Song: A National Acrobat Artist: Black Sabbath Album: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ----------------------------- Transcribed by James Lee (slayer@cs.stanford.edu) Arranged for standard tuning... Notation: b = bend-up (number of steps in parentheses) pb = pre-bend (number of steps in parentheses) r = release bend ^ = legato (hammer-on, pull-off) tr = trill (second note in parentheses) PM = palm mute / = slide up \ = slide down Intro ----- Main riff: |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------| |-------------------------7-6-----|-------------9pb(1)r---------6-7-6tr(7)-| |-7^9-9---9-----9-7^9-7^9---------|-7^9-9-9-9^7---------7-----4------------| Play main riff 4 times The 3rd and 4th times, play the following harmony riff as well: |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------| |-------------------------9-7-----|----------------------------------------| |-8^9-9---9-----9-8^9-8^9---------|-8^9-9-9-9^8-11pb(1)r-8------8-9-8tr(9)-| |---------------------------------|---------------------------9------------| |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------| Verse ----- C#5 E5 B5 F#5 I am the world that hides the universal secret of all time main riff + harmony riff C#5 E5 B5 F#5 Destruction of the empty spaces is my one and only crime main riff + harmony riff A5 G#5 E5 F#5 I've lived a thousand times I found out what it means to be believed main riff + harmony riff A5 G#5 E5 F#5 The thoughts and images the unborn child that never was conceived main riff + harmony riff <-- play twice 2nd verse: w/ same chords as 1st verse, but don't play the final two riffs When little worlds collide I'm trapped inside my embryonic cell And flashing memories are cast into the never ending well The name that scorns the face, the child that never sees the cause of man The deathly darkness that belies the fate of those who never ran 3rd verse: Riff II: w/ wah P P P P M M M M |---------------------------------|---------------------------------| |---------------------------------|---------------------------------| |---------------------------------|---------9\--------------9\------| |-------------------------2-------|---------9\--------------9\------| |-2^4-------------2^4-2^4---4^2---|-2^4-----8\--------------8\------| |---------------4---------------4-|-----------------9-9-9-9-------4-| Play Riff II 6 times underneath the lyrics: You better believe it, I'm talkin' to you Well I know its hard for you To know the reason why And I know you'll understand More when it's time to die Don't believe the life you have Will be the only one You have to let your body sleep To let your soul live on Riff IIa: |---------------------------------|---------------------------------| |---------------------------------|---------------------------------| |---------------------------------|---------9\----------------------| |-------------------------2-------|---------9\----------------------| |-2^4-------------2^4-2^4---4^2---|-2^4-----8\----------------------| |---------------4---------------4-|-------------------------------4-| play Riff IIa twice I want you to listen, I'm tryin' to get through 4th verse: w/ Riff II 4 times: Love has given life to you And now it's your concern Unseen eyes of inner life Will make your soul return Still I look but not to touch The seeds of life are sown Curtain of the future falls The secret stays unknown Guitar Solo ----------- w/ Riff II 4 times (second guitar part not transcribed) This isn't too accurate, but that's okay, because it's not a very interesting solo... |----------------------------------------12^9----| |--12^9------12^9------12^9----12^9----9------12-| |-------9---------11--------11------11-----------| |------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------| |--12^9------12^9--------------------------------| |-------9---------11-11-11^9----11-11-11b(.25)-9-| |----------------------------11------------------| |------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------| |--12b(1.5)-12b(1.5)-12b(1.5)-9----9--9----------------| |-------------------------------12------12-------------| |------------------------------------------11pb(.5)r^9-| |------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------| |-------------------------------| |-11pb(.5)r^9-11-11pb(.25)r^9-9-| |-------------------------------| |-------------------------------| |-------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |-14b(1.5)-14b(1.5)-14b(1.5)-14b(1.5)-14b(1.5)r-12-14-12-14-| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |--------9-----------------------------------| |-12b(1)---12-9------------------------------| |---------------11b(.5)r^9-11-11pb(.5)^9-----| |--------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------| |--12b(1)-12b(1)-12pb(1)r^9----12^9-------------------------| |-----------------------------------12--9--12^9-------------| |-----------------------------------------------11-11pb(1)r-| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------------------| |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| |-9-11-11b(1)r-9--------------| |----------------11-9-11------| |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| play Riff IIa twice 5th verse: w/ Riff II 4 times Just remember love is life And hate is living death Treat your life for what it's worth And live for every breath Looking back I've lived and learned But now I'm wondering Here I wait and only guess What this next life will bring, ha ha |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| |-7^9---9-7---7-7\2---2-0-----| <--- play this 3 times (PM-----------------------------) |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-| |-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-| Interlude --------- double-time (note: one guitar plays the high note while another plays the low note... don't try to play both!) |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|------------------14-------| |-10-11-13-13/15---13-----|-10-11-13-13/15------15\13-| |-------------------------|------------------11-------| |-8--9--11-11/13---11-----|-8--9--11-11/13------13\11-| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-10-11-13-13/15---13--11-|-10------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-8--9--11-11/13---11--9--|-8-------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| repeat the above 4 bars |-------------------------|------------------14-------| |-11-12-14-14/16---14-----|-11-12-14-14/16------16\14-| |-------------------------|------------------11-------| |-8--9--11-11/13---11-----|-8--9--11-11/13------13\11-| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-11-12-14-14/16---14--12-|-11------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-8--9--11-11/13---11--9--|-8-------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| repeat first 4 bars Guitar Solo II -------------- rhythm guitar plays this figure four times: | G#5 F#5 Eb5 | B5 F#5 | (Oops, I guess you're supposed tune down a 1/2 step... sorry. It sounds weird if you play the Eb5 in the 6th position, so just don't play it at all if you're in standard tuning) lead: |-----------|-------------------|------|---------------------| |-----------|-------------------|------|---------------------| |-----------|-------------------|------|-6b(1)r-4-6b(1)r-4-6-| |---------4-|-6b(1)r-4----------|------|---------------------| |-----------|----------4--2-----|------|---------------------| |-----------|---------------4-2-|------|---------------------| |-----------|---------------------------|----|---------------| |-----------|-7b(1)-7b(1)-4-------------|----|---------------| |-----------|---------------6-4-7---6---|----|---------------| |-----------|---------------------6---6-|----|-4--6^4--------| |-----------|---------------------------|----|---------6-4---| |-----------|---------------------------|----|-------------7-| Outro ------ |---------------------|-------------------| |---------------------|-------------------| |---------------------|-------------------| |----6-------^4-4-6---|----4-6----6-6^4---| |--------------6------|--6--------------6-| |-4-------------------|-------------------| |---------------------|--------------------| |---------------------|--------------------| |-----------------6/8-|--8-8^6----/8-8^6---| |----6-------^4-------|--------6---------6-| |--------------6------|--------------------| |-4-------------------|--------------------| repeat last 4 bars I'm not too sure about this next part... just play something really sloppy and fast and it'll sound right: |---------------------------| |---------------------------| |---------------------------| |-6-6-6-6^4-6-6-6-6^4-------| |---------------------6^4---| |-------------------------4-| <-- play 8 times |---------| |---------| |---------| |---------| |-9-9-9-9-| |-7-6-7-6-| <-- play 4 times The last riff is pretty messed up... I have no idea how to play it. Start out ascending in the 4th position G# pentatonic minor scale... descend a little, adding chromatic passing notes, and then go crazy ascending to G# on the first string... use a lot of notes not in the scale and be really sloppy.