)0(0)0-2-|
|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|-0-----------|
|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
  1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6
 

  ^   ^ v ^ v   ^ v ^ v   v         v ^ v   ^   v ^ v ^

|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------------|-------------|-----------0h2|
|-3---3-3-3-3-|------(3)--0-|h1-----1-1-0-|-3---2-2-0-3--|
|-2---2-2-2-2-|---0-2-0---0-|-------0-0-0-|-2---2-2-2-2--|
|-0-----------|-4-----------|-------------|-----------0--|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
  1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6   1 2 3 4 5 6


   v     v ^ v

||-2-----2-----|-2-----2-2-2-|-0-----0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-----|
||-3---------0-|-3-----3-3-3-|-1-----1-1-1-|-1-0-0-0-----|
||-2-------2---|-2-----2-2-2-|-0-----0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-2-|
||-------------|-0-----------|-2-----------|-------------|
||-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
||-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
   1 2 3 4 5 6    

          When you're fallen awake              And you     
          And you hear your voice               croak


|-2---2-2-2-2-|---------0---|-------------|-----------0h2-||
|-3---3-3-3-3-|---------0---|-----1-1---0-|-3---2-2-0-2---||
|-2---2-2-2-2-|---0-2-0---0-|-----0-0---0-|-2---2-2-2-3---||.
|-0-----------|-4-----------|---4---------|-----------0---||.
|-------------|-------------|-3-----------|---------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------||
  
  take          Stock of the new day
  as you choke  On what you need to 



2. time, replace bar 24 with:

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

  say



|-1---1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-1---1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-1---1-1-----|-----1-1-1-1-|
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-0-2-2-2-2-2-|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-3-|-2---2-2-0h2-|---2---------|
|-------------|-------------|-3---3-3-----|-3-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

       Well, don't you fret, don't you fear       I will


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

  give you good               cheer

Repeat 3 times:

|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-|-------1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|
|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-4---------|-0-2---------|-----2-2-2-2-|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-3---------|
|-------------|-------------|---------------------------|

1.Life's a long song        
2.Life's a long song 
3.Life's a long song                              If you

   

|-3---3-3-----|-----3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-3---3-3-----|-----3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-2-2-2-0-0-0-|
|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-0---0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-2---2-2-0-2-|---2-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-------------|
|-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
  
  wait then your plate I will fill



Additional verses:
------------------


As the verses unfold and your soul suffers the long day,
And the twelve o'clock gloom spins the room, you struggle on your way.
Well don't you sigh, don't you cry,
Lick the dust from your eye.

Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
We will meet in the sweet light of dawn.

As the Baker Street train spills your pain all over your new dress,
And the symphony sounds underground but you under du - ress.
Well don't you squeal as the heel
Grinds you under the wheels.

Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
Life's a long song.
But the tune ends too soon for us all
But the tune ends too soon for us all


Ending:
-------

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


************************************************************************


In the second verse there is another guitar playing:


                     |-5---3p2p0----------------
                     |-----------3-----3p1p0----
                     |-----------------------2--
                     |--------------------------
                     |--------------------------
                     |--------------------------

..suffers the long day



                     |-5---3p2p0----------------
                     |-----------3-----3p1p0--1-
                     |--------------------------
                     |--------------------------
                     |--------------------------
                     |--------------------------

..struggle on your way





Any corrections are welcome.

Transcribed by Sigurd Andre Lund
               salund@lise.unit.no


Jethro Tull albums
1999 J-Tull.Com
1995 Roots to Branches
1994 Nightcap: The Unreleased Masters 1973-1991
1991 Catfish Rising
1989 Rock Island
1988 20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights
1987 Crest of a Knave
1984 Under Wraps
1982 Broadsword and the Beast
1980 A
1979 Stormwatch
1978 Heavy Horses
1977 Songs From the Wood
1976 Too Old to Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young to Die!
1975 Minstrel in the Gallery
1974 War Child
1973 A Passion Play
1972 Living in the Past
1972 Thick As a Brick
1971 Aqualung
1970 Benefit
1969 Stand Up
1968 This Was
20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights tabs
04Summerday Sands tabbass tab
06Witch's Promise tabbass tab
13Jack-A-Lynn tabbass tab
14Kelpie tabbass tab
15Part of the Machine tabbass tab
19Life Is a Long Song tabbass tab
20Nursie tabbass tab
21Grace tabbass tab

 

1