"The Buffalo Skinners" by Big Country
From the B side of the single "Ships"
Tab by Colin Dawson - colin_g_dawson@hotmail.com - April 2005
Comments and corrections welcome!
For more information about Big Country, visit www.bigcountry.co.uk
h = hammer
p = pull
s = slide
sd = slide down
r = let ring (sustain)
Intro;
D D A G D D A G
Verse 1;
D G
Out beyond the river Where you and I would ride
D Bm A
We would skin the buffalo, the last ones left alive
D G Bm
But once again it passed me by, I know it always will
D A G D A
So now I spend my Sunday standing still
Chorus;
Bm A A G A
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Bm A A G
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Verse 2;
D G
And somewhere she is calling, out on a scarlet plain
D Bm A
But I no longer hear her, I grew out of those games
D G Bm
I never skinned a buffalo, I never even killed
D A G D A
That’s why I spend my Sunday standing still
Chorus;
Bm A A G A
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Bm A A G A
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Bm A A G A
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Bm A A G
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Guitar solo;
To simplify this part I've used the following short-hand;
0 = 10th fret
1 = 11th fret
2 = 12th fret
D A G Bm A G
E|----------------------------------------------------------0-9-7h9p7--9-7h9p7----|
B|------------0---------0-------------------------0---------------------------0-7-|
G|---7h9-9s1---1-9h1p9---1s9-7rrr-7---7h9-7h9-9s1---1-9h1p9-----------------------|
D|7s9-------------------------------9---------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Bm A G Bm D G A
E|------0------------------------------------------------------------|
B|0s2-2---2-0h2p0sd-----7-8-7h8p7------------------------------------|
G|------------------7s9----------9-7----7h9-9s1-9h1p9----7h9p7-------|
D|-----------------------------------9---------------2-9------9-7rrr-|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D A G Bm A G
E|----------------------------------------------------------0-9-7h9p7--9-7h9p7----|
B|------------0---------0-------------------------0---------------------------0-7-|
G|---7-9-9s1---1-9h1p9---1s9-7rrr-7---7h9-7h9-9s1---1-9h1p9-----------------------|
D|7h9-------------------------------9---------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Bm A G Bm D G A
E|------0------------------------------------------------------------|
B|0s2-2---2-0h2p0sd-----7-8-7h8p7------------------------------------|
G|------------------7s9----------9-7----7h9-9s1-9h1p9----7h9p7-------|
D|-----------------------------------9---------------2-9------9-7rrr-|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Chorus;
Bm A A G A
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Bm A A G A
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Bm A A G A
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Bm A A G
Sure we could have, we could have got it right
Guitar solo;
To simplify this part I've used the following short-hand;
0 = 10th fret
1 = 11th fret
2 = 12th fret
D A G Bm A G
E|----------------------------------------------------------0-9-7h9p7--9-7h9p7----|
B|------------0---------0-------------------------0---------------------------0-7-|
G|---7h9-9s1---1-9h1p9---1s9-7rrr-7---7h9-7h9-9s1---1-9h1p9-----------------------|
D|7s9-------------------------------9---------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Bm A G Bm D G A
E|------0------------------------------------------------------------|
B|0s2-2---2-0h2p0sd-----7-8-7h8p7------------------------------------|
G|------------------7s9----------9-7----7h9-9s1-9h1p9----7h9p7-------|
D|-----------------------------------9---------------2-9------9-7rrr-|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D A G Bm A G
E|----------------------------------------------------------0-9-7h9p7--9-7h9p7----|
B|------------0---------0-------------------------0---------------------------0-7-|
G|---7-9-9s1---1-9h1p9---1s9-7rrr-7---7h9-7h9-9s1---1-9h1p9-----------------------|
D|7h9-------------------------------9---------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Bm A G Bm D G A
E|------0------------------------------------------------------------|
B|0s2-2---2-0h2p0sd-----7-8-7h8p7------------------------------------|
G|------------------7s9----------9-7----7h9-9s1-9h1p9----7h9p7-------|
D|-----------------------------------9---------------2-9------9-7rrr-|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D A G Bm A G
E|------------------------------------------------------------------0-9------------|
B|----------7h8p7--------------------------------------------------0----2--0-2-----|
G|---7h9p7--------9-7h9p7---1b2b1p9-1---9s7rrr----7-9-9s1-9h1p9-9-1------------2-1-|
D|7h9-----9---------------9-----------2--------7h9-------------2-------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Bm A G
E|---------------------------------------------|
B|7h8p7----------------------------------------|
G|------9-7--7--7-6h7p6------------------------|
D|----------------------7-5-4-5-4h5p4---4------|
A|------------------------------------7---5rrr-|
E|---------------------------------------------|
For this next part the same shorthand as above applies except;
3 = 13th fret
4 = 14th fret
D G A
E|-----------------------------------------0h2p0-0h2-2b4b2p0-0rrr-|
B|-------------------------------0h2p0-0h2------2-----------2-----|
G|---------------------7h9p7-7h9------1---------------------------|
D|-----------7h9p7-7h9------9-------------------------------------|
A|---5---5h7------9-----------------------------------------------|
E|5h7--7----------------------------------------------------------|
For this next part the same shorthand as above applies except;
5 = 15th fret
6 = 16th fret
7 = 17th fret
8 = 18th fret
9 = 19th fret
D A G Bm A G
E|----0-2b4b2b4rrb2p0---0-2b4b2p0---0-----0------7----7-------------------------|
B|0s2-----------------2-----------2---0s2-----7b9--7b9--7b9b7---7b9-5---5-7-5rr-|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------6--------6---------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Fade out;
Bm A G G D G A
E|7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------|
B|--7b9rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---9b7rr-|
G|--------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|
Alternative ending (same shorthand applies);
The fade out is something you probably wouldn't attempt to play live
so here's a suggested alternative ending;
Bm A G G Bm A Bm
E|7-------7-------7-------7-------------------------2-------------------|
B|--7b9rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---5-7-7s9-7h9p7-----5-2h5p2-----------|
G|-------------------------------4s6-------------9-6---------4-4s6rrrrr-|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Here's a similar alternative ending with a trill at the end instead of the
slide. This is maybe a little more in keeping with Stuart's style;
Bm A G G Bm A Bm
E|7-------7-------7-------7-------------------------2------------------------|
B|--7b9rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---9b7rr---5-7-7s9-7h9p7-----5-2h5p2--2h5p2h5p2rrrr-|
G|-------------------------------4s6-------------9-6---------4---------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
