"The Show Must Go On"
By: Queen
Album: Innuendo
Tabbed by: Peter Simmonds

Notes:
While this tune is definitely a piece for electric guitars, I usually prefer to play it
an acoustic guitar. There's plenty of opportunity to add frills and I've tried to give
names to the chords I use (which can be found at the bottom of the page. Some of the 
are trickier to hit than I usually try for but they do give a fuller sound. Feel free
skip or add bits if you think it'll help.

Intro (7 bars):
|Bm Bsus2 |Bsus4 Bm |G G11# |Em/G
|Em7 Em6 |F#sus4 F# |Em
|

Verse 1 (14 bars):
(A#dim/E) Bm (x24432@1)   Bsus2 (x24422@1)      Bsus4 (x24452@1)      Bm (x24432@1)   Empty spaces, what are we living for?
          G (320003@1)    G11#        Em/G (322000@1)           GAbandoned (320003@1)places. I guess we know the score.
Em7       Em6 (022020@1) F#sus4 (224422@1)F# (244322@1)             Em (022000@1)         A#dim/E
On and on. Does anybody know what we are looking for?
        Bm (x24432@1) Bsus2 (x24422@1)  Bsus4 (x24452@1)          BmAnother (x24432@1)hero. Another mindless crime.
           G (320003@1)     G11#    Em/G (322000@1)      GBehind (320003@1)the curtain. In the pantomime.
Em7      Em6 (022020@1)      F#sus4 (224422@1)F# (244322@1)   GHold (320003@1)the line. Does anybody want to take it anymore?

Chorus (8 bars):
(G)              Bm (x24432@1) Bsus2 (x24422@1) Bsus4 (x24452@1) BmThe (x24432@1)show must go on...
                 G (320003@1) G11#   Em/G (322000@1) GThe (320003@1)show must go on...
  Em7               Em6Inside, (022020@1)my heart is breaking.
   F#sus4 (224422@1)      F# (244322@1)           Em (022000@1)name="chord_x24432@1">Bm         (N.C.)
My makeup may be flaking but my smile  still stays on.

Verse 2 (16 bars):
         C#m (x13321@4)   C#sus2 (x13311@4)       C#sus4 (x13341@4)     C#mWhatever (x13321@4)happens, I leave it all to chance.
        A (x02220@1)       A11#     F#m/A            AAnother (x02220@1)heartache. Another failed romance.
F#m7   F#m6     G#sus4  G#
         Cdim/F#
On and on. Does anybody know what we are living for?
            C#m (x13321@4)    C#sus2 (x13311@4)   C#sus4 (x13341@4)     C#mI (x13321@4)guess I'm learning. I must be warmer now.
             A (x02220@1)    A11#       F#m/A        AI'll (x02220@1)soon be turning round the corner now.
   F#m7 (131141@2)           F#m6Outside (2x4242@1)the dawn is breaking,
    G#sus4 (xx1124@1)      G# (xx1114@1)            F#m (244222@1) Embut (022000@1)inside in the dark I'm aching to be free.

Chorus (8 bars)

Guitar break (6 bars):
(Bm) (Bsus2) |Bsus4 Bm |G G11#
G |Em7 Em6 |F#sus4 F# |Em 
|
Ad lib "Yeah", "Ooh", etc.

Verse 3 (6 bars):
F (133211@1)         G/F (120003@1)            Em (022000@1)           Am (x02210@1)    Cmaj7/G (332000@1)My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies.
F (133211@1)            G/F (120003@1)         Em7                  AmFairytales (x02210@1)of yesterday will grow but never die.
 C#m7b5  A7/C# (042020@1)name="chord_xx0233@1">Dsus4        DI (xx0232@1)can fly,     my friends.

Final Chorus (7 bars):
(D) Bm (x24432@1)            Bsus2 (x24422@1)   Bsus4 (x24452@1) BmThe (x24432@1)show must go on. Yeah...
                 G (320003@1)  G11#   Em/G (322000@1) GThe (320003@1)show must go on.
     Em7                 Em6 (022020@1)F#sus4 (224422@1)          F#I'll (244322@1)face it with a grin. I'm never giving in.
  Em (022000@1)             A#dim/E
On with the show.

Outro (16 bars):
|Bm Bsus2 |Bsus4 Bm |G G11# |Em/G
|
(G)       Em7                Em6Ooh, (022020@1)I'll top the bill. I'll overkill.
  F#sus4 (224422@1)           F# (244322@1)          Em (022000@1)  Em7
 A#dim/E
I have the find the will to carry on... (with the, on with the)
Em7    Bm   Bsus2...
show.

(fade out)

N.B.: The original track fades out on a Bsus4 but when playing live, I usually resolve
Bsus2 into a Bm.

Suggested chord shapes:

         EADGBE
Bm (x24432@1)     224432
Bsus2    224422
Bsus4    224400
G (320003@1)      320003
G11#     320023
Em/G     322000
Em7      022030
Em6      022020
F#sus4   244422
F# (244322@1)     244322
Em (022000@1)     022000
A#dim/E  012020
C#m      446654
C#sus2   446644
C#sus4   446674
A (x02220@1)      X02220
A11#     X01220
F#m/A    X04222
F#m7     244252
F#m6     244242
G#sus4   466644
G# (xx1114@1)     466544
F#m      244222
Cdim/F#  234242
C#dim/F# 212020
Edim     XX2323
F (133211@1)      133211
G/F      120003
Am (x02210@1)     X02210
Cmaj7/G  432000
C#m7b5   X42000
A7/C#    X42020
Dsus4    XX0233
Show more