Adrian Belew - The Rail Song

      
 
 ADRIAN BELEW - THE RAIL SONG
 As played on the amazing record "acoustic".
 
 Intro: *Play riff*
 
      A                                     
 I recall as a boy we would hop the freights
         D2                         
 wasn't nothin' but a kick back then
           E                                    
 there was no better thrill for my anxious heart
        F#-         
 than a long flatcar
         E              
 headin' out of the yard
       A                                 
 and I knew even then she was in my blood
          D2                        
 like the time when I first hired on
         E                              
 and the fireman laughed at my bony nose
        F#-            
 but he tossed me a cap
      E   
 said GM&O
 *riff........
 and I was a man...
 ........................
 I gave her my best years
 .............................
 well, what can you do but laugh
 .........................................*
 I don't expect she'll ever be coming back
          A                               
 When we climbed up the great Appalachians
     D2                               
 her engines would be raging like hell
           E                                 
 then we'd come back down to the rising towns
           F#-         
 where the cattle stare
         E        
 in the frozen air
    A                            
 For me there nothing more sacred
          D2                        
 than the beautiful sound she'd make
     E                                          
 her long blue signal blowin' deep in the night,
          F#-             
 it would get to me there,
          E              
 it would get to me there
 *bridge riff.........
 Now I'm afraid...
 ............................
 Afraid of these silent hours
 ..........................
 awake underneath my old cap
 .........................................*
 I don't expect she'll ever be coming back
 
 *(instrumental with chords A D2 E F#- E)*
 
          A                                      
 Well, I watched the beginning of the end for her
        D2                       
 when I saw my first jet airplane
        E                                
 flying high overhead like a bird of prey
          F#-         
 while the mighty fell
        E                
 in the land of the brave
 *final riff*
 Now I'm alone.
 
 Riff:

 E|--12-------|--12------|--11-------|--11-------|--11------|--9------|--9------|
 B|--10-------|---9------|---9-------|---8-------|---7------|--7------|--7------|
 G|-------x16-|-------x8-|-------x16-|-------x16-|------x8--|------x8-|--7--x16-|
 D|-----------|----------|-----------|-----------|----------|---------|--7------|
 A|-----------|----------|-----------|-----------|----------|---------|---------|
 E|-----------|----------|-----------|-----------|----------|---------|---------|
 

 
 Bridge riff:

 E|-12------|-12-----|-11------|-11-------|-11------|-9------|-/------|-9------|
 B|-10------|--9-----|--9------|--8-------|--7------|-7------|-6------|-7------|
 G|-----x16-|-----x8-|-----x16-|------x16-|-----x8--|----x24-|----x32-|-7--x16-|
 D|---------|--------|---------|----------|---------|--------|--------|-7------|
 A|---------|--------|---------|----------|---------|--------|--------|--------|
 E|---------|--------|---------|----------|---------|--------|--------|--------|
 

 
 Final riff:

 E|--12-------|
 B|--10-------|
 G|-------x25-|
 D|-----------|
 A|-----------|
 E|-----------|
 

 
 Of course, fell free to make this tab better.
 I did my best, but Adrian is a monster guitarist and he does some strange chord; he's a
 he's the story, and I'm only a nut.
 But this is my tribute to him.
 Thank you Ade.
 
 _Ozzy
 geomscortichini@interfree.it