Rime of the Ancient Mariner Lyrics

Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner - transcribed by Gary Chapman
tablature Copyright (c)1994 Gary Chapman
In my usual fashion, I got inspired by someone's posting (in this case,
Andrew Kenter's), belted out half of the song in one go, and then lost
interest. If I have the time and energy I'll finish the song in the
not-too-distant future.
Here's everything up to and including the slow section with the poem.
Taken from Live After Death.
Key:
' = 1/2 fret bend
= 7th fret harmonic
w\ = whammy dive
~ = vibrato
Chords used:
Intro:
G ---------------------9------9------9------9------5---7---9\- etc.
Riff A:
Verse:
Hear the rime of the ancient mariner, see his eye as he stops one of
Mesmerises one of the wedding guests - "stay here and listen to the nightmares
Riff B:
three.
of the sea"
And the music plays on as the bride passes by.
D5 Riff B D5 E5
Caught by his spell and the mariner tells his tale.
Riff B
Driven south the the land of the snow and ice to a place where nobody's been.
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross hailed in God's name,
Riff B E5
hoping good luck it brings.
And the ship sails on, back to the north.
D5 Riff B
Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on.
Shanty A: (positions may be wrong - I haven't seen the video for ages)
LHS (Dave Murray)
G ------------------------7~----------------------------
D -9-7-5-7-9--9-9-9-7-5-7-----9-7-5-7-9--9-9-9-7-5-7-4~-
RHS (Adrian Smith)
G ------------------------4~----------------------------
A ---------------------------------------------------5~-
LHS (Dave Murray)
G ------------------------7~--------------------------------
RHS (Adrian Smith)
G ------------------------4~--------------------------------
(lots of E5 power chordage)
LHS (Dave Murray)
D -9-7-5-7-9--9-9-9-7-5-7-9~---12-10-9-10-12--12-12-12-10-9-10-12~-
RHS (Adrian Smith)
D -5-4-2-4-5--5-5-5-4-2-4-5~--7-5-4-5-7--7-7-7--5-4-5-7~-
LHS (Dave Murray)
D -9-7-5-7-9--9-9-9-7-5-7-9~---12-10-9-10-12--12-12-12--12---7-9-10-9\-
RHS (Adrian Smith)
D -5-4-2-4-5--5-5-5-4-2-4-5~--7-5-4-5-7--7-7-7--7---0-2-4-2-
(end Shanty A)
E5 Riff B
The mariner kills the bird of good omen.
His shipmates cry against what he's done.
But when the fog clears they justify him.
And makes themselves a part of the crime.
Sailing on and on and on across the
Shanty B:
LHS (Dave Murray)
G -4--4-4-7-5-4---4--4-4---4~--4-4-7-5-4---4--4-----4----
RHS (Adrian Smith)
D --2--2-2-5-4-2---2--2-----2~--2-2-5-4-2---2-2----
sea... Sailing on and on and on...
(Shanty B)
'till all is calm.
E5 Riff B
The albatross begins with his vengeance.
A terrible curse, a thirst has begun.
His shipmates blame bad luck on the mariner.
Around his neck the dead bird is hung.
C5 D5 Shanty B
And the curse goes on and on and on at sea.
And the curse goes on and on for them and me.
E5 Riff B
Day after day, day after day we struck nor breath nor motion.
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean.
C5 Riff B
Water water everywhere, and all the boards did shrink
E5 Riff A
Water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.
There, calls the mariner, there comes a ship over the
how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no
D ----------------------------7---------------------------7----- (Murray)
A -------7-7-7--9-9-9--101010--10-9--7-7-7--9-9-9--101010--10-9- (Murray)
E -------0-0-0--2-2-2--3-3-3--5-3-2--0-0-0--2-2-2--3-3-3--5-3-2- (Smith)
line. But
tide ?
LHS (Dave Murray)
A -3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--(etc)
RHS (Adrian Smith)
See... Onward she comes... Onward she
LHS (Dave Murray)
A -0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--(etc)
RHS (Adrian Smith)
nears out of the sun...
She, she life in death, she lets him live, her chosen one.
F#m A5 E F G (AS plays chords, DM plays single-note triplets)
LHS (Dave Murray)
A -10-7-7--7-7-7-(repeat x 3)----------10-9-(1st measure x 2)--------6-6-6-
RHS (Adrian Smith)
E -3'-0-0--0-0-0-(repeat x 3)-5-5-5--5-3-2--(1st measure x 2)----------
(play the above section 4 times - on 4th time through, play the following
instead of the 2 chords)
D --7---6^7^6-----8---6-
Middle Section:
LHS (Dave Murray)
RHS (Adrian Smith) (volume swells)
G --5---------7---9---10---12---13\---8~-
LHS (Dave Murray)
RHS (Adrian Smith) (volume swells)
G --5---------7---9---10---12---13\---6~-
(alternate between the two combinations above)
One after one by the star-dogged moon, too quick for a groan or sigh.
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang and cursed me with his eye.
Four times fifty living men, and I heard nor sigh nor groan.
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump, they dropped down one by one.
LHS (Dave Murray)
RHS (Adrian Smith) (volume swells)
G --7\--------7---9---10---12---13\---8---w\-
LHS (Dave Murray)
RHS (Adrian Smith) (volume swells)
G --7\--------7---9---10---12---13\---7~---w\-
(play twice)
Mr.Scary (Gary Chapman)
scary@zikzak.apana.org.au
Zikzak public access UNIX, Melbourne, Australia.