Big Country Info Big Country Info

"Sail Into Nothing" by Big Country
From the Album "Why The Long Face"

Tab by Colin Dawson - colin_g_dawson@hotmail.com - December 2004

Comments and corrections welcome!

For more information about Big Country, visit www.bigcountry.co.uk

 

h = hammer
p = pull
s = slide
sd = slide down
r = let ring (sustain)

 

Intro (live version only);
Sometimes this was played with a "rotating speaker" effect (e.g. Das Fest 1995)
and sometimes without (e.g. Brighton Rock 1995).

 

  Em             G        Em              G
E|3--------------3--------3---------------3----|
B|0--------------0--------0---------------0----|
G|0--------------0--------0---------------0----|
D|2--------------0--------2---------------0----|
A|2--------------2--------2---------------2----|
E|0--------------3--------0---------------3----|
    We sail into nothing. Sail on crystal wings

      Em             G            Dsus             C/G
E|----3--------------3------------3----------------3--------------|
B|----0--------------0------------0----------------1--------------|
G|----0--------------0------------0----------------0--------------|
D|----2--------------0------------2----------------2--------------|
A|----2--------------2------------2----------------3--------------|
E|3-2-0--------------3------------0----------------3--------------|
        We sail into nothing. And never need these ships again, no

 

Intro - studio and live versions;

 

  G       Dsus    C/G     Dsus
E|7-----7-5-----5-3-----------5---|
B|--8-------7-------5-----------7-|
G|----7-------7-------5-----7-----| repeat 4 times
D|----------------------5s7-------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

 

Verse 1;

G       D   C    D   G     D      C     D   
  When I am tired,   tired of the fight

G     D       C   D           G      D    C    D
  You come to me     and it痴 alright

 

Guitar 1 through next part of verse 1;

  G   D       C     D         G   D       C     D
E|--------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------|
G|0---2-2h4p2-0---0-2-2h4p2-0-0---2-2h4p2-0---0-2-2h4p2-0-|
D|--0-----------2---------------0-----------2-------------|Repeats twice
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|

Guitar 2 through next part of verse 1;

  G       D      C       D
E|7-------5------8-------5------|
B|8-------7------8-------7------|
G|7-------7------9-------7------|
D|9-------7------10------7------|Repeats 4 times
A|10------5------10------5------|
E|7-------5------8-------5------|

 

G    D    C     D   G     D     C    D
  If I am weary,    weary of my sins

G     D        C   D           G      D   C   D
  You lie with me     when I知 fallen

 

Chorus;

(note that the Em* is a slow up strum)

         Em* Em               G          Em              G
E|-------0---0----------------3----------0---------------3-----|
B|-------0---0----------------0----------0---------------0-----|
G|-------0---0----------------0----------0---------------0-----|
D|-------2---2----------------0----------2---------------0-----|
A|-------2---2----------------2----------2---------------2-----|
E|-------0---0----------0-2-3-3----3-2-0-0---------0-2-3-3-----|
  And we,      we sail into nothing.   Sail on crystal wings

 

         Em                 G          Dsus            C/G
E|-------0------------------3----------3---------------3--------------|
B|-------0------------------0----------3---------------1--------------|
G|-------0------------------0----------2---------------0--------------|
D|-------2------------------0----------0---------------3--------------|
A|-------2------------------2----------0---------------3--------------|
E|-3-2-0-0------------0-2-3-3----------2---------------3--------------|
            We sail into nothing, and never need these ships again, no

 

  G       Dsus    C/G     Dsus
E|7-----7-5-----5-3-----------5---|
B|--8-------7-------5-----------7-|
G|----7-------7-------5-----7-----| repeat 4 times
D|----------------------5s7-------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

 

Verse 2 (same guitar as second part of verse 1);

 

G      D    C      D   G      D      C     D
  When I am lonely,    lonely in the night

G     D       C   D          G      D   C   D
 Take hold of me     and I知 alright

G   D    C        D   G      D       C    D
 If I am waiting,     fallen out of line

G    D       C   D           G        D   C   D
 You take me in,     make it all fine

 

Chorus;

(note that the Em* is a slow up strum)

         Em* Em               G          Em              G
E|-------0---0----------------3----------0---------------3-----|
B|-------0---0----------------0----------0---------------0-----|
G|-------0---0----------------0----------0---------------0-----|
D|-------2---2----------------0----------2---------------0-----|
A|-------2---2----------------2----------2---------------2-----|
E|-------0---0----------0-2-3-3----3-2-0-0---------0-2-3-3-----|
  And we,      we sail into nothing.   Sail on crystal wings

 

         Em                 G          Dsus            C/G
E|-------0------------------3----------3---------------3--------------|
B|-------0------------------0----------3---------------1--------------|
G|-------0------------------0----------2---------------0--------------|
D|-------2------------------0----------0---------------3--------------|
A|-------2------------------2----------0---------------3--------------|
E|-3-2-0-0------------0-2-3-3----------2---------------3--------------|
            We sail into nothing, and never need these ships again, no

 

Chorus;

           Em                 G          Em              G
E|---------0------------------3----------0---------------3-----|
B|---------0------------------0----------0---------------0-----|
G|---------0------------------0----------0---------------0-----|
D|---------2------------------0----------2---------------0-----|
A|---------2------------------2----------2---------------2-----|
E|-------0-0------------0-2-3-3----3-2-0-0---------0-2-3-3-----|
              We sail into nothing.   Sail on crystal wings

 

         Em                 G          Dsus            C/G
E|-------0------------------3----------3---------------3--------------|
B|-------0------------------0----------3---------------1--------------|
G|-------0------------------0----------2---------------0--------------|
D|-------2------------------0----------0---------------3--------------|
A|-------2------------------2----------0---------------3--------------|
E|-3-2-0-0------------0-2-3-3----------2---------------3--------------|
            We sail into nothing, and never need these ships again, no

 

Guitar solo;

To make this easier to read and write I've used the following
shorthand abbreviations;

2 = 12th fret
3 = 13th fret
4 = 14th fret
5 = 15th fret
6 = 16th fret
7 = 17th fret

(Use palm muting)

  Am     Em      Am      Em      Am     Em      C       D
E|----------------------------------------------2-2-2-------------|
B|---22225-2-------2----------------22225-2---2-------5-2---------|
G|-----------4-2-4---4-2---2-2rrr-----------4-------------4-4rrr--|
D|-----------------------4----------------------------------------|Play twice
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Alternative guitar solo from live versions;

  Am     Em      Am      Em      Am     Em        C       D
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---22225-2-------2----------------22225-2---2-5s7-7-7-5s2---------|
G|-----------4-2-4---4-2---2-2rrr-----------4---------------4-4rrr--|
D|-----------------------4------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

  Am     Em      Am      Em      Am     Em        C       D
E|---22225-2-------2----------------22225-2---2-5s7-7-7-5-2---------|
B|-----------5-2-5---5-2---2-2rrr-----------5---------------5-5rrr--|
G|-----------------------4------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

Verse 3; (same guitar as second part of verse 1)

 

G    D    C      D    G        D     C     D
  If I am beaten      down and on my knees

 

G     D      C   D          G         D   C  (drum break)
 You pick me up,     set my soul free

 

Chorus;

(note that the Em* is a slow up strum)

         Em* Em               G          Em              G
E|-------0---0----------------3----------0---------------3-----|
B|-------0---0----------------0----------0---------------0-----|
G|-------0---0----------------0----------0---------------0-----|
D|-------2---2----------------0----------2---------------0-----|
A|-------2---2----------------2----------2---------------2-----|
E|-------0---0----------0-2-3-3----3-2-0-0---------0-2-3-3-----|
  And we,      we sail into nothing.   Sail on crystal wings

 

         Em                 G          Dsus            C/G
E|-------0------------------3----------3---------------3--------------|
B|-------0------------------0----------3---------------1--------------|
G|-------0------------------0----------2---------------0--------------|
D|-------2------------------0----------0---------------3--------------|
A|-------2------------------2----------0---------------3--------------|
E|-3-2-0-0------------0-2-3-3----------2---------------3--------------|
            We sail into nothing, and never need these ships again, no

 

Chorus;

           Em                 G          Em              G
E|---------0------------------3----------0---------------3-----|
B|---------0------------------0----------0---------------0-----|
G|---------0------------------0----------0---------------0-----|
D|---------2------------------0----------2---------------0-----|
A|---------2------------------2----------2---------------2-----|
E|-------0-0------------0-2-3-3----3-2-0-0---------0-2-3-3-----|
              We sail into nothing.   Sail on crystal wings

 

         Em                 G          Dsus            C/G
E|-------0------------------3----------3---------------3--------------|
B|-------0------------------0----------3---------------1--------------|
G|-------0------------------0----------2---------------0--------------|
D|-------2------------------0----------0---------------3--------------|
A|-------2------------------2----------0---------------3--------------|
E|-3-2-0-0------------0-2-3-3----------2---------------3--------------|
            We sail into nothing, and never need these ships again, no

 

 

  G       Dsus    C/G     Dsus
E|7-----7-5-----5-3-----------5---|
B|--8-------7-------5-----------7-|
G|----7-------7-------5-----7-----| repeat 3 times
D|----------------------5s7-------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

  G       Dsus    C/G     Dsus
E|7-----7-5-----5-3-----------5---7-|
B|--8-------7-------5-----------7-8-|
G|----7-------7-------5-----7-----7-|
D|----------------------5s7-------9-|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|

 

 

There's a great guitar solo at the end of the live version on "Brighton Rock".
Perhaps I'll tab that at a future date.

 

Chords:

CHORD  | E A D G B E
Am     | 0 0 2 2 1 0
C      | 3 3 2 0 1 0
C/G    | 3 3 2 0 1 3
D      | 2 0 0 2 3 2
Dsus2  | 2 0 0 2 3 3
Em     | 0 2 2 0 0 0
G      | 2 4 4 3 2 2