American Life Lyrics

As recorded by Primus
(From the 2003 Album SAILING THE SEAS OF CHEESE)
Words by Les Claypool Music by Primus
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Larry Lalonde'
Moderately Slow Q=92
Gtr I
Wx4
1st, 3rd Verses
$
Wx6
To Coda
<
W E. S +H. Q +Q +Q Q
<
E E Q H H +Q. E E E Q H E E Q H
E S S E S S E E Q Q. E E S S E E
Q. S S S E. Q Q. E E S S E E
|----------8s11--/14--|-13----13-12-------------||
|----------5s=8--/11--|-10----10--9----9--------||
2nd Verse
W +W +W W
>
++H
<
W E. S +H. Q +Q +Q Q
E S S E S S +E Q. +H E S S +S E.
<
+E S S E S S +E Q. +Q +Q Q E +E
Guitar Solo
H +Q. E +Q. E E E Q
|-------------------|---------5s6-6-6s==|
|-------------------|---------------6s==|
H. E E Q. E S S Q E
|-3-------3-(3)-|-(3)s==5-5-5-5--15s=|
|------------3--|-(3)s==5--------15s=|
Q Q +E E S E. +Q +E E S S Q.
|-17--17--(17)----17-----|--------------------17s15----|
T T E. +H E E +E E E E E E E E
|-15-15s14--(14)----14s15-|-(15)-15-15s17-18-17s0---|
|----15s14--(14)----------|------15-----------------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|----18----18----18----18pb19=====18----18----18----18----18----18----18----18-|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
Q +E. S S S Q S S S E. S S S S S S S S E E
<
E Q. E S S E E +H +Q. +E S S S S Q Q E E
|-------------------15b18==15r|=(15)----(15)---(15)\-|-x---x-x-------------|
D.S. al Coda
+H +Q. +E E E Q H Wx3 W
&
E S S E S S +E Q. +H E S S +S S E
E S S E S S E Q. +H E S S +S S E
+E S S E S S +E Q. +H E S S +S S E
E S S E S S +E Q. +H E E E E
Outro Solo
+H++
H+H+
E E E E +E E E E Q Q E E E E E E E E +E E E E
H +E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E +E E Q
E S S E S S +Q E E Q E S S +Q E E
S S S S +S S S S +S S S S +S S E E E E S S +S S S S +S S E
Double Time!
E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S
E S S +S S S S E S S +S S S S
E S S +S S S S E S S +S S S S
E S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
TP TP TP
S S S S S S S S S S S S e S S H Q Q
|-17----------16-------17-------17----16-9-9-|-9S===17--/20--|
|-------16-------16-------16-------16----8-8-|-8S===16--/19--|
S S Q. E S S S S S S
a S E S S T T S S S S S S S S S S
S S S S S S E E. S S S S S E S S Q H
Duration Legend
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
n
- artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
- volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths