World Before Columbus

World Before Colombus

written by Suzanne Vega

originally performed by Suzanne Vega

track #8 on "nine objects of desire"

transcribed by Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)

"World Before Colombus" is a rather simple song. The chord

progression is easy, and the fingerpicking is simple as

well. I have included the lyrics with the basic chords,

and then the tablature below that.

Chords:

Em=022000 Dsus2/E=0x0230 Cmaj7=x32000 G=320033

Amsus=x02210 D/F#=2x0230 F=133211 Bm=x24400

C=x32010

Lyrics and chords:

 

If your love were taken from me

Every color would be black and white.

G D/F# Em Amsus

It would be as flat as the world before Colombus.

That's the day that I lose half my sight.

If your life were taken from me

All the trees would freeze in this cold ground.

G D/F# Em Amsus

It would be as cold as the world before Colombus.

Sail to the edge and I'll be there, looking

Down.

Those men who lust for land and for riches strange and new,

All those trinkets of desire, but they never will have you.

And they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair,

How could they weigh the worth of you so rare.

If your love were taken from me

Every light that's bright would soon grow dim.

G D/F# Em Amsus

It would be as dark as the world before Colombus.

Down the waterfall and I'd swim over the

Brim.

Those men who lust for land and for riches strange and new,

All those trinkets of desire, oh they never will have you.

And they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair,

How could they weigh the worth of you so rare.

 

TAB notation:

P: pull off

h: hammer on

(intro riff)

E-------------------------------0-|------------------------B-------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3--G---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0----D---------------------------------|------------------------A---------------------------------|------------------------E-0-------------------------------|-0----------------------

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

-------0-|-------------------------------0-|--------------------3---|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3--2h4-----|---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2--------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|-0-------------------------------|-0-------------

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^

-----------------0-||

-------3-------3---||

-4---0-----2h4-----||

-------------------||

-------------------||

-------------------||

. + . ^ . + . ^ .

(verse)

---------------------------------|--------------------------------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0---------0--------------0---------------0---|-----------0------------------2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4-----------2--------------------3---------------|-2---------------3--------0-------------------------------|-------------------------

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

If your love were taken...

If your life were taken...

-------|---------------------------------|----------------------0-|-------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0------0---|-------------0---------------0---|-----------0------2-----|-----2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4--------------|-----------------3---------------|-2----------------------|-0-------------------------------|-----------------

. ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

-----------------|---------------------------------|--------------0---------|-------3---------------3---------|------------------------|-----------0---------------2-----|------------2-----2-----|-----0---------0-----0---------0-|-----2--3-----------0---|---------------------------------|------------------------|-3---------------2---------------|-0-----

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^

Amsus G D/F#

---------------------------|--------------------------------0---------------3---------|-------3---------------3------------0---------------2-----|-----------0---------------2------------0-----2---------0-|-----0---------0-----0--------------------0---------------|----------------------------------------------------------|-3---------------2-------------

. + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^

(these two measures go with the first verse)

---|--------------------------------|-----------------||

---|-------0------------------------|-----------------||

---|-----------0--------------------|-----------------||

-0-|-----2---------0----------------|-----------------||

---|-----------------3--------------|-(3)-------------||

---|-0---------------1--------------|-(1)-------------||

. + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

(these two measures go with the second and third verses;

they replace the two measures above)

---------------------------------|-----------------||

-------0(3)------------1---------|-------1---------||

-----------0---------------2-----|-----------2-----||

-----2---------0-----3---------3-|-----3---------3-||

---------------------------------|-----------------||

-0---------------1---------------|-1---------------||

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

(pre-chorus riff)

-------------------------------0-|--------------------------------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3------------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------0-------------------------------|-0-----------------------

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

...down.

...brim.

(chorus riff)

---------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------2-2-2-2----------|---------------------------------|----------------0---2---|-3---------------2---------------|-0-------------

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^

-0-------0-0-0-0-0-||

-0-------1-1-1-1-1-||

-0-------0-0-0-0-0-||

-2-------2-2-2-2-2-||

---3---------------||

-------------------||

. + . ^ . + . ^ .

(repeat chorus riff 3 times; the last time, play only the

first measure, then the chorus outro)

(chorus outro)

-------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-||

-------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-||

-------2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-2-2-||

-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-3-3-||

---------------------------------|-----------------||

-1---------------1---------------|-1---------------||

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

(play intro riff 2 times; replace the last measure with the

outro riff)

(outro riff)

-------------------------0------------------------------||

-----3-------3-------3---3------------------------------||

---------2-----4---0-----4------------------------------||

-------------------------2------------------------------||

-------------------------0------------------------------||

-0-----------------------0------------------------------||

+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . +

That's it everybody. Have fun.

transcribed by: Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)