• Song:

    Song For Adam

  • Artist:

    Jackson Browne

  • Album:

    Saturate Before Using

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


From phil@cyber-naut.com Fri May 16 08:05:40 1997
Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 21:22:59 -0600
From: Phil Black 
To: guitar@olga.net
Subject: Tab: Song for Adam by Jackson Browne

-- "Song for Adam" by Jackson Browne

>From Phil Black (phil@cyber-naut.com)

After getting some of the fine tabs here I wanted to contribute a little
back to this fine OLGA collection. Please be patient with my first stab
at writing
a tab file, I may be off a bit.
I used a layout from another picking type song to start out with, but I
think
this song is 4/4 timing and the slashes are 8th notes.  If you can add
any
improvements or corrections to this version please do.

I learned this by ear from the record and I think this is a great tab
for anyone who is new to fingerstyle guitar as I am. I'm sure it's not
completely accurate but it seems to work well for me.

                      SONG FOR ADAM (Jackson Browne)

          From the C/D "Saturate Before Using"
          Standard E tuning: EADGBE, Capo on 1st fret
          Transcribed by Phil Black, 1996
Intro:

Am
E||-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B||-----------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------------|
G||---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|-------2-------2-|
D||-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A||-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
E||---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|
    |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_|
|_|

  F                                   C
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
|-------1---------|-------1---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2-0-------------|-2-0-----------2-|-0-----0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3--3|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
|-1-------1-------|-1--------1------|---------3-------|---------3-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|

  F                                   C                 G
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------3---|
|-------1---------|-------1---------|-----------------|---------0-------|
|-2-0-------------|-2-0-----------2-|-0-----0-------0-|-0-----0---------|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3--3|-----2-------2---|-----2-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|---------2-------|
|-1-------1-------|-1--------1------|---------3-------|-3---------------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|

  Am
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------------|
|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|-------2-------2-|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|

Verse 1:
  Am                G                 F
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1---------1-----|-0---------0-----|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----|
|---------0-----2-|---------0-----2-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|
|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|-3-------3-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
  Oh Adam was a     friend of mine I  did not know him  well,     He was

  C       G/D       Am      G         F
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------3-------|-1-------0-------|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----|
|-------0-------0-|-------2-------0-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|
|-----2-------0---|-----2-------0---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
|-3-------2-------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|    |_|  |_| |_|
|_|
 alone in his    existence     he was deep into his well,         I
could

 C       G/D       Am      G         F
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------3-------|-1-------0-------|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----|
|-------0-------0-|-------2-------0-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|
|-----2-------0---|-----2-------0---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
|-3-------2-------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
guess what he was laughing at but I  couldn't really tell,       Now the

  Am      G         Am     G           F
|-0---------------|-----------------|------------------|
|---------3-------|-1-------0-------|-1---------1------|
|-------2-------0-|-------2-------0-|---------2-----2--|
|-----2-------0---|-----2-------0---|-----3-------3----|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|------------------|
|---------3-------|---------3-------|-1-------1--------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|    |_| |_| |_| |_|
story's told that Adam jumped but I'm thinking that he

  Am
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------------|
|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|-------2-------2-|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
  fell.

Verse 2: (same tab as Verse 1)

Chorus:
  F                                   C
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----|-1---------------|-----------------|
|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|---------3-------|---------3-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
      I    sit    before my only     candle,                       but
it's

  F                                   C
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----|-1---------------|-----------------|
|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|---------3-------|---------3-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
 so   little       light to find my  way,                          now
this

  F                                   Am
|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----|-----------0-----|-1h--------------|
|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|-------2-------2-|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
 journey  appears   before    my     candle.                       Which
is

  C                                   G
|-----------------|-----------------|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----|
|-1---------1-----|-1--------1------|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------3-------|---------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
 shorter every      hour as it        reaches for the   day         well
I

  Am                                  G
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------0-----|-1h--------------|-0---------0-----|-0---------0-----|
|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|---------0-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
  feel just like a  candle  in  a     way              but I guess I'll


  F                                   C
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
|-------1---------|-------1---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2-0-------------|-2-0-----------2-|-0-----0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3--3|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
|-1-------1-------|-1--------1------|---------3-------|---------3-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
  get there,           but I wouldn't say_______________________________

  F                                   C                 G
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------3---|
|-------1---------|-------1---------|-----------------|---------0-------|
|-2-0-------------|-2-0-----------2-|-0-----0-------0-|-0-----0---------|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3--3|-----2-------2---|-----2-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|---------2-------|
|-1-------1-------|-1--------1------|---------3-------|-3---------------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|
  for sure...

  Am
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------0-----|-1h--------------|
|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|---------2-----2-|-------2-------2-|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|
  |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|   |_| |_| |_| |_|


Song For Adam  -  Jackson Browne

Though Adam was a friend of mine, I did not know him well
He was alone in his existence, He was deep into his well
I could guess what he was laughing at, But I couldn't really tell
Now the story's told that Adam jumped, But I'm thinking that he fell

Together we went traveling, as we received the call
His destination India, and I had none at all
Well I still remember laughing, with our backs against the wall
So free of fear we never thought, that one of us might fall

I sit before my only candle, but it's so little light to find my way
Now this story unfolds before my candle
Which is shorter every hour as it reaches for the day
Well I feel just like a candle in a way
I guess I'll get there but I wouldn't say for sure

When we parted we were laughing still, as our goodbyes were said
And I never heard from him again, as each our lives we led
except for once in someone else's letter that I read
Until I head the sudden word, that a friend of mine was dead

I sit before my only candle, like a pilgrim sits beside the way
Now this journey appears before my candle
as a song that's growing fainter, the harder I play
well I fear before I am I'll fade away
But I guess I'll get there, though I wouldn't say for sure

Though Adam was a friend of mine, I did not know him long
And when I stood myself beside him, I never thought I was as strong
still it seemed he stopped his singing in the middle of his song
well I'm not the one to say I know but I'm hoping he was wrong

I'm holding out my only candle, though it's so little light to find my
way
now this story's been layed beneath my candle
and it's shorter every hour as it reaches for the day
yes I feel just like a candle in a way
I hope I'll get there but I'll never pray

^Z

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Richard Black     CyberNaut
phil@cyber-naut.com
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