Stevens Sufjan - The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us

File info:

Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 17:21:32 -0400
From: Ryan Sommers 
Subject: s/stevens_sufjan/the_predatory_wasp_of_the_palisades_is_out_to_get_us.tab

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THE PREDATORY WASP OF THE PALISADES IS OUT TO GET US! - Sufjan
Stevens    
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Tabbed by: Ryan Sommers
Email: ryansommers@gmail.com

Tuning: Standard, Capo II (chord names are relative to capo)
Time: 3/4
  D                       Bmadd11                  
e|------------------------------------------------|
B|----------3-----------3-----------3-----------3-|
G|------2-----------2-----------0-----------0-----|
D|0---0---0---0---0---0-----------4-----------4---|
A|------------------------2---2-------2---2-------|
E|------------------------------------------------|

  Thinking outrageously   I write in cursive I    
  Wearing three layers of coats and leg warmers I
  Oh               I am   not quite sleeping      
  There on the wall inthe bedroom creeping        

  Gmaj7                    Em9
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|----------3-----------3------------3-----------3-|
G|------0-----------0------------0-----------0-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|3---3---3---3---3---3----0---0---0---0---0---0---|
  
  hide in my bed with the  lights on the floor
  see my own breath on the face of the door
  Oh                 I am  fast in bed
  I see a wasp with her    wings outstretched

The first instrumental break is tricky as hell. The
woodwinds go through the progression once, then
Sufjan's guitar fades in:

  A
e|----0-----------0-----------0-----------0-------|
B|--3---3-------3---3-------3---3-------3---3-----|
G|4-----------4-----------4-----------4-----------|
D|----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-|
A|0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---|
E|------------------------------------------------|
  G
e|----0-----------0-----------0-----------0-------|
B|--3---3-------3---3-------3---3-------3---3-----|
G|4-----------4-----------4-----------4-----------|
D|----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-|
A|------------------------------------------------|
E|3-------3---3-------3---3-------3---3-------3---|

The 4s on the G string are sort of optional, I can't really
tell if he plays them or not, and it's a hell of a lot
easier if you don't.

Another verse follows, same guitar part, except now he adds
some hammering for flare:

  D                       Bmadd11                
e|------------------------------------------------|
B|------3-----------3---------------3-----------3-|
G|--2-------2---2-------2-------0-----------0-----|
D|0---0---0---0---0---0-----------4-----------4---|
A|------------------------2---2-------2---2-------|
E|------------------------------------------------|

  Gmaj7                    Em9
e|------------------------------------------------|
B|----------3-----------0-----------3-------------|
G|------0-----------0-----------0-----------0---0-|
D|------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------0h2---------------------0h2--|
E|3---3---3---3---3-------0---0---0---0---0-------|

North of Savannah we swim in the Palisades
I come out wearing my brother's red hat
There on his shoulder my best friend is bit seven times
he was washing his face in his hands

Oh how I meant to tease him
Oh how I meant no harm
Touching his back with my hand I kiss him
I see the wasp on the length of my arm

Then comes an instrumental verse with the trumpet and
harmonized trumpet, same as verse guitar.

Finally, the last section, in which he strums the
chords in a dramatic fashion. The strum pattern starts
on the "and" pickup of the preceding measure. For lack
of a better way to notate this, "o"s mark the strums,
with capital "O"s being accented strums.

Aa1eAa2eAa3eAa1eAa2eAa3eAa
ooO         ooO         oo and so on and so forth

The chords (relative to capo) are D A Em G. The first part of
the lyrics here are chanted by the female Illinoismakers:

D        A          Em        G
Oh great sights u---pon this  state, Hallelujiah
Wonders  bright and river's   wake , Hallelujiah
Trail of Tears and  Horseshoe Lake , Hallelujiah
Trusting things be--yond   mistake , Hallelujiah

On "Trail of Tears," Sufjan enters with:

D                A                Em                    
We were in love, we were in love, Palisades, Palisades,
G
I can wait, I can wait

Trumpet/vibraphone line enters, no guitar

We were in love, we were in love, Palisades, Palisades,
I can wait, I can wait

Chanting resumes as "We were in love" continues, strumming
resumes:

D       A        Em        G      
Lamb of God we   sound the horn, Hallelujiah
to      us your  ghost is  born, Hallelujiah

Now just woodwinds, no guitar:

I can't explain the state that I'm in,
the state of my heart, he was my best friend.
Into the car, from the backseat,
oh admiration, in falling asleep.

All of my powers, day after day,
I can tell you, we swaggered and swayed.
Deep in the Tower, the prairies below,
I can tell you, but telling gets old.

Here, the chanting resumes from "Oh great sights . . ."

Terrible sting, terrible storm,
I can tell you, the day we were born.
My friend is gone, he ran away,
I can tell you, I love him each day.

Though we have sparred, wrestled, and raged,
I can tell you, I love him each day.
Terrible sting, terrible storm
I can tell you

and fin.