"Ships" by Big Country
From the Album "The Buffalo Skinners"
Tab by Colin Dawson - colin_g_dawson@hotmail.com - December 2004
Updated 24 June 2005 - subtle changes to the fretting and fingering of the solos.
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)
Note; Stuart Adamson played this song using a Fender Telecaster B-Bender.
Since few of us will have such a specialised and unusual instrument, we just have
to bend the strings in the normal way. It's quite playable without the B-Bender.
Verse 1;
Em D G C G
Look at him now another used man
D C G Am D C
Wearing the passing of his dignity with all the courage that he can
Em D G C G
He stood in the storm, carved out in stone
D C G Am D
He said I’ve worn my honesty with pride in everything I’ve done
C G D G
E|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|--------0-----0-------|
D|------2-----0-----0---|
A|0-2-3-----2-----0-----|
E|--------------------3-|
Chorus;
G C G
So where were you when my ship went down?
Em C G
Where were you when I ran aground?
G C G
Where were you when I turned it around?
Em C G
Where were you when they burned me down?
Chorus;
G C G
So where were you when my ship went down?
Em C G
Where were you when I ran aground?
G C G
Where were you when I turned it around?
Em C G
Where were you when they burned me down?
Note:
(The "0b2" at the end of this riff is played by plucking the open A string and
then pressing on the string between the nut and the machines to produce the bend.
The alternative to this is to pull on the tremolo or play position 5 on the
bottom E string and bend the string with your fingers)
C G D Em
E|-------------------------------------|
B|----8-----8----------0---------------|
G|7h9---9-9---9p7----------------------|
D|-----------------7h9---9-7s5---------|
A|-----------------------------7p5-0b2-|
E|-------------------------------------|
Verse 2;
Em D G C G
Look at her now, all tired and worn
D C G Am D C
She never thought her life would come to be so cold or so alone
Em D G C C G
She walked in the light. Fought bondage for love
D C G Am D
She said I cast off the chains that I was born with but it never was enough
C G D G
E|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|--------0-----0-------|
D|------2-----0-----0---|
A|0-2-3-----2-----0-----|
E|--------------------3-|
Chorus;
G C G
And where were you when my ship went down
Em C G
Where were you when I ran aground?
G C G
Where were you when I turned it around?
Em C G
Where were you when they burned me down?
C Em
Silent souls washed upon the shores
G C D
Left to walk the sands evermore, evermore
Guitar solo;
G C G Em C G
E|--------10---------------------------------7-----------------------|
B|-8-10b12--10b12b10p8-------------------8b10-8b10b8-----------------|
G|7-------------------9sd-5-7b9b7-5-7---7-----------9p7--5-7b9b7-5-7-|
D|-----------------------5-------------9----------------5------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Oh now where were you
G C G Em C G
E|--------10---------------------------------7-----------------------|
B|-8-10b12--10b12b10p8-------------------8b10-8b10b8-----------------|
G|7-------------------9sd-5-7b9b7-5-7---7-----------9p7--5-7b9b7-5-7-|
D|-----------------------5-------------9----------------5------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
When my ship went down
G C G Em C G
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------8-10-8h10p8-7------------------|
G|----7-9-7h9p7---7--7h9-9-7h9p7--7h9--------------9-7-7h9-9-7h9p7--|
D|7h9-----------9---9-----------9---------------------------------9-|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
G C G Em C G C
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------8-10-10b12b10p8-8-10b12b10p8-8-8h10-8h10p8rrr|
G|----7-9-7h9p7---7--7h9-9-7h9p7--7h9---------------9------------9----------------|
D|7h9-----------9---9-----------9-------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C G D Em
E|-------------------------------------|
B|----8-----8----------0---------------|
G|7h9---9-9---9p7----------------------|
D|-----------------7h9---9-7s5---------|
A|-----------------------------7p5-0b2-|
E|-------------------------------------|
Verse 3;
Em D G C G
Look at us now just chasing our lives
D C G Am D C
Make like the saviours of the planet we’re just trying to get by
Em D G C G
You may walk the line now you may see it all through
D C G Am D
I know you cry yourself to sleep at night just wondering what to do
C G D G
E|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|--------0-----0-------|
D|------2-----0-----0---|
A|0-2-3-----2-----0-----|
E|--------------------3-|
Chorus;
G C G
Where were you when my ship went down
Em C G
Where were you when I ran aground?
G C G
Where were you when I turned it around?
Em C G
Where were you when they burned me down?
Chorus;
G C G
Where were you when my ship went down
Em C G
Where were you when I ran aground?
G C G
Where were you when I turned it around?
Em C G
Where were you when they burned me down?
G C G Em C G
E|--------10---------------------------------7-----------------------|
B|-8-10b12--10b12b10p8-------------------8b10-8b10b8-----------------|
G|7-------------------9sd-5-7b9b7-5-7---7-----------9p7--5-7b9b7-5-7-|
D|-----------------------5-------------9----------------5------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G C G Em C G
E|--------10---------------------------------7-----------------------|
B|-8-10b12--10b12b10p8-------------------8b10-8b10b8-----------------|
G|7-------------------9sd-5-7b9b7-5-7---7-----------9p7--5-7b9b7-5-7-|
D|-----------------------5-------------9----------------5------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G C G Em C G
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------8-10-8h10p8-7------------------|
G|----7-9-7h9p7---7--7h9-9-7h9p7--7h9--------------9-7-7h9-9-7h9p7--|
D|7h9-----------9---9-----------9---------------------------------9-|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
G C G Em C G
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------8-10-10b12b10p8-8-10b12b10p8-8-|
G|----7-9-7h9p7---7--7h9-9-7h9p7--7h9---------------9------------9--|
D|7h9-----------9---9-----------9-----------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
For the next bit of the solo I've used the following shorthand abbreviations
to make it easier to read and write;
G C G
E|--5-7-9p5-7p5-5-9p5-7p5-5-9p5-7p5-5-7b9b7p5-5-|
B|7------------7---------7---------7---------7--|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|
Em C G
E|4-4h5p4----------------------------------|
B|-------5-3p2-3p2---2-----------2rrrr-----|
G|-----------------4---4-2h4p2-2-4b6b4p2-2-|
D|----------------------------4---------4--|
A|-----------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------|
G C G
E|------------------2h4-5-4-2h4p2---------------------|
B|-------------2h3p2-------------5-2b3b2---2----------|
G|--------2h4p2--------------------------4---4-2rr----|
D|---2h4p2----------------------------------------4sd-|
A|2h4-------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
(Back to normal tab for this bit - no shorthand)
Em C G
E|----------------------------------|
B|-12rrr-12rrr-12rrrsd--------------|
G|-12b14-12b14-12b14sd--------------|
D|----------------------7b9b7p5-5rr-|
A|-----------------------------7----|
E|----------------------------------|
G C G Em C G G C G Em C G
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Ah na where were you
Chorus;
G C G
So where were you when my ship went down
Em C G
Where were you when I ran aground?
G C G
Where were you when I turned it around?
Em C G C G D
Where were you when they burned me down?
C G D Em
E|-------------------------------------|
B|----8-----8----------0---------------|
G|7h9---9-9---9p7----------------------|
D|-----------------7h9---9-7s5---------|
A|-----------------------------7p5-0b2-|
E|-------------------------------------|
G D C D Gsus G Dsus D G
E|7------5--------3-------8-7---0-3--0-3-2----8--7---3-2------------------------------------|
B|8-8----7-7------5-------8-8---3-3--3-3-3----8--8---3-3---15b17-15-------------------------|
G|7---7--7---7----5-------7-7---2-2--2-2-2----7--7---2-2------------14b16b14p12h14-14b16rrr-|
D|-------------7----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Chords:
CHORD | E A D G B E
Am | 0 0 2 2 1 0
C | 3 3 2 0 1 0
C | 3 3 5 5 5 3
D | 2 0 0 2 3 2
D | 5 5 7 7 7 5
Dsus | X X 0 2 3 3
Em | 0 2 2 0 0 0
G | 3 5 5 4 3 3
G | X X X 7 8 7
Gsus | X X X 7 8 8
