#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
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When The Circus Comes
Originally written and performed by Los Lobos
As performed by Phish
Intro: A
A
Could have had a chance to get out of this mess
F#m
The time that you came and the day that you left
D
Could have had a chance
A
Could have had a chance
A
Never thought I could make it this far
F#m
With a pain in my soul and a hole in my heart
D
Never thought I could
A
Never thought I could
Chorus:
E E/D
But when the lights are turning round
C#m E/B
The wheels are flowing on the ground
A A/F#
The day I burn this whole place down
G A
When the circus comes to town
A
Carve your name out on that tree
F#m
Scratch mine out right in front of me
D
It didn't mean that much
A
It didn't mean that much
E E/D
But when the lights are turning round
C#m E/B
The wheels are flowing on the ground
A A/F#
The day I burn this whole place down
G A
When the circus comes to town
G
...When the circus...
(Here Trey plays a little break over the last G of the chorus)
1b 1/2b
------------------------------- |---------------------------|--3^-----------------3p2--------------------------
-----------3------------------- |--------------------------- |-x----5--3----------x----5--3---------------------
--4^---------4-2--0------0--- |------------------------------|--x------------------x-----------4-------------------
-----------------------4------- |--------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------
------------------------------- -|-------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------- |-------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------
A
Carve your name out on that tree
F#m
Scratch mine out right in front of me
D
It didn't mean that much
A
It didn't mean that much
E E/D
But when the lights are turning round
C#m E/B
The wheels are flowing on the ground
A A/F#
The day I burn this whole place down
G A
When the circus comes to town
G
...When the circus...
Long outro solo played over progression: G A F#m D A :||
End on G chord
I'll let you improvise the outro solo as its jammed out differently at ever show.
Basically Trey plays off the vocal melody of the tune.
As far as I can tell Trey uses barre chord shapes for the verses and open chords or the chorus, but feel free to experiment
Also it may help to listen to a recording to get down the timing, feeling, chord changes, et, al. Enjoy!
Damon Callisto <NanookandDamon@aol.com> submitted this tab,
in the correct Key of Bb:
Legend
------
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
b = bend
r = bend release
/ = slide up/down
<5> = natural harmonic
[5] = artifical harmonic
~ = vibrato
tr = trill
When the Circus Comes to Town- Los Lobos (as covered by Phish)
Tab by-Damon Callisto
Structure:
Verse
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
Solo 1
Verse
Chorus
Solo 1
Solo 2 (verse theme) -keep jamming this out until your hearts content
The intro or main theme is repeated until the chorus with variation. For the chorus strum
on the F chord until the lyric..The day I burn this whole place down, then play the decending bass line.
The solo's are only an aproximation but what I've tabbed will give you the idea of the scale used.
Also, make sure you use alot of vibrato as you do a full bend on the first note of the first solo
to give it that sickly, wailing tone.
Intro/Main Theme Chorus Solo 1
E|------------||-1------------------------*|---------------------------
B|-------3---*||-1--------------------3---*|-----4---------------------
G|-------3----||-2--------------------3---*|-5b7~--5\3-----------------
D|-------3----||-3--------------------3---*|-----------5-3-------3---3-
A|-0h1-1---1-*||-3--------------0h1-1---1-*|---------------5-3h5---5---
E|------------||-1-----6-5-3-1------------*|---------------------------
Solo 2
E|-------------------------*|-------------------||----------------------
B|-------------------------*|------------------*||--------------4p3-----
G|-----3\1~----------1-----*|--5h7-7~7p5h7-5-3--||---3---5~5-3------5-3-
D|-3h5-------3-----1---3-1-*|-------------------||-5---5----------------
A|-------------1h3---------*|------------------*||----------------------
E|-------------------------*|-------------------||----------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------*|-
B|-----------------------------------------------*|-
G|---3h5-5~3--3\1------------------------3---3-5-*|-
D|-5--------------3---------1---1-3-3~/5---5~----*|-
A|----------------------1h3---3------------------*|-
E|------------------1h3--------------------------*|-