#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE------------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
# song. The owner of this website has not reviewed the contents of this file and #
# does not support copyright infringement or violating the rights of any artist #
# or legal entity. If you feel that the content of this file may be violating #
# copyright law, you may not use the information displayed here in any way. #
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
John the Fisherman
Primus
From the Album: Frizzle Fry (1990)
Note that the harmonics at the ninth fret can also be
done on the fourth or sixteenth fret.
Intro
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
4 D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
4 A|-------------------------|-------------------------| x5
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|----4--5--6-----4--5--6--|----4--5--6-----4--5--6--|
4 D|----4--5--6--x--4--5--6--|-x--4--5--6--x--4--5--6--|
4 A|----2--3--4--x--2--3--4--|-x--2--3--4--x--2--3--4--|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|----4--5--6-----4--5--6--|----------------4--6--7--|
4 D|-x--4--5--6--x--4--5--6--|----------------4--6--7--|
4 A|-x--2--3--4--x--2--3--4--|----------------2--4--5--|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|-4--2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--| x4
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
G|-6-----------------------|------0-----------0------|
4 D|-6---------------/15----|------0-----------0------|
4 A|-4-----------------------|------0-----------0------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
T
G|------0----------0--<9>--|-------------------------|
4 D|------0----------0--<9>--|-------------------------|
4 A|------0----------0--<9>--|------------------16----|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
T
First Verse
G|----4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|----4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|----2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--|
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
G|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|-4--2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--| x7
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
First Chorus
G|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|-4--2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--| x5
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
G|----4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6--x-x-x--x--7-|
4 D|----4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6--x-x-x--x--7-|
4 A|----2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4--x-x-x--x--5-|
E|-------------4-----------|-------------------------|
T T T T
G|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|-4--2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--| x2
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
G|-6-----------------------|----------------------7--|
4 D|-6-----------------------|----------------------7--|
4 A|-4-----------------------|-5h7-5h7-5/10--------5--|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
T T T
G|-6-----------------------|-------------------------|
4 D|-6-----------------------|---------4---------------|
4 A|-4-----------------------|-----0h4----5------------|
E|-------------------------|-0h4--------------3------|
T T P T T
G|----4--5--7--|
2 D|----4--5--7--|
4 A|----2--3--5--|
E|-------------|
G|-6-----------------------|------0-----------0------|
4 D|-6-----------------------|------0-----------0------|
4 A|-4---------------/16----|------0-----------0------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
T
G|------0----------0--<9>--|-------------------------|
4 D|------0----------0--<9>--|-------------------------|
4 A|------0----------0--<9>--|------------------16----|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
T
Second Verse
G|----4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|----4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|----2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--|
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
G|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|-4--2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--| x7
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
Second Chorus
G|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 D|-6--4--5--6--------------|----4--5--6-----------7--|
4 A|-4--2--3--4-----0--2--3--|----2--3--4-----2--3--5--| x4
E|-------------4-----------|-------------4-----------|
T T T T T T T
Outro
G|-6--4--5--6-----4--5--6--|----4--5--6-----4--5--6--|
4 D|-6--4--5--6--x--4--5--6--|-x--4--5--6--x--4--5--6--|
4 A|-4--2--3--4--x--2--3--4--|-x--2--3--4--x--2--3--4--|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|----4--5--6-----4--5--6--|----------------4--5--7--|
4 D|-x--4--5--6--x--4--5--6--|----------------4--5--7--|
4 A|-x--2--3--4--x--2--3--4--|----------------2--3--5--|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|-6----------------------|
4 D|-6----------------------|
4 A|-4----------------------|
E|-------------------------|
|
No Picture
Greg Wanna Be |
#1 by Greg Masta at Dec 19, 2005 at 3:08 AM EST |
| Great song! One of my favorite chillaxing songs to play on Guitar Hero II. :D | |
|
No Picture
Natalie Average |
#2 by Natalie at Jan 9, 2006 at 3:50 AM EST |
| Th wikipedia article says its about the prophet John in the New Testament | |
|
No Picture
Ali Wanna Be |
#3 by Ali Friesen at Jan 16, 2006 at 5:32 AM EST |
| Yeah, this track has a kind of romantic (but not sentimental mind you) feel to it, which is rare in a Primus song (which are usually much more straight up). It thus (to me) has a kind of Tom Waits' feel about it. This definately helps it stand out, and is one of the reasons why it's one my favourite Primus songs - it's subtly distinct. I love the final lines, " 'I'll live and die a fisherman.' Calling John the Fisherman.." | |
|
No Picture
mike Average |
#4 by mike wellspeak at Feb 6, 2006 at 1:59 AM EST |
| I think it could be about how Les Claypool felt when he was younger. He's known to love fishing, after all. This is one of my favorite Primus songs. | |
|
No Picture
marvin Lead Player |
#5 by marvin at May 20, 2006 at 9:51 AM EST |
| i read somewhere.... maybe it was actually from the dvd or something, that les wrote this song after he heard about a fisherman dying at sea on the news. i dont know whether he wrote aout the atual man, or was just inspired by the news story. | |
|
No Picture
Scott Wanna Be |
#6 by Scott Michel at Aug 11, 2006 at 11:35 PM EST |
| It's about a young lad who wants to grow up and be a fisherman (could be about a young Les like Wurby said.) | |
|
No Picture
drew Average |
#7 by drew huh at Oct 29, 2006 at 12:25 PM EST |
| This song is about anthe actual sinking of a fishing ship/boat. Pink Adam is pretty much right, and this is an incredible song. I like "Fish On" more though. | |
|
No Picture
eric Wanna Be |
#8 by eric stevens at Dec 26, 2006 at 11:02 PM EST |
| well the boat in the video was actually his grandfathers and it dissapeared one day maybe its about that | |
|
No Picture
FUCK EMO Badass |
#9 by FUCK EMO at Dec 28, 2006 at 11:37 PM EST |
| It clearly has some kind of literal meaning, I read too that it refers to an actual person and events. However, as with many Primus songs (especially this album, or most obviously) it has a greater metaphor, one which I personally love: don't care what people tell you to do in life, advice is great but do what you want to do because that's the most fulfilling way to live - you can earn more money than you can spend and get other successes doing a boring job or you can do something you love and make the most of however long your going to live for. Les became a bassist because there weren't many at school, not through parental encouragement. Whilst I'm sure he enjoys it, he does it how he wants (e.g. wierd, specific and often unusual covers like The Residents and now with long jams). When he gets fed up of it I'm sure he'll go back to his greatest hobby (surely?) - fishing. | |
|
No Picture
Andrew Average |
#10 by Andrew Shevchenko at Dec 31, 2006 at 10:58 PM EST |
| Do what you want in life, because you only live once; maybe it won't turn out for the best, but who's to say the alternative would've been any better? May as well do what you want (at least career-wise)... | |
|
No Picture
Eric Wanna Be |
#11 by Eric Griggs at Jan 1, 2007 at 5:07 AM EST |
| i think jerseydevil7 is right, that it is John from the Bible, it does make sense | |
|
No Picture
Slash Rhythm Player |
#12 by Slash at Feb 24, 2007 at 10:36 PM EST |
| This is a great song, it was the first Primus video I saw. It has loads of really cool cartoons in it,I recommend finding it. | |
|
No Picture
Alexxx <3 Lead Player |
#13 by Alexxx <3 at Jun 19, 2007 at 11:09 PM EST |
| I think this song is about drugs... nah just kiddin, there just always seems to be some fucker who puts that | |
