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/ The Stranglers / The Raven (1979) / The Raven guitar tab

The Stranglers - The Raven (2)
Tabbed By: Reecy
Email: Bushhead81@Hotmail.com

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

This is a better version

THE RAVEN
---------
Transcription by: Richard Stanforth (rtstanforth@hotmail.com)
Date of Transcription: 21st July 2002

This transcription and more is exclusive to and can be found at :-
http://www.geocities.com/strangledchords

Updated: now featuring some extra tablature of the guitar parts! I've made my best attempt at
this.

bass intro:
the note A alternated as octaves, for acoustic guitar players, the underlying chord is A major.
play this for about seven bars.

then the following chords can be played under the guitar 'solo' (if that's what you'd like to
call it)...

  Dm                  G                  F                   G
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-----------------------------------------------------2-4-5--------------2-4-5-|
D--------------2-3-5---------------2-3-5--2-3-5-2-3-5--------2-3-5-2-3-5-------|
A--2-3-5-2-3-5---------2-3-5-2-3-5---------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   Am                 C                  G                  A
E----------------------------------------------------5-3----------------5-3---|
B--------------3-5-6--------------3-5-6--3-5-6-3-5-6-----6--3-5-6-3-5-6-----6-|
G--2-4-5-2-4-5--------2-4-5-2-4-5---------------------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

...before Dave Greenfield's signature keyboard riff is finally heard and the following chords
are played...

  Dm              Am               G
E--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0----------------------------------|
B--6-5-5-5-6-5-5-5-6-5-5-5-6-5-5-5-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
G--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-4-4-4-5-4-4-4-5-4-4-4-0-0-0-0--|
D----------------------------------5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------|

  F                               G              A
E---------------------------------------------------------|
B------------------------------------------1-3-3^-1-------|
G----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-0---0-2----------2--2--|
D--5---3---2---3---5---3---2---3-----2--------------------|
A---------------------------------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------------------------|

(play the above twice)

then: Dm G Dm G Dm G Dm G

E--------0--|
B------6----|
G----7------|
D--7--------|
A-----------|
E-----------|

verse 1:
Dm     G     Dm  G       Dm    G   Dm   G
fly straight.....with perfection
Dm   G   Dm   G      Dm   G   Dm   G
find me.....a new direction
       C         A                   *Dm   G   Dm   G
you'll never realise the things they said
       C         A                 Dm   G   Dm   G
we'll never realise until we're dead
     Dm        G       Dm       G        Dm    G   Dm   G
the fires they burned along the coast of triumphs
    Dm  G   Dm         G      Dm     G   Dm   G
the ebony embittered souls of children
       C            A              *Dm   G   Dm   G
we'll seek another way before too long
     C                 A
but will you stop my wind before I'm gone


(at * points play this)

  Dm       G            Dm       G             C                     A                  Dm
E----------12--10h12p10----------12--10h12p10----------12--10h12p10---------------------10--|
B-------10-----10-------------10-----10-------------10-----10------------------10----10-----|
G--9-7-------------------9-7-------------------9-7-----------------------9-7-9----12--------|
D--------------------------------------------------------------------5-7--------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  G      Dm G
E--------10--|
B-----10-----|
G--12--------|
D------------|
A------------|
E------------|


then, on the word 'gone', instead of reverting back to the main verse riff, the following is
played (as a sort-of bridge or instrumental pre-chorus):

Dm C G (x3)

E--------10--|
B-----10-----|
G--12--------|
D------------|
A------------|
E------------|

chorus:
Bb           F             G
and when you find me all alone
Bb             F             G
your world has never been my own

E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B--5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---8p0-0-------------------5p0-0--------------------|
G--------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7p0-0-4p0-0-------------7p0-0-4p0-0--------|
D------------------------------------------------------------5p0-0-------------------5p0-0--|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B--5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---8p0-0--------------------------------------------|
G--------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7p0-0-4p0-0--------------------------------|
D------------------------------------------------------------5p0-0-3p0-0-3p0-0-3p0-0-3p0-0--|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

and then, the bridge or 'pre-chorus' is played again, three times, but in the next key upwards,
like so:

Em D A (x3)

E--7--5-7-5-5s3-3---7--5-7-5-5s3---7--5-7-5-5s3-3--|
B--------------------------------------------------|
G--------------------------------------------------|
D--------------------------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------------|

...before a Dave Greenfield keyboard solo that's based around the chorus melody,
but features these chords:

C G Bb F (x3)

E------------------------------------------------------------|
B--8^-6--------------------------8^-6------------------------|
G-------7-5---------------------------7-5--------------------|
D-----------7-5-5-3-----------------------7-5-5-3-------3-5--|
A-------------------5-3-5---3-1-------------------5-3-5------|
E-------------------------3----------------------------------|


then, the same chords are used for a second chorus, which is a slight variation
of the first chorus:

(from now on most of the guitar parts are repeated the same)

chorus 2:
C            G        Bb           F            G
and when you find me, and when you find me all alone
Bb             F             G
your world has never been my own


and then comes the second verse, which uses exactly the same chords and has exactly
the same structure as the first verse:


verse 2:
   Dm             G          Dm       G           Dm   G   Dm   G
my friend, you're black, and when you fly you're wild
Dm     G         Dm       G                  Dm   G   Dm   G
I am white, sometimes I behave just like a child
     C                A                    Dm   G   Dm   G
the northern seas are cold but they're our own
      C                  A
we'll sail your southern seas before too long


and now, on the word 'long' instead of going to the first bridge or pre-chorus
earlier, the keyboard riff from the intro is played and the same chords are used,
so, basically the keyboard intro is being used as an outro:


Dm Am G F G A

Dm Am    G                  F                       G   A
    when I was a viking, my friend he was the raven


then just repeat the chords Dm Am G F G A until the song fades.




I apologise if this tab doesn't make too much sense as the song has a weird structure to it,
 like so:

bass intro
guitar intro
keyboard intro
verse 1
bridge (in Dm)
chorus (variation 1)
bridge (in Em)
keyboard solo
chorus (variation 2)
verse 2
outro (same as keyboard intro)


The Stranglers albums
2002 Laid Back
1998 Coup de Grace
1995 About Time
1990 10
1987 Dreamtime
1984 Aural Sculpture
1983 Feline
1981 The Meninblack
1981 La Folie
1979 The Raven
1978 Black and White
1977 No More Heroes
1977 Rattus Norvegicus
The Raven tabs
01Longships tabbass tab
02The Raven tabbass tab
03Dead Los Angeles tabbass tab
04Ice tabbass tab
05Baroque Bordello tabbass tab
06Nuclear Device tabbass tab
07Shah Shah a Go Go tabbass tab
08Don't Bring Harry tabbass tab
09Duchess tabbass tab
10Meninblack tabbass tab
11Genetix tabbass tab

 

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