THE RAVEN
by The Stranglers
all songs written by Cornwell/Burnel/Greenfield/Black
all songs transcribed by Richard Stanforth (rtstanforth@hotmail.com)
(c)1979 Liberty Records.

 1. Longships
 2. The Raven
 3. Dead Loss Angeles
 4. Ice* (unavailable as yet)
 5. Baroque Bordello
 6. Nuclear Device
 7. Shah Shah A Go Go
 8. Don't Bring Harry
 9. Duchess
10. Meninblack
11. Genetix



LONGSHIPS
---------
first bit: A G E, D C (x2) A
second bit: F5-E5-F5-E5, Bb, F5-E5-F5-E5
third bit: C G E5 (x3) D C
ending: A D C

repeat ending until fade.

Note: I am working on a guitar tab of Hugh's guitar part at the minute, but it's really
difficult as the guitar is *extremely* low in the mix. There's an overbearing amount of bass
which kind of distracts the listener from what Hugh is actually playing, but I'm almost halfway
there, so watch for it soon.



THE RAVEN
---------
bass intro:
the note A alternated as octaves, for acoustic guitar players, the underlying chord is A major.
play this for about seven bars.

then the following chords can be played under the guitar 'solo' (if that's what you'd like to call it)...

Dm G F G Am C G A

...before Dave Greenfield's signature keyboard riff is finally heard and the following chords are played...

Dm Am G F G A (x2)

then: Dm G Dm G Dm G Dm G


verse 1:
Dm     G     Dm  G       Dm    G   Dm   G
fly straight.....with perfection
Dm   G   Dm   G      Dm   G   Dm   G
find me.....a new direction
       C         A                    Dm   G   Dm   G
you'll never realise the things they said
       C         A                 Dm   G   Dm   G
we'll never realise until we're dead
     Dm        G       Dm       G        Dm    G   Dm   G
the fires they burned along the coast of triumphs
    Dm  G   Dm         G      Dm     G   Dm   G
the ebony embittered souls of children
       C            A               Dm   G   Dm   G
we'll seek another way before too long
     C                 A
but will you stop my wind before I'm gone



then, on the word 'gone', instead of reverting back to the main verse riff, the following is
played (as a sort-of bridge or instrumental pre-chorus):

Dm C G (x3)


chorus:
Bb           F             G
and when you find me all alone
Bb             F             G
your world has never been my own


and then, the bridge or 'pre-chorus' is played again, three times, but in the next key upwards,
like so:

Em D A (x3)

...before a Dave Greenfield keyboard solo that's based around the chorus melody, but features these
chords:

C G Bb F (x3)

then, the same chords are used for a second chorus, which is a slight variation of the first chorus:


chorus 2:
C            G        Bb           F            G
and when you find me, and when you find me all alone
Bb             F             G
your world has never been my own


and then comes the second verse, which uses exactly the same chords and has exactly the same structure
as the first verse:


verse 2:
   Dm             G          Dm       G           Dm   G   Dm   G
my friend, you're black, and when you fly you're wild
Dm     G         Dm       G                  Dm   G   Dm   G
I am white, sometimes I behave just like a child
     C                A                    Dm   G   Dm   G
the northern seas are cold but they're our own
      C                  A
we'll sail your southern seas before too long


and now, on the word 'long' instead of going to the first bridge or pre-chorus earlier, the keyboard riff
from the intro is played and the same chords are used, so, basically the keyboard intro is being used as an
outro:


Dm Am G F G A

Dm Am    G                  F                       G   A
    when I was a viking, my friend he was the raven


then just repeat the chords Dm Am G F G A until the song fades.




I apologise if this tab doesn't make too much sense as the song has a weird structure to it, like so:

bass intro
guitar intro
keyboard intro
verse 1
bridge (in Dm)
chorus (variation 1)
bridge (in Em)
keyboard solo
chorus (variation 2)
verse 2
outro (same as keyboard intro)


Note: transcription of some of Hugh's guitar parts coming soon, as with Longships the guitar is extremely
low in the mix and I don't want to post anything unless I'm too sure of it.


DEAD LOSS ANGELES
-----------------
This song was a bit of a pain in the arse to transcribe, because there's
no actual guitar chords in the song which made it very hard to format chords
for it. Hugh plays a 2nd bass alongside JJ which seems to play the third of
every chord, with Dave Greenfield playing the 5th on his keyboard. JJ of course
plays the root (an astonishingly static E throughout most of the song), so the
chords are displayed from what the entire band play.

E5  G/E E5  F#/E E5          G/E E5   F#/E E5
The plastic peaches there on concrete beaches there
E5  G/E E5  A/E E5             G/E E5  A/E E5
You see the leaches there, you see the leaches there
E5      G/E  E5  F#/E E5            G/E E5 F#/E E5
They're soft marshmallow there, it's oh so shallow tehre
E5 G/E  E5   A/E E5      G/E  E5   A/E E5
In dead loss angeles, in dead loss angeles
E5  A/E     E5 B/E E5      B/E  E5  C/E E5
The dredged up mastodon has got his glasses on
E5  C/E E5 D/E  E5           D/E     E/G#
He's never seen the shit from the la brea pit

E5 G/E E5 F#/E E5              G/E E5  F#/E E5
The lunar base camp there with burning midnight lamp
E5   G/E  E5 A/E E5            G/E E5 A/E E5
They call it frisbeeland, it's just a disneyland
E5 G/E E5 F#/E E5     G/E E5 F#/E E5
Android Americans live in the ruins there
E5 G/E  E5  A/E E5       G/E  E5   A/E E5
In dead loss angeles, in dead loss angeles
E5  A/E    E5  B/5 E5       B/E E5 C/E E5
The dredged up mastodon has got his glasses on
E5  C/E E5 D/E  E5           D/E     E/G#
He's never seen the shit from the la brea pit

From the la brea pit...