Life is a Long Song, written by Ian Anderson 
Acoustic guitar part 
Transcribed by Alex Agrios 
  

Capo, VII fret.  All fret numbers are relative to capo. 
6/8 time.  Every two hyphens represent one eigth-note. 

D      ___       C                                         D      ___ 
      / 3 \                                                      / 3 \ 
|----2-0h2p0---|---0-0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----2-0h2p0---| 
|----3-0h3p0---|---1-1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----3-0h3p0---| 
|----2-0h2p0-2-|---0-0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-|---0-0-0-0-0-|---2-2-0h2p0-2-| 
|--0-----------|-0-----------|-0-2---------|-2-----------|-0-------------| 
|0-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------| 
|--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------| 
  

  C                                         D 

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

  C               Cmaj7       D                           C 

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

  A     "Em"      D                           C 

|-0-0-0-0-0---||--2---2-2-----|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-----| 
|-3-2-2-0-0---||:-3---3-3-----|-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1---1-1-1-1-|-1-0-0-0-----| 
|-2-2-2-0-0---||--2---2-2-2-4-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-2-| 
|-2-2-2-------||--0---0-0-----|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-2---2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-----| 
|-0-0-0-------||:-------------|-------------|-3---3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-----| 
|-------------||--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 
                        When you're... [lyrics]                And you 
  

|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------------|-----0---0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0---|-2---2-2-----| 
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-------------|-----1---1-1-|-3-2-2-0-0---|-3---3-3-----| 
|-2---2-2-2-2-|---0-2-0---0-|-----0---0-0-|-2-2-2-0-0---|-2---2-2-2-4-| 
|-0---0-0-0-0-|-4-------0---|---2-----2-2-|-2-2-2-------|-0---0-0-----| 
|-------------|-------------|-3-------3-3-|-0-0-0-------|-------------| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 
  Take          Stock of the new   day                          And you 
  

|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-----|-2---2-2-2-2-|-------------| 
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1---1-1-1-1-|-1-0-0-0-----|-3---3-3-3-3-|-------------| 
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-2-|-2---2-2-2-2-|---0-2-0---0-| 
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-2---2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-----|-0---0-0-0-0-|-4-------0---| 
|-------------|-3---3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-----|-------------|-------------| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 
  Hear                                                    On what you... 
  

                              F                           C 

|-----0---0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0---|-1-1---1-----|-----1-1-1---|-0---0-0-----| 
|-----1---1-1-|-3-2-2-0-0---|-1-1---1-----|-----1-1-1---|-1---1-1-----| 
|-----0---0-0-|-2-2-2-0-0---|-2-2---2---0-|-0h2-2-2-2-0-|-0---0-0-----| 
|---2-----2-2-|-2-2-2-------|-3-3---3-----|-----3-3-3---|-2---2-2-0-2-| 
|-3-------3-3-|-0-0-0-------|-------------|-------------|-3---3-3-----| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 
                Say...              Don't you fret... 

                                            A 

|-0---0-0-----|-3---3-3-----|-3---3-3-----|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0---| 
|-1---1-1-----|-0---0-0-----|-0---0-0-----|-2-2-3-3-3-3-|-3-2-2-0-0---| 
|-0---0-0-----|-0---0-0-----|-0---0-0-----|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-0-0---| 
|-2---2-2-0-2-|-0---0-0-----|-0---0-0-----|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-------| 
|-3---3-3-----|-2---2-2-0-2-|-2---2-2-0-2-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-------| 
|-------------|-------------|-3---3-3-----|-------------|-------------| 
          I will give... 
  

  D                           C 

|-2---2-2-2-2-|-----2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-| 
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-3-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-| 
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-----2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-| 
|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-4---------|-0-2---------|-----2-2-2-2-| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-3---------| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 
  Life's a long song... 
  

  D                           C 

|-2---2-2-2-2-|-----2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-| 
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-3-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-| 
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-----2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-| 
|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-4---------|-0-2---------|-----2-2-2-2-| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-3---------| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 
  Life's a long song... 
  

  D                           C 

|-2---2-2-2-2-|-----2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-| 
|-3---3-3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-3-|-----1-1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-1-| 
|-2---2-2-2-2-|-----2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-| 
|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-4---------|-0-2---------|-----2-2-2-2-| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-3---------| 
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 
  Life's a long song...  If you 
  

                            ______________________________ 
  G                         |        Verse Endings       | 
  
|-3---3-3-----|-3---3-3-----|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0--|| 
|-0---0-0-----|-0---0-0-----|-2-2-3-3-3-3-|-3-2-2-0-0-0-:|| 
|-0---0-0-----|-0---0-0-----|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-0-0-0--|| 
|-0---0-0-----|-0---0-0-----|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2--------|| 
|-2---2-2-0-2-|-2---2-2-0-2-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-------:|| 
|-3---3-3-----|-3---3-3-----|-------------|--------------|| 
  Wait then... 

  _____________________ 
  |   Final Ending 

  A, fermata    D, let ring 
|-0-----------|-0-0-0-0-0---|-2------------|| 
|-2-----------|-3-2-2-0-0---|-3------------|| 
|-2-----------|-2-2-2-0-0---|-2------------|| 
|-2-----------|-2-2-2-------|-0------------|| 
|-0-----------|-0-0-0-------|--------------|| 
|-------------|-------------|--------------|| 
  

The intro is approximate; I know at least a couple notes 
are wrong. 

I include here a copy of the lyrics, which are not 
transcribed by me but which I found on FTP. 
  

Life Is A Long Song 
---- -- - ---- ---- 
When you're fallen awake and you take stock of the new day 
And you hear your voice croak as you choke on what you need to say. 
Well don't you fret, don't you fear, 
I will give you good cheer. 

Life's a long song. 
Life's a long song. 
Life's a long song. 
If you wait then your plate I will fill. 

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 [wanted?] duress. 
Well don't you squeal as the hell 
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 a song. 

But the tune ends too soon for a song. 

-- 
  
  
  

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, 
 you must first invent the universe."  --Carl Sagan 
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Alex Agrios 
aga1@acpub.duke.edu 
---------------------------------------------------------------------