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From: dpinter@eik.bme.hu (Pinter Denes)
Subject: two QUEEN bass-tabs & one trick
QUEEN: '39 Brian May 1975
From LIVE KILLERS A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
fretless bass bass-tablature
G-|-0---0---|----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D-|---0---0-|-0---0----|---------|---------|-0---0---|-7-------|---------|
A-|---------|---0---05-|-7---7--5|-3-3-----|---0---05|-----5-5-|-3---3--3|
E-|---------|----------|---7---7-|-----3-3-|---------|---0-----|---3---3-|
G-|----------|-------/4-|---------|------------|---------|-----54--|
D-|-0---0-4/-|-5---5---5|-0---0---|---4/7-7-10-|-2---4-5-|-7-----70|
A-|---0------|---5------|---0---05|-6----------|---2-----|---------|
E-|----------|----------|---------|------------|---------|---------|
G-|-0---0-04-|-------|-------------|-----------------|-0---0--0-|------0---|
D-|---0------|-0---0-|---2---0-----|---0-0-0-0-0-0---|---0---0--|---24---0-|
A-|----------|---0---|-3---3---3---|-----------------|----------|-3--------|
E-|----------|-------|-----------3-|-----------------|----------|----------|
G-|-0---0-4-|---2/7-7-|-----------|---------|---------------|-0-0--0-0--0-----|
D-|---0-----|-0-------|-5-4-2/5-0-|---------|-------0-/2-/4-|-----------------|
A-|---------|---------|-----------|-3-2-0---|-2-2/3---------|-------------1/6-|
E-|---------|---------|-----------|---------|---------------|-----------------|
G-|-------|------|
D-|-------|------|
A-|-6-5-3-|-3/12-|
E-|-------|------|
G-|-0--00-00-0-0-|----------|----------|---------|---------|-----------|
D-|--------------|-0---0-0--|----------|---------|-0---0---|-----------|
A-|--------------|---0----0-|-57---7---|-3-3-----|---0---0-|-5/7---5-5-|
E-|--------------|----------|----7---7-|-----3-3-|---------|-----0-----|
G-|----------|---------|--------/4--|---------|----------|---------|----54---|
D-|----------|-------4/|-5---5----5-|-0---0---|---4/7-10-|-2---4-5-|-7----70-|
A-|-3---33-3-|-5---5---|---5--------|---0---0-|-6--------|---2-----|---------|
E-|---3---3--|---5-----|------------|---------|----------|---------|---------|
G-|--------4-|-------|-------------|-------------|-0---0--0-|------0----|
D-|-5---5-5--|-0---0-|---2---0-----|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|---0---0--|---24---0--|
A-|---5------|---0---|-3---3---3---|-------------|----------|-3---------|
E-|----------|-------|-----------33|-------------|----------|-----------|
G-|-0---0-4-|----2/777-|---------|---------|------------|-------------|
D-|---0-----|-0--------|-5-4-2-0-|---------|------------|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
A-|---------|----------|---------|-3-2-0---|-2/5-7-9/10-|-------------|
E-|---------|----------|---------|---------|------------|-------------|
G-|-0-0-0-0--|-----0-0--|-0-0-0-00-|----4754--|-----------|--------|---------|
D-|--0-0-0-0-|--234-0-0-|--0-0-0---|-047----7-|-55442/500-|--------|---------|
A-|----------|-3--------|----------|----------|-----------|-3-2-0--|----5----|
E-|----------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|--------|-0-----3-|
G-|----------|------------------|
D-|----------|--------/9-5-5----|
A-|---45-7/9-|-10-1010------5---|
E-|----------|----------------3-|
transcribed by Pinter Denes
Taken from The BassMasta -- http://www.bassmasta.net
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No Picture
Matt Average |
#1 by Matt at May 31, 1970 at 12:15 AM EST |
| This is a GREAT song! At first you think it's a song about the Pilgrims sailing out for the New World, which the first verse captures the spirit of very nicely. In the second verse you realize this must have been a Strarship of sorts. "For so many years have gone, but I'm older but a year." The Volunteers have returned to Earth after a significant time has passed (whether this is because of cryogenics or Einstein's relativity is beside the point). Now the singer realizes all he has loved has passed away, and he is still there. I love the line "In the land that our grandchildren knew." | |
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PUNX UNITE Average |
#2 by PUNX UNITE at Apr 25, 1972 at 10:02 AM EST |
| this is a v good song :) I love the harmonies in the chorus | |
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mikey Average |
#3 by mikey firkins at Mar 30, 1976 at 11:34 PM EST |
| It's kind of funny.... a song about space travel set to country music. Very Strange. Great Song. Not neccesarely my favorite, but fairly good for country. | |
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JOEL (the god o Average |
#4 by JOEL (the god of rock and roll) at Jun 20, 1976 at 4:10 AM EST |
| I've heard about the star travel meaning for years; never thought to look at it from the angle of the Volunteers being soldiers... very cool interp. Of course, the "milky seas" is very descriptive of the stars in the sky - heading deeper into the Galactic Center. The lines about writing letters in the sand, to mean man's impermanence, always gave me chills. "Your mother's eyes in your eyes cry to me," could mean that's confronting his descendants, or else he's returned to find his wife dead, and he's talking to his daughter. I also always loved the line, "Don't you hear my call though you're many years away." As if the space between them is a span of years, not miles. The location is the technical same, but time has pulled his wife away. | |
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Diego Wanna Be |
#5 by Diego Samanamu at Mar 5, 1977 at 9:23 AM EST |
| Ok, i take it back, I LOVE THIS SONG | |
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dav Average |
#6 by dav id at Sep 25, 1988 at 1:56 AM EST |
| Yes I agree with Alieno, you don't know what '39 it is. | |
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Bobby Lead Player |
#7 by Bobby Parker at Jan 5, 1991 at 4:09 AM EST |
| Pioneers left in a year of 39, out to discover a new world ("In the days when the lands were few" and "And they bring good news of a world so newly born"). They returned in another year of 39, but because of the theory of relativity, they haven't aged, but everyone else has ("Oh so many years have gone though I'm older but a year"). He now sees his love in her daughter's eyes ("But my love this cannot be...Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me") | |
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tommy Average |
#8 by tommy h at Jun 1, 1993 at 9:13 PM EST |
| i have to say well dun fgor gettin the star ship bit! i was well confuzzled at that point! Yeah wikid song! Wikid Brian- wot a guy!!! | |
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Ayush Average |
#9 by Ayush K at Jun 14, 1997 at 3:05 AM EST |
| It can be about war or about space travel but if Brian May explains what he wrote it about, I would listen to him above just fans. Also, The Queen Featuring Paul Rodgers concert, if you listen to the Return of the Champions CD, Paul Rodgers says it's about space travel as well. Scimitar said it's weird to have a space song in the style of a folk song but I can imagine it very well. James Taylor sings a folk song about "Sweet Dreams And Flying Machines" and it sounds very nice. Also, I can very well imagine space travelers (whether in 2039, 2139...) writing simple folk songs in their lonliness. | |
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Sean Average |
#10 by Sean Robinson at Jun 25, 1997 at 6:43 PM EST |
| Of course that '39 could mean "1939", but it could also mean "2039", "2139" or... well, you get the point, don't you? ;) | |
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Diego Wanna Be |
#11 by Diego at Jul 2, 2000 at 9:05 PM EST |
| To me, "volunteers" immediately meant soldiers of some kind. '39 seemed to mean 1939 ie: WW2, but there are so many lyrics that confuse me. "In the days when lands were few", and other lines seem to suggest that these events took place hundreds or even thousands of years ago. whatever it means, it is a wonderful song which would be the kind of thing you would sing on your way to battle, in amongts the likes of "its a long way to tipperary". Or like a folk song, passing down stories the old fashioned way. Anyhow I love it. | |
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Tim Average |
#12 by Tim Curry at Nov 13, 2003 at 12:35 AM EST |
| Yeah, I agree with Alieno too...but I don't think it's just one '39, I think that it must be two '39s. "In the year of '39 assembled here the Volunteers" This is the year when they left, possibly in 2039, probably not 1939 considering they didn't have rockets then. "In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue" Then this is the '39 when they came back, but you don't know how long they were gone for, so they could've been gone for 100 years, then it would be 2139, or maybe 500, or maybe even 1000 so it would be 3039! | |
