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"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|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|