PLEASE NOTE: These transcriptions are the authors' own works and represent their interpretation of the song. You may only use them for private study, scholarship, or research.
Tablature
From The Madcap Laughs
TERRAPIN
VERSE 1
E G
I really love you, and I mean you
E G A
The star above you, crystal blue
D E A
Well, oh baby, my hair's on end about you
TRANSITION: C G
VERSE 2
I wouldn't see you, and I love to
I fly above you, yes I do
Well, oh baby, my hair's on end about you
TRANSITION: C G G# A
BRIDGE (?)
A
Floating, bumping, noses dodge a tooth
A C G Bb E
The fins a luminous
A
Fangs all 'round the clown is dark
A
Below the boulders hiding
C G E
All the sunlight's good for us
VERSE 3
Cause we're the fishes and all we do
The move about is all we do
Well, oh baby, my hair's on end about you
SOLO 1 (Played over the verse chords, using the same kinds
of transitions as shown above to lead in)
REPEAT BRIDGE
SOLO 2 (Played over the verse chords, using the same kinds
of transitions as shown above to lead in)
REPEAT VERSE 1
END
Notes: I basically use all E and A shape barre chords for this, which
makes it an easy and fun song to play.
IT'S NO GOOD TRYING
transcribed by Greg O'Beirne (gobeirne@tartarus.uwa.edu.au)
(This is the solo acoustic version
found on Track 15 of
"The Madcap Laughs" disc of the Crazy Diamond box set. It was
recorded on 11th April, 1969, at Abbey Road Studios, London.
It's virtually the same chords that he played on "No Good Trying"
on the original "The Madcap Laughs" album, but the bass on that
track implies slightly different chords and spacings. All the
chords on this version are to be played as standard E-form
barre(tt) chords. Just adlib during the E section between each
verse for a random number of bars...)
G
It's no good trying to place your hand
D
where I can't see because I understand
A
that you're different from me
yes I can tell
D
that you can't be what you pretend
G
and you're rocking me backwards
A#
and you're rocking towards the
C D
red and yellow mane of a stallion horse.
E
G
It's no good trying to hold your love
D
where I can't see because I understand
A
that you're different from me
yes I can tell
D
that you can't be what you pretend
G A#
the caterpillar hood won't cover the head and
C D
you know you should be home in bed.
E
G
It's no good holding your sequin fan
D
where I can't see because I understand
A
that you're different from me
yes I can tell
D
that you can't be what you pretend
G A#
yes you're spinning around and around in a car
C D
with electric lights flashing very fast...
E
NO MAN'S LAND
(tabbed
by Hans Richter)
E
You would hold your head up high
you even try
you would hold another hand:
G
oh understand!
F
They even see me under call
A
we under all,
B E
we awful, awful, crawl
G A
to hear my hour
G B E
come see me cry...
E
Just searching you even try
I can make you smile
if it's there will you go there too?
G
When I live I die!
F
They even see me under call
A B E
we under all, we awful, awful, crawl
G A G B E7
because of you to see me be.
C/G
*last verse: Tell me, Tell me, Tell me Yippee (...)
OCTOPUS
The version of "Octopus" (as
transcribed by Michelle Crazy Diamond?) that has been
floating around the web for a number of years was so wrong it was comical!
The following is the correct way to play Syd Barrett's "Octopus."
James.allfallup@aol.com
Intro: Verses:
B E7 G C7 A F#7 B7
E---7-----------3-----0-----0----------- ----------7------
B---7-----5-----3-----1-----2----------- ---7------10------
G---8-----7-----4-----3-----2----------- ---9------8------
D---9-----6-----5-----2-----2----------- ---8------7------
A---9-----7-----5-----3-----0----------- ---9------9------
E---7-----------3----------------------- ----------7------
Note: Syd uses all standard shaped barre chords except for the E7 & C7 in the
intro,
and the F#7 & B7 verses
!!!Also: Syd tunes his guitar down a half step; B sounds like Bb, etc...
B E7 G C7 A
Trip to heave and ho, up, down, to and fro', you have no word
B A
trip, trip to a dream dragon
B A
hide your wings in a ghost tower
B A B
sails cackling at every plate we brake
B Bb
was cracked by scattered needles
A
the little minute gong coughs and clears his throat
A
madam you see before you stand, hey, ho, never be still
A
the old original favorite grand grasshoppers green Herbarian band
A F#7
and the tune they play is "In us Confide"
B E7 G C7 A
So trip to heave and ho, up, down, to and fro', you have no word
F# B
please leave us here
F# B B7 E
close our eyes to the Octopus ride
E F F# G
Isn't it good to be lost in the wood
G G#
Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood
A D
meant even less to me than I thought
A D
with a honey plough yellow prickly seeds
A D F#7
clover honey pots and mystic shining feed...
B E7
well, the madcap laughed at the man on the border
G C7
hey, ho, huff the talbot
B A
cheat! he cried, shouted kangaroo
B A
it's true in their tree he cried
F# B
please leave us here
F# B B7 E
close our eyes to the Octopus ride
Instrumental passage: F#
F# B
please leave us here
F# B B7 E
close our eyes to the Octopus ride
B A
the madcap laughed at the man on the border
B A
hey, ho, huff the talbot
B A
the winds they blew and the leaves did wag
B A
and they'll never put me in their bag
B A
the raging seas will always seep
B A
so high you go, so low you creep
B A
the wind it blows in tropical heat
B A
the drones they throng on mossy seats
B A
the squeaking door will always squeak
B A
two up, two down will never meet
B A
so merrily trip for good my side
F# B
please leave us here
F# B B7 E
close our eyes to the Octopus ride
Outro: E F F# G
LOVE YOU
transcribed by Dave Fleming (dave@Glue.umd.edu)
For the intro I stick to E (or E7) shape barre chords. This is
a pretty simplistic approach on my part which, of course, I don't
think this is 100% right, so if you have any improvements, please
let me know:
Intro:
A 577655
B 799877
A7 575655
G7 353433
F#7 242322
A 577655
B 799877
E 022100
For the verses, I use the following forms,
A 577655
A# 688766
B 799877
E x79997
Verses:
A
Honey, love ya,
A#
Honey, little honey, funny, Sunday morning
B
Love you more funny, Love in the skyline baby.
E
Ice cream, 'scuse me,
A E
I've seen you looking good the other evening
Oh, you, dig it
Had to smile just an hour or so
Are we in love like I think we be?
It ain't a long rhyme, it took ages to think
I think I'll hurl it in the water, baby.
Repeat first verse
Flaking you are
A nice little one to put it all around
It's just good, I like it
Hey, hey, hey. Suppose some time that day
Whoopee, swing it on over across to me.
Repeat first verse
Good time rocker woman
Will stray, ah, pieces a little creepy
We shine so sleepy,
So whoopee
That's how you look
Repeat first verse
HERE I GO
Transcribed by FISH
Intro:
~~~~~~
B F#
This is a story 'bout a girl that I knew
B
she didn't like my songs
F#
and that made me feel blue
D# Db E
she said: "a big band is far better than you"...
Part I:
~~~~~~~
A D#11/A# Bm7 E
She don't rock 'n' roll, she don't like it
A D#11/A# Bm7 E
she don't do the stroll, well she don't do it right
A A7 D Dm
well, ev'rythings wrong and my patience was gone
A
when I woke one morning
E
and remembered this song
A D#11/A# Bm7 E
O-oh-oh, kinda catchy,
A D#11/A# Bm7 E
I hoped
A A7
that she would talk to me now
D Dm A
and even allow me to hold her hand
E
and forget that old band.
Part II:
~~~~~~~~
D Dm A A7
I strolled around to her pad
D Dm A E
her light was off and that's bad
D Dm A F#
her sister said that my girl was gone
B E
"But come inside, boy, and play, play, play me a song!"
Additional Lyrics:
(w/PART I)
I said "Yeah! Here I go"
She's kinda cute, don't you know?
That after a while of seeing her smile
I knew we could make it, make it in style!
(w/PART II)
So now I've got all I need
She and I are in love, we've agreed
she likes this song and my others too
so now you see my world is...
because of this tune!
(w/PART I)
What a boon this tune!
I tell you soon
We'll be lying in bed, happily wed,
and I won't think of that girl
or what she said...
GOLDEN
HAIR
Original Lyrics by James Joyce
Transcribed by FISH
Main Riff:
|--0-----0----0---------0-------0---0--0---------|
|--5--\--3----1--/--6---5-------0---2--2---------|
|--4--\--2----0--/--5---4-------1---2--2---------|
|-------------------------------2---2--2---------|
|-------------------------------2---0--0---------|
|-------------------------------0----------------|
Lean out your window, golden hair
I heard you singing in the midnight air
my book is closed, I read no more
watching the fire dance on the floor
I've left my book,
I've left my room
For I heard you singing through the gloom
singing and singing, a merry air
lean out the window, golden hair...
DARK GLOBE
transcribed by Dave Fleming (dave@eng.umd.edu)
As always, corrections are welcomed and encouraged
(especially since
the lyrics seem a bit off)
G
Oh where are you now, pussy willow that smiled on this leaf?
C D G
When I was alone you promised a stone from your heart.
G7
My head kissed the ground
C
I was half the way down
G D
Treading the sand, please...
G C D C
Please lift a hand, I'm only a person
D C D
Whose arm bands beads on his hands hang tall.
G D
Won't you miss me,
D7
Wouldn't you miss me at all?
G
The poppy bird's way swing twigs coffee brands around. ???
C D
Brandish a wand with a feathery tong.
G G7
My head kissed the ground
C
I was half the way down
G D C
Treading the sand, please, please...
G C D C
Please lift a hand, I'm only a person.
D C D C C7
With eskimo chain I tattoed my brain all the way
G D
Won't you miss me,
D7
Wouldn't you miss me at all?
(OUTRO: putter around on G for a while, then stop.)
Chords used:
G: 320003 C: x32010 D: xx0232
G7: 320001 C7: x3231x D7: xx0212
FEEL
Transcribed by FISH
G
You feel me
D A Bm
away far too empty, oh so alone! I want to go home
Em
Oh find me inside of a nocturn - the blonde
D7(+4)
how I love you to be by my side
G
they wail...
E
the crowd on her side
C D G Fmaj7 D7(+4)
she straggled the bridge by the water...
She misses her crawl
far ley grew
heady aside in a dell
inside an eye be the lonely one, my bride
how I leave on the waddling wheel
they flail...
a gasp shringing
a bad bell's ringing
the angel - the daughter...
You feel me...
LONG GONE
Transcription by: Jacob David Sudol (sudol@azstarnet.com)
INTRO:
1 + + 2 + + 3 + + 4 + +
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----1-1-1-1-
|------------------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|------------------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|--0---3---5---6-----------3-----------0---0-0-0-0-
VERSE:
1 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|--------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------
|--0---3---5---6-----------3-----------
She was long gone,
1 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----1-1-1-1-
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|--6-----------3-----------0---0-0-0-0-
long, long gone
1 + + 2 + + 3 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|--------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------7-----------5-----------3-------3---2-------2---
|--0---3---5---------------------------------------------------
She was gone, gone, the bigger they come the
1 + + 2 + + 3 + + 4 + +
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|--------------------------------------------------
|--0-----------------------------------------------
|--------------3-----------2-----------1-----------
larger her hand, Tell no one, understand, why for
1 + + 2 + + 3 + + 4 + +
|------0-0-0-0-----------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----------------1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-
|--2---------------------------2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-
|--------------3---2---1---0---0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-
so long she'd been gone... (And I...)
Am Am
And I stood very still by the window sill
D D
and I wondered for those I love still
G A
I cried in my mind where I stand behind
A A
the beauty of love's in her eyes...
She was long gone, long, long gone
she was gone, gone, the bigger they come
the larger her hand, tell no one, understand,
why for so long she'd been gone.
Am Am
And I borrowed a page from a leopard's cage
D D
and I prowled in the evening sun's glaze
G A
her head lifted high to the light in the sky
A A
the opening dawn on her face...
BRIDGE:
1 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|--------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------
|--0---3---5---6-----------3-----------
1 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----1-1-1-1-
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|--6-----------3-----------0---0-0-0-0-
1 + + 2 + + 3 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------------------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|--------------6-----------6-----------0-----------0-----------
|-----/7---5---7-----------5-----------3-----------2-----------
|--0-----------------------------------------------------------
1 + + 2 + + 3 + + 4 + +
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------
|--0-----------------------------------------------
|--------------3-----------2-----------1-----------
1 + + 2 + + 3 + + 4 + +
|------0-0-0-0-----------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----------------1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-
|--2---------------------------2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-
|--------------3---2---1---0---0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-
She was long gone long, long gone
she was gone, gone, the bigger they come
the larger her hand, tell no one, understand,
why for so long she'd been gone.
And I stood very still by the window sill
and I wondered for those I love still
I cried in my mind where I stand behind
the beauty of love's in her eyes...
OUTRO:
1 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------------------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|--------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------
|--0---3---5---6-----------3-----------
She was long gone,
1 + + 2 + + 3 + +
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-
|------0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-----1-1-1-1- (and finish on E)
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|------------------------------2-2-2-2-
|--6-----------3-----------0---0-0-0-0-
long, long gone
SHE TOOK A LONG COLD LOOK
Transcribed by FISH
A D
She took a long cold look at me
D A
and smiled and gazed all over my arm
A D
she loves to see me get down to ground
D A
she hasn't time just to be with me
A D
her face between all she means to be
D A
to be extreme, just to be extreme
A D
a broken pier on the wavy sea
D A
she wonders why for all she wants to see...
G
But I got up and I stomped around
E E7
and hid the piece where the trees touch the ground...
(Then, to imitate Syd trying to play while turning his lyric
sheet, just
strike the A and the low E about 467823823 times...)
A D
The end of truth that lay out the time
D A
spent lazing here on a painting green
A D
a mile or more in a foreign clime
D A
to see farther inside of me.
A D
And looking high up into the sky
D A
I breathe as the water streams over me...
IF IT'S
IN YOU
G D
Yes I'm thinking of this, yes I am
G
puddle town, Tom was the underground
D
hold you tighter so close, yes you are
G
please hold on to the steel rail
Chorus:
C
colonel with gloves
G
touch leeches
C D G
he isn't loved on 'Sundays Mail'
C
all the fives crock Henrietta
D
she's mean go-getter
gotta write her a letter.
G D
Did I wink of this, I am
G
yum, yummy, yum, don't, yummy, yum, yom, yom...
D
Yes, I'm thinking of this, in steam
G
skeleton kissed to the steel rail
Chorus:
fleas in Pamela
chugging along with a funnel of steam
all the fives crock Henrietta
she's mean go-getter
gotta write her a letter...
Ending:
E A
LATE NIGHT
Transcription by Dave Fleming (dave@Glue.umd.edu)
Here are the backing chords to Syd
Barrett's "Late Night"
from the album "The Madcap Laughs" - one of my favorites. If
anyone could help me work up a nice solo acoustic arrangement, I'd
be grateful.
I have not tabbed out the
solo/slide guitar parts, because I figure one may as well play
whatever one feels, but if there's interest in a tab of the
parts from the album, I could give it a shot.
Corrections, of course, are most welcome.
Note: CaddG = x32013
B A
When I woke up today
G
And you weren't there to play
E
Then I wanted to be with you
When you showed me your eyes
Whispered love the skies (???)
Then I wanted to stay with you
CaddG Am(?)
Inside me I feel
CaddG Am
Alone and unreal
D
And the way you kiss
G D
Will always be a very special thing to me
When I lay still at night
Seeing stars high and light
Then I wanted to be with you
When the rooftops shone dark
All alone saw a spark
Spark of love just to stay with you
Inside me I feel...
If I mention your name
Turn around on a chain
Then the sky opens up for you
When we grew very tall
When I saw you so small
Then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel...