Chord/Tab song: The Raven

The Stranglers - The Raven (2)
Tabbed By: Reecy
Email: [email protected]

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

This is a better version

THE RAVEN

---------

Transcription by: Richard Stanforth ([email protected])
Date of Transcription: 21st July 2002

This transcription and more is exclusive to and can be found at :-
http://www.geocities.com/strangledchords

Updated: now featuring some extra tablature of the guitar parts! I've made my best attempt at
this.

bass intro:
the note A alternated as octaves, for acoustic guitar players, the underlying chord is A major.
play this for about seven bars.

then the following chords can be played under the guitar 'solo' (if that's what you'd like to
call it)...

[Dm] [G] [F] [G]

E------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-----------------------------------------------------2-4-5--------------2-4-5-|
D--------------2-3-5---------------2-3-5--2-3-5-2-3-5--------2-3-5-2-3-5-------|
A--2-3-5-2-3-5---------2-3-5-2-3-5---------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

[Am] [C] [G] [A]

E----------------------------------------------------5-3----------------5-3---|
B--------------3-5-6--------------3-5-6--3-5-6-3-5-6-----6--3-5-6-3-5-6-----6-|
G--2-4-5-2-4-5--------2-4-5-2-4-5---------------------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

...before Dave Greenfield's signature keyboard riff is finally heard and the following chords
are played...

[Dm] [Am] [G]

E--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0----------------------------------|
B--6-5-5-5-6-5-5-5-6-5-5-5-6-5-5-5-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
G--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-4-4-4-5-4-4-4-5-4-4-4-0-0-0-0--|
D----------------------------------5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------|

[F] [G] [A]

E---------------------------------------------------------|
B------------------------------------------1-3-3^-1-------|
G----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-0---0-2----------2--2--|
D--5---3---2---3---5---3---2---3-----2--------------------|
A---------------------------------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------------------------|

(play the above twice)

then: Dm G Dm G Dm G Dm G

E--------0--|
B------6----|
G----7------|
D--7--------|
A-----------|
E-----------|

verse 1:
[Dm]fly str[G]aight.[Dm]....[G]with per[Dm]fectio[G]n[Dm][G]
[Dm]find [G]me..[Dm]...a [G]new dir[Dm]ectio[G]n[Dm][G]
C A Dm G Dm G
you'll never realise the things they said
we'll n[C]ever reali[A]se until we're dea[Dm]d[G][Dm][G]
the f[Dm]ires they [G]burned a[Dm]long the [G]coast of [Dm]triump[G]hs[Dm][G]
the [Dm]ebon[G]y em[Dm]bittered so[G]uls of [Dm]childre[G]n[Dm][G]
C A Dm G Dm G
we'll seek another way before too long
but w[C]ill you stop my wi[A]nd before I'm gone

(at points play this)

[Dm] [G] [Dm] [G] [C] [A] [Dm]

E----------12--10h12p10----------12--10h12p10----------12--10h12p10---------------------10--|
B-------10-----10-------------10-----10-------------10-----10------------------10----10-----|
G--9-7-------------------9-7-------------------9-7-----------------------9-7-9----12--------|
D--------------------------------------------------------------------5-7--------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

[G] [Dm] [G]

E--------10--|
B-----10-----|
G--12--------|
D------------|
A------------|
E------------|

then, on the word 'gone', instead of reverting back to the main verse riff, the following is
played (as a sort-of bridge or instrumental pre-chorus):

Dm C G (x3)

E--------10--|
B-----10-----|
G--12--------|
D------------|
A------------|
E------------|

chorus:
[Bb]and when you [F]find me all al[G]one
[Bb]your world has [F]never been my [G]own

E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B--5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---8p0-0-------------------5p0-0--------------------|
G--------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7p0-0-4p0-0-------------7p0-0-4p0-0--------|
D------------------------------------------------------------5p0-0-------------------5p0-0--|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B--5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---5h6p5---8p0-0--------------------------------------------|
G--------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7p0-0-4p0-0--------------------------------|
D------------------------------------------------------------5p0-0-3p0-0-3p0-0-3p0-0-3p0-0--|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

and then, the bridge or 'pre-chorus' is played again, three times, but in the next key upwards,
like so:

Em D A (x3)

E--7--5-7-5-5s3-3---7--5-7-5-5s3---7--5-7-5-5s3-3--|
B--------------------------------------------------|
G--------------------------------------------------|
D--------------------------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------------|

...before a Dave Greenfield keyboard solo that's based around the chorus melody,
but features these chords:

C G Bb F (x3)

E------------------------------------------------------------|
B--8^-6--------------------------8^-6------------------------|
G-------7-5---------------------------7-5--------------------|
D-----------7-5-5-3-----------------------7-5-5-3-------3-5--|
A-------------------5-3-5---3-1-------------------5-3-5------|
E-------------------------3----------------------------------|

then, the same chords are used for a second chorus, which is a slight variation
of the first chorus:

(from now on most of the guitar parts are repeated the same)

chorus 2:
[C]and when you [G]find me, [Bb]and when you [F]find me all a[G]lone
[Bb]your world has [F]never been my [G]own

and then comes the second verse, which uses exactly the same chords and has exactly
the same structure as the first verse:

verse 2:
my [Dm]friend, you're [G]black, and [Dm]when you [G]fly you're w[Dm]ild[G][Dm][G]
[Dm]I am wh[G]ite, somet[Dm]imes I be[G]have just like a ch[Dm]ild[G][Dm][G]
the n[C]orthern seas are [A]cold but they're our [Dm]own[G][Dm][G]
we'll [C]sail your southern [A]seas before too long

and now, on the word 'long' instead of going to the first bridge or pre-chorus
earlier, the keyboard riff from the intro is played and the same chords are used,
so, basically the keyboard intro is being used as an outro:

[Dm] [Am] [G] [F] [G] [A]
[Dm] [Am] when [G]I was a viking, my [F]friend he was the raven[G][A]

then just repeat the chords Dm Am G F G A until the song fades.


I apologise if this tab doesn't make too much sense as the song has a weird structure to it,
like so:

bass intro
guitar intro
keyboard intro
verse 1
bridge (in Dm)
chorus (variation 1)
bridge (in Em)
keyboard solo
chorus (variation 2)
verse 2
outro (same as keyboard intro)