Iron Maiden Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Tom: A Intro: Riff A Riff B Verse (Note that on the 'Live After Death' version, the guitars play between D and E, I think to make the song more interesting) E Hear the rime of the Ancient Mariner, [Riff B] see his eye as he stops one of three E Mesmerises one of the wedding guests - C [Riff B] E Stay here and listen to the nightmares of the sea. C And the music plays on as the bride passes by D [Riff B] E Caught by his spell and the Mariner tells his tale. ( = I would suggest faking that little fill on the studio version) D E Driven south the the land of the snow and ice, [Riff B] to a place where nobody's been. E C Through the snow fog flies on the albatross, hailed in God's name, [Riff B] E hoping good luck it brings. C And the ship sails on, back to the north. D [Riff B] Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on. Shanty A Murray Smith Murray Smith (lots of E power chordage) Murray Smith Murray Smith Verse E [Riff B] The mariner kills the bird of good omen E [Riff B] His shipmates cry against what he's done E [Riff B] But when the fog clears they justify him E And make themselves a part of the crime. C D Sailing on and on and North across the Shanty B Murray Smith C sea... Sailing on and on and D [Shanty B] North 'til all is calm. E [Riff B] The albatross begins with its vengeance E [Riff B] A terrible curse, a thirst has begun E [Riff B] His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner About his neck the dead bird is hung. C D [Shanty B] And the curse goes on and on and on at sea. C D [Shanty B] And the curse goes on and on for them and me. E [Riff B] "Day after day, day after day we stuck nor breath nor motion. As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean. D [Riff B] Water water everywhere, and all the boards did shrink E [Riff A] (twice) Water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink." (S.T.Coleridge) (this entire section will be repeated again below with different words) E E There, calls the mariner, there comes a ship over the Murray Smith line. E E But how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no Murray Smith tide. C2 Murray Smith See... Onward she comes... A Murray Smith Onward she nears out of the sun... C2 Murray Smith See... She has no crew... A Murray Smith She has no life, wait but there's two (Now repeat entire above pattern with these lyrics) E E Death and she life in death, they throw their dice for the crew E E She wins the mariner and he belongs to her now. C2 A Then... crew one by one, they drop down dead, two hundred men C2 A She, she life in death, she lets him live, her chosen one. Now for some instrumental chords: Gb A E F G (Smith plays chords, Murray plays root-note triplets) Gb A E F G Play this part a total of four times (follow the left/right channels all the way through to the ending C and Eb chords, then return to the start) but the last time, skip the C and Eb and end on the little fill before the quiet part. E Murray Smith C Eb Murray Smith Dbm Murray Smith Middle section: (key changes to D ) Bass A or F G or Eb Murray Smith Murray Smith (all guitars repeat above patterns for lyrics below) "One after one by the star-dogged moon, too quick for 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." (S.T.Coleridge) Bass Dm Cm G:---------------------------------------------------------| D:--1------1------1------1------1------1------1------1-----| A:----3------3------3------3------3------3------3------3---| E:------3------3------3------3------3------3------3------3-| Murray Smith Murray Smith (tacet) Bass (think Number of the Beast; this may be played an octave higher) (it could also be this) Bass plays above figure twice, then Murray joins with palm-muted D while bass changes to Bass Riff 1 for lyrics. Bass Riff 1 Bass Riff 2 [Bass Riff 1] The curse it lives on in their eyes, the Mariner he wished he'd die [Bass Riff 2] Along with the sea creatures but they lived on, so did he. (Smith joins Murray in playing the palm-muted D ) [Bass Riff 1] And by the light of the moon, he prays for their beauty not doom [Bass Riff 2] With heart he blesses them, God's creatures all of them too. Bass Riff 3 (not sure about this one) Guitar stays the same [Bass Riff 3] Then the spell starts to break The albatross falls from his neck Bass Riff 4 [Bass Riff 4] Sinks down like lead into the sea Bass Riff 5 [Bass Riff 5] A Then down in falls comes the rain..... (key changes to A ) (All guitars continue with A ) Both guitars: A F G A Murray continues playing above figure under Adrian's solo: A F G A F G A F G A F G E = Now, the key changes back to E and Adrian's rhythm is C - D - E. On the last note of Adrian's solo, Dave comes in with the exact same note and takes over lead while Adrian drops back to rhythm. E C D E C D E ( = countinuously hammer-on and pulloff while raising and lowering tremolo bar) C D E ( = dive bomb on tremolo bar followed by slow raise to pitch) C D Whew! Now, the next harmony: E C D (chords implied by bass) Murray Smith Murray Smith (There seems to be a third, overdubbed rhythm guitar here) Murray Smith (I think you get the idea here.) E Murray Smith Play above section three times - on third repeat, play E chord in gallop rhythm and start it all over!!!! E C D E C D E Hear the groans of the long dead seamen [Riff B] See them stir as they start to rise Bodies lifted by good spirits C [Riff B] None of them speak and they're lifeless in their eyes C And revenge is still sought, penance starts again D [Riff B] Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on. D E [Riff B] Now the curse is finally lifted, and the Mariner sights his home Spirits go from the long dead bodies C [Riff B] Form their own light and the Mariner's left alone. Play [Shanty A] again! (remember that?) E [Riff B] And then a boat came sailing towards him E [Riff B] It was a joy he could not believe E [Riff B] The pilot's boat, his son and the hermit E Penance of life will fall onto Him. C D And the ship it sinks like lead into the Shanty B C sea... And the hermit D [Shanty B] shrieves the Mariner of his sins. E [Riff B] The Mariner's bound to tell of his story E [Riff B] To tell his tale wherever he goes E [Riff B] To teach God's word by his own example That we must love all things that God made. C D [Shanty B] And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man C D E And the tale goes on and on and on and on... As the song is fading out, Steve Harris plays: