• Song:

    Melissa

  • Artist:

    Indigo Girls

Melissa Tab by Indigo Girls


#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
#

#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#


MELISSA (by Allman Bros.; covered by Indigo Girls)
--------------------------------------------------
[E=022100; F#m7(4)=x44200; Emaj7=066400; A=x02220; Bm=x24432; Amaj7=x06654;
 Cmaj7=332000 or x35500; A(9)=577600; B(4)=799800; C#m=466544; B=x24442.]
[I'm not sure how to finger the chord I listed as B*.  You could try
 x24440 or x24442.  I usually play B5 (2244xx), because it's easy.]

  E  E  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)  Emaj7  Emaj7  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)
  [intro; see tab #1 at end of file]

E     E      F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)           Emaj7  Emaj7  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)
  The crossroads      seem to come and go
E             E                   F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)
  The gypsy flies from coast to coast
A         Bm           Amaj7   Bm
  Knowing many, loving none
E         F#m7(4)    Emaj7   F#m7(4)
  Bearing sorrow, having fun
Cmaj7       Cmaj7             B*  [hold]
  But back home he'll always run
             E    E  F#m7(4) F#m7(4)  Emaj7  Emaj7  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)
  To sweet Melissa [tab #2]

  The freight train, each car looks the same, all the same
  No one knows the gypsy's name
  No one hears his lonely sigh
  There are no blankets where he lies
  In all his deepest dreams the gypsy flies
                E    E  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)  Emaj7  Emaj7  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)
  With sweet Melissa [guitar solo; tab #3]
  E  E  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)  Emaj7  Emaj7  F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)
  [guitar solo; tab #3]

E            E             D(9)         D(9)
  Again the morning's come, again he's on the run
A(9)       A(9)                     B(4)*             B(4)*
  Sunbeams shining through his hair, appearing not to have a care
C#m             C#m             A      A   B   B   (2-bar riff, no chord)
  Pick up your gear and gypsy, roll on, roll on    [tab #4]

  Crossroads, will you ever let him go
  Will you hide the dead man's ghost
  Or will he lie beneath the plain
  Or will his spirit float away
Cmaj7     Cmaj7         B* [hold]
  But I know he won't stay here
            E    E   F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)
  Without Melissa [tab #5]
Cmaj7   Cmaj7                B [hold]
  Yes I know that he won't stay here
            E    E   F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)  Emaj7  Emaj7
  Without Melissa [tab #6]
  E    E   F#m7(4)  F#m7(4)  Emaj7  Emaj7
  [instrumental; tab #6]


RHYTHM:

Amy's part has a rhythm like this through most of the song:
("V" is a loud strum, "v" is soft.)
V     v V   v V   V   V   V v v
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -


TAB:

[T is the 10th fret; E is 11; W is 12.  I did this so that the spacing
 would still make sense.]
[An equal sign (=) is a hammer-on or pull-off; a tilde (~) is a bend.]
["9E" or any other numbers right next to each other are just a fast
 hammer-on.]

TAB #1: intro
  E                E                F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|----------------|----------------|--------4-5-7/9-|
G ----------------|----------------|4=6-------------|----4-6---------|
D ----------------|--------2-4-4/6-|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----2=4---------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  Emaj7            Emaj7            F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E 7---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|T=9-------------|----------------|----------------|
G ----------------|----E=9-9E------|----------------|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|9E--9-----------|------2-4/6-----|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|--2=4-----------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^

TAB #2: end of first verse
  E                E                F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B --------9(10)9--|----------------|----------------|--------9-T-W---|
G --------[bend]--|9E--9-----------|----------------|----9-E---------|
D ----------------|------E-9E--9---|9E------9---9---|--9E------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  Emaj7            Emaj7            F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ------W---------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B W---T-------T=9-|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G ----------------|E---9E--9-------|----------------|----4---2---1---|
D ----------------|----------E-9=E-|9-----------2=4-|4/6-------------|
A ----------------|----------------|--------2=4-----|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^

TAB #3: guitar solo
  E                E                F#m7(4)           F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|T~--9~~~~--(T-T)|(T)9-------------|--------T=9---W-|
G ------------9-E-|[bend]----[bent-|[rel.]---9E------|----------------|
D --------9-E-----|---------up from|-------------9---|----------------|
A ----------------|---------fret 9]|-----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^    ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  Emaj7            Emaj7            F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------W-----|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----T=9---------|T=9---W---T---9T|--9-------------|----------------|
G ----------------|----------------|--------9E--9---|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|--------------E-|9E--9-----------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|------------2=4-|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  E                E                F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------------|------------4---|454---7-----5=4-|--------0-----0-|
B ----------------|5=4---4-5-7-----|----5-----------|5-----------5---|
G ------------4=6-|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D 2-------46------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  Emaj7            Emaj7            F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E --0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|--0---2-----4---|--2---0---------|
B 4---2---0-------|----------------|0---0-----0-----|----------------|
G ------------4---|2---1---2---4---|----------------|----------------|
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^

TAB #4: riff at end of bridge
                                    E
E ----------------|----------------|0-
B ----------------|4=5--4----2-----|0-
G 2=1-----2/4---4-|----------------|1-
D ----2-----------|----------------|2-
A ----------------|----------------|2-
E ----------------|----------------|0-
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^

TAB #5: riff in last chorus
  E                E                F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|T---T-----------|----------------|----------------|
G ----------------|E---------------|------------4=6-|4---------------|
D ----------------|--------9E--9---|------2-4/6-----|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----24----------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^

TAB #6: ending
  E                E                F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|--------------W-|----------------|
B ----------------|--------9-T=9---|W-------T=9-----|----T=9---------|
G ----------------|----9=E---------|----------------|--------E=9-----|
D ----------------|9=E-------------|----------------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  Emaj7            Emaj7            F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G ------------4=6-|4-------4=6-4---|----------------|----1=2-1-------|
D ----2=4-4/6-----|--------------4-|4-4-4-4-4---4---|------------0---|
A 2=4-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  E                E                F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)
E ----------------|0-----0---------|----------------|--------7-9-----|
B ----------------|--0-----0-------|--------------4-|5-7-7/9---------|
G ----------1-1=2-|----2-----2-----|----------4-6---|----------------|
D 2---------------|------------0---|----2=4/6-------|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|2=4-------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^
  Emaj7            Emaj7            F#m7(4)          F#m7(4)          E.
E --------------5-|----4---2-------|----------------|----------------|0-
B ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|0-
G ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|1-
D ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|2-
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|2-
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|0-
  ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^    ^   ^   ^   ^




- Adam Schneider, schneider@pobox.com
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