Eternal Life

Eternal Life by Jeff Buckley

Album: Grace

Transcription by: Jim Ferraiolo (jmferraiolo@hcacad.holycross.edu)

I don't know how many times I have requested Jeff Buckley stuff on the

TAB newsgroups and such. Nobody seems to have the desire or skill to

transcribe anything he has done. I worked hard on this: a transcription

of a complex song by one of today's great artists. If anyone else has

any Jeff Buckley tab that's NOT on the homepage (I am especially looking

for Last Goodbye (it's in dropped-D, and I haven't gotten around to

working it out yet)) or if you have the musical ear and the CD to attempt

transcribing some of his stuff, please, I want to hear from you. If you

use and like this transcription, please e-mail me. It did take me

substantially longer than transcribing some stupid Green Day or Nirvana

song.

Opening intro part:

Play with treble pickup and keep a steady drone on the E string. Follow

the rhythm of the recording to get it exact, but this is all it is, really.

A---5h7--------------

E---0----------------

Then comes the really noisy part. I don't think anyone except Jeff himself

could decipher this. Just make a lot of noise around the key of E and

throw in some octaves high up on the neck. Then slide into the verse

progression. If you're playing it like the acoustic version on Live

at the Sin E, then you dont include the noise. Just do some sliding

7#9th chords or something. :)

Chords used:

Cmaj7: X32000

Gmaj7: 320030

Fmaj7: XX2310

A: X02220

Asus2: X02200

A7sus4 : 002030 *not sure about this chord name*

Em7: 022030

D/F#: 2X023X

Verse notes:

The Fmaj7 is quick, but it IS in there. It's played on the 4 beat of the

Gmaj7 measure. Listen to the recording, again, to get the rhythm.

Also, I am not sure what the A chord is, but it is some kind of A chord.

Usually, I use the sus2 form or a powerchord.

Eternal Life is now on my trail

Got my red glitter coffin, man, just need one last nail

While all these ugly gentlemen play out their foolish games

There's a flaming red horizon that screams our names

And as your fantasies are broken in two,

Did you really think this bloody road would pave the way for you?

[Asus2]

You better turn around and blow your kiss hello to life eternal, angel

There is a little fill that goes underneath the A chords. It is played

by a second guitar. It's played in all the verses I think.

E-----------------

B-----------------

G--------0--------

D------0---0---0--

A----4-------4----

E--5--------------

Then repeat the intro hammer on E drone thingy before going into the

2nd verse.

Racist everyman, what have you done?

Man, you've made a killer of your unborn son...

Crown my fear your king at the point of a gun

All I want to do is love everyone...

And as your fantasies are broken in two

Did you really think this bloody road would pave the way for you?

[Asus2]

You better turn around and blow your kiss hello to life eternal....

This is where it gets hairy. While Jeff is screaming, I think he plays

something like this:

C#m7dim5 : X42000 (Just like a Cmaj7, except with a C# root)

Cmaj7: X32000

F#7sus4: 244300 (Just like an F# major barre chord, leave last 2 open)

Fmaj7: 133200 (Ditto, F major barre)

B: X2444X

The Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaay part (sorry, didn't know what else

to call it) goes something like this:

A octave: 5X7XXX and then 2 single notes on the A string. Strum the octave

a bit then throw in that E and Eb.

D--7-----------

A-------7--6---

E--5-----------

During this next part, instead of strumming out the bridge chords, the

chords are picked, usually omitting the open E string though. Once again,

listening to the recording will help you get it perfect.

[Cmaj7] [F#7sus4] [Fmaj7]

There's no time for hatred, only questions

Okay everyone, its powerchord time! Yippee!

B5: X244XX

A5: X022XX

G5: 355XXX

F5: 133XXX

E5: 022XXX

E/F5:033XXX

What is love?

Where is happiness?

What is life?

Where is peace?

(just keep slidin' it and workin' it)

When will I find the strength to bring me release?

Tell me where is the love in what your prophet has said? [Lead 1]

Man, it sounds to me just like a prison for the walking dead [Lead 2]

And I've got a message for you and your twisted hell [Lead3]

You better turn around and blow your kiss goodbye to life eternal angel...

Leads:

These aren't exact. Make something up in E-minor pentatonic if you don't

like these.

b= bend

r= release

v= vibrato

h= hammer

p= pull

Lead 1 (with heavy arm vibrato)

G---12--14--14--12--14--14--12-14-14b15---r14---12h14p12--14p12-----

D---------------------------------------------------------------14--

Lead 2

D---14b15--14b15--14b15--12--14b15--14------------

A----------------------------------------14--12---

Lead 3

E--------------------17-----------------

B------15bvvvv17r15-----15bvvvv17r15----

Repeat chorus progression 2 times over Jeff's singing and end on the

E hammer drone thing.

If you have a better transcription, or you see something that needs to

be fixed, feel free to add on to this file but do not change what I have

done. Thanks.