The ocean — Dar Williams

From [email protected] Fri Mar 14 01:45:23 1997

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Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 20:44:45 -0500 (EST)

From: Steve Postellon

Reply-To: Steve Postellon

To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Subject: CRD: "The Ocean" by Dar Williams

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Standard tuning, no capo. Each chord name or dash indicates one dotted

Quarter note (one beat, since the song is in 12/8 most of the time).

Frequently on successive A chords, Dar does a hammer-on/pull-off, so

A-Asus4 is more accurate. Similarly, on successive D chords, she

Frequently does D-Dsus2 (pulling off on the high E string). Finally, the

Pattern G - Em - is frequently really G G/F# Em Em (listen for a

Descending bass line on the recording to find out exactly when). This

Transcription condenses the acoustic and electric guitar parts, is

Faithful primarily to the acoustic part, and is playable on a solo

Acoustic.

The Ocean

By Dar Williams

From the album _Mortal City_

Intro: G G/F# / Em - / A - / D - / - -

G - Em - - -

When I went to your town on the wide open shore

A - D D G

Oh I must confess, I was drawn, I was drawn to the ocean,

G Em - - -

I thought it spoke to me

It said, "Look at us, we're not churches, not schools

Not skating ponds, swimming pools.

G - Em - - -

And we have lost people, haven't we though?"

A - D -

Oh, that's what the ocean can know of a body

G G A -

And that's when I came back to town

- - F#m

This town is a song about you

You don't know how lucky you are

You don't know how much I adore you

Bm G A Em - A - D - - -

You are the welcoming back from the ocean

G - Em - - -

I went back to the ocean today

A - D - G

With my books and my papers I went to the rocks by the ocean

- Em -

But the weather changed quickly

A - Bm G

Oh the ocean said, "What are you trying to find,

I don't care, I'm not kind

G - Em - - -

I've bludgeoned your sailors, I've spat out their keepsakes,

A - D -

Oh it's ashes to ashes but always the ocean,"

G - A -

But the ocean can't come to this town

- - F#m

This town is a song about you

You don't know how lucky you are

You don't know how much I adore you

Bm G A Em - A - D - - -

You are the welcoming back from the ocean

Interlude: G - A Bm (4x) G - Em - A - D -

(same chords as last five lines of previous verse)

And the ones that can know you so well

Are the ones that can swallow you whole

I have a good and I have an evil

I thought the ocean, the ocean thought nothing

You are a welcoming back from the ocean.

(same as previous full verse, up to the last line)

I didn't go back today,

I wanted to show you that I was more land than water

I went to pick flowers.

I brought them to you, look at me, look at them

With their salt up the stem

But you frowned when I smiled and I tried to arrange them

You said, "Let me tell you the song of this town,"

You said, "Everything closes at five.

After that, well you just got the bars

You don't know how precious you are

Walking around with your little shoes dangling

Bm G A Em -

I am the one who lives with the ocean,

A -

It's where we came from, you know,

- - F#m

And sometimes I just want to go back.

After a day, we drink till we're drowning

Walk to the ocean, wade in with our workboots,

Bm G - D

Wade in our workboots, try to finish the job.

You don't know how precious you are

I am the one who lives with the ocean

You don't know how I am the one.

G A Bm Em - A - D - - -

You don't know how I am the one"

Ending: repeat G - A Bm to fade

Enjoy,

Steve

--

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