• Song:

    Snake Song

  • Artist:

    Townes Van Zandt

  • Album:

    Legend (disc 2)

D5        F5    D5
You can't hold me
D5      C5     D5
I'm too slippery

D5       F5   D5
I do no sleepin'
D5    C5   D5
I get lonely

D5      F5     G5
you can touch me
 G5      F5   D5
if you want to

D5    F5  D5
I got poison
D5      C5     D5
I just might bite you

Lie in circles
on the sunlight
shine like diamonds
on a dark night
ain't no mercy
in my smilin'
only fangs and
sweet beguiling

Future, he don't
try to find me
skin I been through
dies behind me
solid hollow
wrapped in hatred
not a drop of
venom wasted

You can slip in
try to find me
hold your breath and
flat deny me
it makes no difference
to my thinkin'
I'll be here when
you start sinkin'

I found it convenient to play with a capo in the 5th fret so I actually play Am C Am Am   G Am and
so on. In the beginning of a line I strum the empty strings and then 'hammer on' the three fingers
for the Am. The Fs and Cs are quickly sqeezed in between the other chords. It's hard to say how
really to play it, it has to be felt (that's what I tell my band members on every occasion..). It
should by avoided to play the high strings, at least not too often or too loud, especially at the Cs
and Fs (This also makes it easier for the left hand). In between the verses I play a line of bass
notes:
D5 F5 B(hammer on->) C5 E5 D5 (maybe ...F5 D5 ).

I also would like to add the bass line introducing 'Fare thee well Miss Carousel'.
Probably invented by the bass player but I like it very much.
B5 E5 / ( E5 ) F#5 Ab5 / Ab5 A5 Ab5 F#/ F#5 Ab5 E5 -> E-chord.
Maybe the last bar is just f# f# f#.
And never ask me for a correct notation of the rhythm... RF
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