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

                   World Before Colombus
                  written by Suzanne Vega
            originally performed by Suzanne Vega
            track #8 on "nine objects of desire"
        transcribed by Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)

"World Before Colombus" is a rather simple song.  The chord
progression is easy, and the fingerpicking is simple as
well.  I have included the lyrics with the basic chords,
and then the tablature below that.

Chords:
Em=022000      Dsus2/E=0x0230      Cmaj7=x32000   G=320033
Amsus=x02210   D/F#=2x0230         F=133211       Bm=x24400
C=x32010

Lyrics and chords:

Dsus2/E
[intro]
Em (022000@1)     Cmaj7 (x32000@1)         Bm (x24432@1)    Cmaj7If (x32000@1)your love were taken from me
Em (022000@1)  Cmaj7 (x32000@1)         Bm (x24432@1)      Cmaj7Every (x32000@1)color would be black and white.
G (320003@1)      D/F# (200232@1)            Em (022000@1)         Amsus
It would be as flat as the world before Colombus.
G (320003@1)        D/F# (200232@1)          Em (022000@1)    F (133211@1)     Dsus2/E
That's the day that I lose half my sight.
Em (022000@1)    Cmaj7 (x32000@1)          Bm (x24432@1)    Cmaj7If (x32000@1)your life were taken from me
Em (022000@1)    Cmaj7 (x32000@1)               Bm (x24432@1)      Cmaj7All (x32000@1)the trees would freeze in this cold ground.
G (320003@1)       D/F# (200232@1)            Em (022000@1)        Amsus
It would be as cold as the world before Colombus.
G (320003@1)  D/F# (200232@1)           Em (022000@1)    FSail (133211@1)to the edge and I'll be there, looking
Dsus2/E
Down.
G (320003@1)   D/F# (200232@1)            Em (022000@1)         C (x32010@1)               GThose (320003@1)men who lust for land and for riches strange and new,
          D/F# (200232@1)       Em (022000@1)             C (x32010@1)            GAll (320003@1)those trinkets of desire, but they never will have you.
            D/F# (200232@1)         Em (022000@1)         C (x32010@1)            GAnd (320003@1)they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair,
     D/F# (200232@1)              F (133211@1)              Dsus2/E
How could they weigh the worth of you so rare.
Em (022000@1)      Cmaj7 (x32000@1)        Bm (x24432@1)    Cmaj7If (x32000@1)your love were taken from me
Em (022000@1)  Cmaj7 (x32000@1)                   Bm (x24432@1)      Cmaj7Every (x32000@1)light that's bright would soon grow dim.

G (320003@1)       D/F# (200232@1)           Em (022000@1)         Amsus
It would be as dark as the world before Colombus.
G (320003@1)       D/F# (200232@1)        Em (022000@1)     FDown (133211@1)the waterfall and I'd swim over the
Dsus2/E
Brim.
G (320003@1)   D/F# (200232@1)            Em (022000@1)          C (x32010@1)              GThose (320003@1)men who lust for land and for riches strange and new,
          D/F# (200232@1)       Em (022000@1)            C (x32010@1)             GAll (320003@1)those trinkets of desire, oh they never will have you.
            D/F# (200232@1)         Em (022000@1)         C (x32010@1)            GAnd (320003@1)they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair,
     D/F# (200232@1)              F (133211@1)              Dsus2/E
How could they weigh the worth of you so rare.
Dsus2/E
[outro]

TAB notation:
P: pull off
h: hammer on


(intro riff)
  Dsus2/E
E-------------------------------0-|------------------------B-------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3--G---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0----D---------------------------------|------------------------A---------------------------------|------------------------E-0-------------------------------|-0----------------------
  + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .


-------0-|-------------------------------0-|--------------------3---|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3--2h4-----|---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2--------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|-0-------------------------------|-0-------------
 + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^


-----------------0-||
-------3-------3---||
-4---0-----2h4-----||
-------------------||
-------------------||
-------------------||
 . + . ^ . + . ^ .


(verse)
 Em (022000@1)            Cmaj7 (x32000@1)           Bm (x24432@1)            Cmaj7---------------------------------|--------------------------------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0---------0--------------0---------------0---|-----------0------------------2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4-----------2--------------------3---------------|-2---------------3--------0-------------------------------|------------------------- (x32000@1) + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
   If your love were taken...
   If your life were taken...

         Em (022000@1)            Cmaj7 (x32000@1)           Bm-------|---------------------------------|----------------------0-|-------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0------0---|-------------0---------------0---|-----------0------2-----|-----2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4--------------|-----------------3---------------|-2----------------------|-0-------------------------------|----------------- (x24432@1) . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .


 Cmaj7 (x32000@1)           G (320003@1)             D/F# (200232@1)            Em-----------------|---------------------------------|--------------0---------|-------3---------------3---------|------------------------|-----------0---------------2-----|------------2-----2-----|-----0---------0-----0---------0-|-----2--3-----------0---|---------------------------------|------------------------|-3---------------2---------------|-0----- (022000@1) + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^


           Amsus             G (320003@1)             D/F#---------------------------|--------------------------------0---------------3---------|-------3---------------3------------0---------------2-----|-----------0---------------2------------0-----2---------0-|-----0---------0-----0--------------------0---------------|----------------------------------------------------------|-3---------------2------------- (200232@1) . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^

     (these two measures go with the first verse)
     Em (022000@1)            F---|--------------------------------|-----------------|| (133211@1)---|-------0------------------------|-----------------||
---|-----------0--------------------|-----------------||
-0-|-----2---------0----------------|-----------------||
---|-----------------3--------------|-(3)-------------||
---|-0---------------1--------------|-(1)-------------||
 .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .


 (these two measures go with the second and third verses;
they replace the two measures above)
 Em (022000@1)            F---------------------------------|-----------------|| (133211@1)-------0(3)------------1---------|-------1---------||
-----------0---------------2-----|-----------2-----||
-----2---------0-----3---------3-|-----3---------3-||
---------------------------------|-----------------||
-0---------------1---------------|-1---------------||
 + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .


(pre-chorus riff)
 Dsus2/E
-------------------------------0-|--------------------------------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3------------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------0-------------------------------|-0-----------------------
 + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
...down.
...brim.

           (chorus riff)
           G (320003@1)             D/F# (200232@1)            Em---------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------2-2-2-2----------|---------------------------------|----------------0---2---|-3---------------2---------------|-0------------- (022000@1) + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^


   C-0-------0-0-0-0-0-|| (x32010@1)-0-------1-1-1-1-1-||
-0-------0-0-0-0-0-||
-2-------2-2-2-2-2-||
---3---------------||
-------------------||
 . + . ^ . + . ^ .

(repeat chorus riff 3 times; the last time, play only the
first measure, then the chorus outro)

(chorus outro)
 F-------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-|| (133211@1)-------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-||
-------2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-2-2-||
-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-3-3-||
---------------------------------|-----------------||
-1---------------1---------------|-1---------------||
 + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .

(play intro riff 2 times; replace the last measure with the
outro riff)

(outro riff)
 Dsus2/E
-------------------------0------------------------------||
-----3-------3-------3---3------------------------------||
---------2-----4---0-----4------------------------------||
-------------------------2------------------------------||
-------------------------0------------------------------||
-0-----------------------0------------------------------||
 + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . +


That's it everybody.  Have fun.

transcribed by: Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)