To Live Is To Die Bass Tab

...And Justice For All Tabs:

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To Live Is To Die:

 Riff 1
G:--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--2---2--X--X--0--2--3---3--X--X--3p2--2---2--X--X--0--2--5--5---5p3--3p2-|

__________
  Riff 2 (start)
G:------------------------------------------------------------|
D:------------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--2-2-2--3--3-3-2--2-2--5-5-5--2-2-2--3--3-3-2--2-2--5-5-5--|

                                                        Riff 2 (end)
G:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--2---3---2---5---2---3---2---5---2-3-2-5-2-3-2-5-2-3-2-5-2h3-2h5--|

__________
  Riff 3
G:----------------------------------------------------------------|
D:----------------------------------------------------------------|
A:-------------3--2--------------------------4--3--2--------------|
E:-2--2--5--2--------5--2------5------2--X-X----------------------|


The song begins with 13 bars of acoustic guitar.  The guitar & drums fade
into a snare drum hitting at TIME=100.  Bass plays muted E-string in time
with snare hits.

Riff 1   3x
Riff 2   1x
Riff 1   2x
Riff 2   1x
Riff 1   2x
Riff 3   2x
Riff 1   2x
Riff 2   1x
Riff 1   4x
Riff 2   1x
Riff 1   2x

Then, following that is:

G:-------------------------------------------------------------|
D:-------------------------------------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--2--2----r----3--3----r----0--0----r----5----------3--------|


G:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:---------------------------------------2-----------------------------------|
E:--5----5--5--0--3----3--3--5--0-----0-----0--1-------3-----5---5--5--7--3--|
                                                                
                                                   (guitar)
                                         (2x)         16
G:---------------------------------------------|---------------|
D:---------------------------------------------|--|=========|--|
A:----5--------------------2-------------------|---------------|
E:-------3--5--0-----0--0-----3-----(3)--------|---------------|


G:--------------------------------------------------------------|
D:--------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--/12---12-12h14p12--10----10-12-10--7----7--7--10--8----10---|
E:--------------------------------------------------------------|


G:---------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--12----12--12h14p12--10-----10-10h12p10--7----7--10--7---10----10/--|
E:---------------------------------------------------------------------|


G:--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:-------------9h10--9------------------------------------------------|
A:--/12-----12----------10----10--12--10--7----7--7--10--8-------10---|
E:--------------------------------------------------------------------|


G:--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:--------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--12---12h14p12--10----10--12--10--7-----7--10--7--10-----10--7----|
E:--------------------------------------------------------------------|


G:---------------------------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------------------------|
A:---------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--5-----5--7--5--3-----3--5--3--0----0--0--3--1-------3--------|


G:--------------------------------------------------------------|
D:--------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------------------------------2-----------|
E:--5----5--5h7p5--3-----3-----3--3h5p3--0----0--0-----3----3---|


G:------------------------------------------------------|
D:------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------|
E:--5----5--5h7p5--3----3--3h5p3--0----0-0-0-1----3-----|


G:------------------------------------------------------------|
D:------------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--5----5--7--5--3-----3--5--3--0-----0--3--0--3----3---3---|


G:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:*--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:*----------------------------------------2---------------------------------|
E:----5----5--5--0--3-----3--3--5--0----0-----0--1----3----5-----5--5--7--3--|


G:------------------------------------------|  
D:-----------------------------------------*|  
A:----5--------------------2---------------*|  
E:-------3--5--0-----0--0-----3-------------|  


G:------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:*----------------------------------------------------------------*|
A:*----------------------------------------------------------------*|
E:---5---5-5-0-3-5---5-5-0-3-5---5-5-0-2-3---3-3-3-0-3---3-3-3-0----|


G:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--2---2-2-2--2-2--------2---2-2-2--2-2--------2---2-2-2--2-2---------------|
E:------------------2--5------------------2--5------------------2--4--5---5-5|


G:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:----------------------------------2--2--------------2--2------------2------|
E:-5--5-5-5--2--5--5-5-5--5-5-5--2-------------------------------------------|


                                                 (drums)
G:----------------------------------------------------------|
D:----------------------------------------------------------|
A:-----------2----------------2------------(2)--------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------|

Now Cliff starts the spoken part: 

Riff 1 x6
(spoken):  When a man lies, he murders some part of the
           world.  These are the pale deaths which men miscall their
           lives.  All this i cannot bear to witness any longer.
           Cannot the kingdome of salvation take me home?

Riff 3 x2

G:------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--2---2---2----0--2--3---3---3---3p2--2---2---2---0--2--5--5---5p3--3p2-|


G:--------------------------------------|
D:--------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------------------|
E:----2--2---------3--3------0------0---|

Riff 1 x2

  This is the outro part.  Repeat and fade a bunch of times.  Segues into
  "Dyers Eve"

G:---------------------|
D:---------------------|
A:---------------------|
E:---2---2-----2---2---|

Source: BassMasta.net
http://www.bassmasta.net/m/metallica/.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture billy Average	#1 by billy hendrix at Aug 22, 1976 at 5:15 AM EST
	How i love this song sooo much

No Picture darin Average	#2 by darin ? at Aug 1, 1986 at 10:44 PM EST
	THIS IS THE GREATEST SONG OF ALL TIME. Cliff Burton was the god of the bass guitar. When I hear and play this song it feels like it is a part of me or something. It's to hard to put into words. So, Metallica will live forever, and bellbottoms rule. CLIFF R.I.P.

No Picture I Told Them My Lead Player	#3 by I Told Them My Name Was Jim Steele at Oct 31, 1990 at 3:11 PM EST
	Aren't the spoken word lyrics from a poem that Cliff wrote that was given to James after Cliff's death by Cliff's sister? Someone wanna verify?

No Picture Mistress Cheyen Rhythm Player	#4 by Mistress Cheyenne at Sep 14, 2000 at 1:02 PM EST
	"To Live Is To Die" is a colossal masterpiece of epic songwriting. Metallica create a wall of sound on this song that can only be described as "orchestral"; Beethoven would be proud. Metallica could have scribbled a bunch of lyrics that touched on their sadness at Cliff's passing. This would have showed us the sadness they feel, but Metallica understood that lyric's can be interpreted in many different ways. Thus, Metallica composed what is perhaps their most beautiful music ever, the music is fully capable of bringing tears to your eyes in a way that lyrics (with their ambiguities) cannot always accomplish. From interviews with Kirk, James, and Lars, Cliff Burton appears to be a "no nonesense", "no bullshit pretensions" kind of person. That being said, what better way to say "farewell" to Cliff than to compose a piece of music so evocative of sadness and mourning that no lyrics are even necessary. As a testament to Cliff's "brutal honesty", Metallica chooses as the only lyrics in the song a poem by Cliff, spoken against the backdrop of Metallica's earth shattering music. A poem that speaks of Cliff's frustrations with the world, yet at the same time shows that he is hopeful that something greater than this World exists, the "Kingdom of Salvation". This is a constant them that runs through all of Metallica's music, that shred of hope that exists even when all around is darkness. This quality, coupled with their amazing instrumental talents, assures Metallica's place in history with the "Immortals" of music.

No Picture Allison Average	#5 by Allison Rodrigues at Apr 25, 2006 at 12:57 PM EST
	Dear 'TheExile', How many Gene Shallet reviews did you pilfer for such a torturously trite collection of phrases and sentiments? 'Sucrose', You complete horse's ass. It's a good thing you ended your post by saying "Fuck all non-Metallica fans," because, you know, a reader might mistake you for a nancy-boy given your revelations of crying and all. snicker-snicker But ohhhh no! How wrong they would be! Just check out how 'Sucrose' ends his post: "Fuck all non-Metallica fans...". WOO! YEAH!!! Dude, you are so METAL!!!! Hey, you know who else is 'deep' besides 'TheExile'? Metallica! Check out these lyrics.'!!! Bang your head against the stage Like you never did before Make it ring Make it bleed Make it really sore In a frenzied madness with your leather and your spikes Heads are bobbing all around It is hot as hell tonight

No Picture andrew n00b!	#6 by andrew marks at Jun 6, 2006 at 3:27 PM EST
	199.%Right Great Tab The Guys ( and the most inportent thing ) girls were Amazed Great Tab

No Picture anthony Rhythm Player	#7 by anthony kent at Nov 6, 2006 at 10:08 AM EST
	This is the best song i've ever heard.R.I.P. Cliff...

No Picture Joe Average	#8 by Joe Montana at Nov 16, 2006 at 11:19 PM EST
	this is my faviort metallica song....the best part is the middle part an that solo theres just so much feeling in it..it gets to me every time i hear it

No Picture James Average	#9 by James Burrington at Feb 11, 2007 at 9:08 AM EST
	This song gets me every time, for an instrumental it just has so much feel espeacilly strait after the solo when the riff comes in then kicks out to acoustic with the electric voluming over that then the solo comes in. Its just a beautiful momrnt.

No Picture scott Wanna Be	#10 by scott smith at Jul 30, 2007 at 8:54 PM EST
	Cliff actually said these words..