The Grave tab by Don Mclean

The Grave
by Don McLean

Taken from the album "American Pie" by Don McLean


This song isn't too hard to play I think. A nice combination of fingerpicking
and strumming. Listen to album "American Pie" otherwise you haven't a chance.
Comments and corrections are always welcome. The lyrics follow after the TAB.

Good luck

Lee Francis

The Grave (Don McLean)

Intro:
             C                E7
e|-1p0-----------0-------------------------0-------------------------------0--
b|------3-----------3--------------0h1--3-----3-------0-----------------3-----
g|---------2-----------2--------0----------------0h2-----2-----------1--------
D|------------0--------------2------------------------------------0-----------
A|------------------------3------------------------------------2--------------
E|----------------------------------------------------------0-----------------


Verse:

  When the wars of our nation...       A man barely...
  Am          G           C      B    E
e|--------------------------------3-------------------------------------------
b|----------1--1/3\1-p0--------------0/1\0------------------------------------
g|-------2-----2/4\2-p0--------0-----	0/2\0--2--------0-----------0-----1------
D|----2---------------------0---------------------2-----------0--------2------
A|-0-------------------------------------------3-----------2------------------
E|-----------------------3------------------------------------------0---------

  Proud of the trust...   nation.     He's gone.
  Am    G    C    E           A
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
b|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
g|-------0--------0--------0--------1-----------------------------------------
D|----2--------0--------2-----------2-----------------------------------------
A|-0-----------------3-----------2------------------0-------------------------
E|----------3-----------------0-----------------------------------------------

  But eternity knows...      And it knows what we've done.
                              E7
e|------1p0-----0h1-----------------------1-----3----5--------------------0---
b|-----------3----------------------------3-----5----6-----------------3------
g|------------------------------------------------------------------1---------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------0------------
A|------------------------------------------------------------2---------------
E|---------------------------------------------------------0------------------


[Strumming part begins]

  And the rain fell like pearls on ...
      Am       Bm/A     D?      E7
e|---------0--------------0-------------0-------------0-----------------------
b|-strum---1--------------3-------------0-------------3-----------------------
g|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------1------ Repeat this ----
D|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------0------ sentence 3 ----
A|---------0--------------0-------------5-------------2------ times    ----
E|----------------------------------------------------0-----------------------
		.
		.

  As he held to his rifle and ...
     C           Dm      E7
e|--------0---------------------5-------------0-------------------------------
b|-strum--1---------------------6-------------3-------------------------------
g|--------0---------------------7-------------1-------------------------------
D|--------2---------------------7-------------0-------------------------------
A|--------3---------------------5-------------2-------------------------------
E|--------3-----------------------------------0-------------------------------

  But the silence of night   was ....
      Dm        Am           Asus2...Am...
e|----------1-----------------0----------------------0--0--0------------------
b|-strum----3-----------------1----------------------0--1--0------------------
g|----------2-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- Repeat this ----
D|----------0-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- sentence 3 ----
A|----------------------------0----------------------0--0--0- times    ----
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
		.
		.

  In a morgue of marines ...
     C        Dm       E7
e|--------0----------------5--------------0-----------------------------------
b|-strum--1----------------6--------------3-----------------------------------
g|--------0----------------7--------------1-----------------------------------
D|--------2----------------7--------------0-----------------------------------
A|--------3----------------5--------------2-----------------------------------
E|--------3-------------------------------0-----------------------------------

    He crouched ever lower, ...
     F                 Am
e|--------1----------------------------------0--------------------------------
b|-strum--1----------------------------------1--------------------------------
g|--------2----------------------------------2--------------- Repeat this ----
D|--------3----------------------------------2--------------- sentence 3 ----
A|--------3----------------------------------0--------------- times    ----
E|--------1-------------------------------------------------------------------
		.
		.

   I'll cover myself - I know I'm not ...
     F               E7         C     Dm
e|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------0-----------------
b|-strum--1-----------------------------3-------------------1----------6------
g|--------2-----------------------------1-------------------0----------7------
D|--------3-----------------------------0-------------------2----------7------
A|--------3-----------------------------2-------------------3----------5------
E|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------3-----------------

   The earth is my grave.
     E7
e|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------
b|-------3--------------------------------------------------------------------
g|-------1--------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-------2--------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------

[Strumming part ends]

Solo:
(Hint: Barre in 5 position, beware of tricky rythme)

     Am7                  G
e|--5--5--5--------------5--7-----5--------5--5--3----------------------------
b|--------------------5-----------------------------------0--1-----0----------
g|-----------------5-----------------5-----------------0--------0-----0h2-----
D|--------------5--------------5--------------------0--------2-----0----------
A|-----------7----------------------------------------------------------------
E|--------5-----------------5-----------5-------\3----------------------------

  C
e|--3-----------3--3--5-----3--------------------3--------------0-----0--0----
b|-----------1--------------------6-----6-----6-----6-----6-------------------
g|--------0--------------0-----3-----3--3--3-----------3-----3-----0----------
D|-----2--------------5-----------------0-------------------------------------
A|--3-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                             E7
e|--0---------------3-----1-----0--0-------------0-----------------------0----
b|--1------------1-----------------1----3-----------3-----0-----------0-------
g|--2---------2--------2-----2-----2-------2-----------2--1--------1----------
D|--3------3-----------------------3----------3-----------2-----2-------------
A|--0---0--------------------------0------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------0----------------

[Repeat 1st verse picking pattern]


Lyrics:

The Grave (Don McLean)

[Without guitar]

	The grave that they dug him had ....

[Intro - guitar]

	When the wars of our nation ....

[Strumming begins]

	And the rain fell like pearls on the ....


[Solo]

	The grave that they dug him had ...