Requiem For The Masses

(Terry Kirkman)

Jim Yester, in the liner notes to the Japanese _From The Original Master

Tapes_ CD (Warner/Pioneer WPCP-3536):

Written during the peak of the Vietnam War, this flip side of "Never My

Love" soon became an underground hit, and its stark dramatic tone and

shockingly beautiful requiem mass parts [became] a favorite at live

concerts.

Note: guitar is capoed at 4th fret; chords are notated in brackets

Snare roll [2X]

(acapella w/military drums; chords implied):

Requiem aeternam, requiem aete...rnam

[D] [D6]

Mama, mama, forget your pies

[D7] [D]

Have faith they won't get cold

[D] [D6]

And turn your eyes to the bloodshot sky

[D7] [D]

Your flag is flying full

F# (octaves in piano l.h; guitar enters gradually)

[D]

At half-mast

For the matadors

Who turned their backs

To please the crowd

And all fell before the bull

Bridge 1:

[G] [F#m][Em] [D]

Red was the color of his blood flowing thin

[G] [F#m] [Em] [D]

Pallid white was the color of his lifeless skin

[G] [F#m] [Em] [D]

Blue was the color of the morning sky

[F]

He saw looking up from the ground where he died

[Em] [D]

It was the last thing ever seen by him

(acapella w/military drums and sustained F# on bass; chords implied):

Kyrie elei...son

(flugelhorn and military drums)

Bridge 2:

Black and white were the figures that recorded him

Black and white was the newsprint he was mentioned in

Black and white was the question that so bothered him

He never asked, he was taught not to ask

What was on his lips as they buried him

(acapella w/military drums; chords implied:)

Rex tremendae majestatis

Coda:

(acapella w/military drums; chords implied:)

Requiem aeternam, requiem aete...rnam

(flugelhorn and military drums to fade)

-- another ace 60's tab from Andrew Rogers