x#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
AMERICAN LIFE
As recorded by Primus
(From the 2003 Album SAILING THE SEAS OF CHEESE)
Transcribed by Jeff Jacobson
Words by Les Claypool Music by Primus
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Larry Lalonde'
Intro
Moderately Slow Q=92
4/4
Gtr I
Wx4
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
1st, 3rd Verses
$
Wx6
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
To Coda
Eb
2/4 4/4
<
W E. S +H. Q +Q +Q Q
|------|---------------|------------------------------|
|------|----8-(8)------|--(8)----(8)----(8)----(8)\---|
|------|----8-(8)------|--(8)----(8)----(8)----(8)\---|
|------|----8-(8)------|--(8)----(8)----(8)----(8)\---|
|------|----6-(6)------|-([6])--([6])--([6])--([6])\--|
|------|---------------|------------------------------|
Gm
<
E E Q H H +Q. E E E Q H E E Q H
|-------------|--------------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|--------------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|--------------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|--------------------|-------------|-------------|
|-4-----------|-10----(10)---(10)\-|-4-----------|-4-----------|
|-3-----------|--------------------|-3-----------|-3-----------|
\1/
E S S E S S E E Q Q. E E S S E E
|-------------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------11-/14--|-13----13-12------------|
|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0---------|------------------12\-0-|
|------------------8-/11--|-10----10--9----9-------|
|-------------------------|-------------10---------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|
Q. S S S E. Q Q. E E S S E E
|---------------------|-------------------------||
|----------8s11--/14--|-13----13-12-------------||
|-0----0-0------------|------------------12\-0--||
|----------5s=8--/11--|-10----10--9----9--------||
|---------------------|-------------10----------||
|---------------------|-------------------------||
2nd Verse
Gm
W +W +W W
|----------|------------|------------|------|
|----------|------------|------------|------|
|-0--------|-(0)--------|-(0)--------|------|
|----------|------------|------------|------|
|----------|------------|------------|------|
|----------|------------|------------|------|
>
E E E E +H +H H
|----------------|-------------|
|---3---6-(6)----|-(6)---------|
|---3---6-(6)----|-(6)---------|
|----------------|-------------|
|----------------|-------------|
|----------------|-------------|
Eb
2/4 4/4
<
W E. S +H. Q +Q +Q Q
|------|---------------|----------------------------|
|------|----8-(8)------|--(8)----(8)----(8)---(8)\--|
|------|----8-(8)------|--(8)----(8)----(8)---(8)\--|
|------|----8-(8)------|--(8)----(8)----(8)---(8)\--|
|------|----6-(6)------|-([6])--([6])--([6])--(6)\--|
|------|---------------|----------------------------|
Gm
E S S E S S +E Q. +H E S S +S E.
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------15----15-(15)-------|-----------------------17--|
|------16----18---------18----|-(18)----15-15-15-(15)-----|
|---17------------------------|---------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
Gm
<
\1.5
+E S S E S S +E Q. +Q +Q Q E +E
|--------------------------------|-------------------------||
|-(17)-------15----15-(15)-------|-------------------------||
|---------16----18---------18----|-(18)-(18)------0----(0)-||
|------17------------------------|-------------------------||
|--------------------------------|-------------------------||
|--------------------------------|-------------------------||
Guitar Solo
H +Q. E +Q. E E E Q
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|---------5s6-6-6s==|
|-------------------|---------------6s==|
|-/5----(5)---([5])-|-([5])-------------|
|-/5----(5)---([5])-|-([5])-------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
H. E E Q. E S S Q E
|---------------|--------------------|
|-3-------------|--------------------|
|-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)\-/17-17----------|
|-17--17--(17)----17-----|--------------------17s15----|
|-17---------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------------------------|
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
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-----------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|------6-------| |---------6---------| |------6-------| |------6-------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-15----15----15----15---------15----15----15----15----15----15----15----15----|
|----18----18----18----18pb19=====18----18----18----18----18----18----18----18-|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------6-------| |------6-------| |------6-------| |-------6-------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-15----15----15----15----15----15----18----18----19----19----18-----18p15--|
|----18----18----18----18----18----18----18----18----18----18----18r--------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~
Q +E. S S S Q S S S E. S S S S S S S S E E
|---------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|---------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|-18--(18)-15-x-x--------15-|-17-----------------------------------|
|----------15-x-x-15--17----|--------------15----------------------|
|---------------------------|----15--16-17----17-16p15-16p15----15-|
|---------------------------|--------------------------------18----|
<
~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
E Q. E S S E E +H +Q. +E S S S S Q Q E E
|-----------------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------|---7-----------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------|-x---x-x-------------|
|-16p15----17-15p13-----------|----------------------|-x---x-x---------10--|
|-------------------15b18==15r|=(15)----(15)---(15)\-|-x---x-x-------------|
D.S. al Coda
+H +Q. +E E E Q H Wx3 W
|----------------------|-------------|------------|-------||
|----------------------|-x-----------|------------|-------||
|----------------------|-x-----------|------------|-------||
|----------------------|-x-----------|------------|-------||
|-(10)----(10)---(10)\-|-------------|------------|-------||
|----------------------|-------------|------------|-------||
&
Gm
E S S E S S +E Q. +H E S S +S S E
|-----------------------------|---------------18-(18)-------|
|---------15----15-(15)-------|------------17---------17----|
|------18----18---------18----|-(18)----15---------------15-|
|---17------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
E S S E S S E Q. +H E S S +S S E
|----------------------------|---------------18-(18)-------|
|----------15----15-15-------|------------17---------17----|
|-15----18----18-------18----|-(18)----15---------------15-|
|----17----------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|----------------------------|-----------------------------|
+E S S E S S +E Q. +H E S S +S S E
|--------------------------------|---------------18-(18)-------|
|------------15----15-(15)-------|------------17---------17----|
|-(15)----18----18---------18----|-(18)----15---------------15-|
|------17------------------------|-----------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------------------|
E S S E S S +E Q. +H E E E E
|------------------------------|-----------------||
|----------15----15-(15)-------|-----------------||
|-15----18----18---------18----|-(18)------------||
|----17------------------------|-----------------||
|------------------------------|-------------1-3-||
|------------------------------|-----------3-----||
Outro Solo
Gm
E E E E +E E E E H +E E E E E E E E +E E E E
|-------------------|----------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|----------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|----------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|----------------|-------------------|
|-4-5-4-3-(3)-1-----|------------1-3-|-4-5-4-3-(3)-1-----|
|---------------3-1-|-3----(3)-3-----|---------------3-1-|
H +E E E E E E E E E E E E H +E E E E
|--------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
|-/5----(5)-----8-10-|-11-12-11-10-10-8------|---------------8-10-|
|-----------/10------|------------------10-8-|-10----(10)-10------|
|--------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
E E E E +E E E E Q Q E E E E E E E E +E E E E
|-------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|----15---------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------15-17-|-18----18-17-(17)-15-------|
|-11-12-11-10-(10)-8------|-/17--17--17-17-------|---------------------17-15-|
|--------------------10-8-|----------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~
H +E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E +E E Q
|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------|----15---------------------|-/20-20-20-20-(20)-20-20\--|
|---------------15-17-|-18----18-17-(17)-15-------|---------------------------|
|-17----(17)-17-------|---------------------17-15-|---------------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
Eb5 D5 Eb5 F5 G5
E S S E S S +Q E E Q E S S +Q E E
|-5-5-5-5--------------|-5--5--------------|
|-8-8-8-8-8----------8-|------8-8-(8)----8-|
|-8-8-8-8---8-(8)--8---|------8-8-(8)--8---|
|----------------------|-------------------|
|----------------------|-------------------|
|----------------------|-------------------|
Eb5 D5 Eb5 F5
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
|-5-----5-(5)-----5-(5)-----5-(5)-----|-5-5-5-5-5-(5)-----5-(5)-----|
|-----8---------8---------8---------8-|-8-8-8-8-8-(8)---8-------8---|
|---8---------8---------8---------8---|-8-8-8-8-8-(8)-8-----------8-|
|-------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
Double Time!
Eb5 D5 Eb5 F5 G5
E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S
|-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-|-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-|
|--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8-|--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8-|
|--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8-|--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8-|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
Eb5 D5
E S S +S S S S E S S +S S S S
|-11-11-11-(11)-11-11-11-11-11-11-(11)-11-11-11-|
|--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8-|
|--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8-|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
Eb5 F5 G5
E S S +S S S S E S S +S S S S
|-11-11-11-(11)-11-11-11-11-11-11-(11)-11-11-11--|
|--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8--|
|--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8--8--8--8--(8)--8--8--8--|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
Eb5 D5 Eb5 D5
E S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-11---17-------17----------17----------17----|
|--8---------16----16----16----16----16----16-|
|--8------14----------14----------16----------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
Eb5 F5 G5
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-------17----------17----------17----------17-----|
|----16----16----16----16----16----16----16----16--|
|-14----------14----------14----------14-----------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
Eb5 D5 Eb5 D5
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-------17----------17----------17----------17----|
|----16----16----16----16----16----16----16----16-|
|-14----------14----------14----------14----------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
Eb5 F5 G5
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-------17----------17----------17----------17----|
|----16----16----16----16----16----16----16----16-|
|-14----------14----------14----------14----------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
Eb5 D5 Eb5 D5 Eb5 F5 G5
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--|
|----14----14-------14-------14--------------|---------------|
|--------------------------------------------|---------------|
|--------------------------------------------|---------------|
|--------------------------------------------|---------------|
Eb5 DEb5 D5
S S Q. E S S S S S S
|-17-17-----------17-12-------------|
|-------16----/16-------16-16-16-13-|
|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|
Eb5 F5 G5
a S E S S T T S S S S S S S S S S
|-------------------------------12---10-------------|
|----------------------------11------------------13-|
|-11h12----14p11-16p13-15-10------------12-11-12----|
|-------13------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|
Eb5 D5 Eb5 D5 Eb5 F5 G5
S S S S S S E E. S S S S S E S S Q H
|-15-------------------------------------|------------------*|
|----13----11----------------------------|-16-16------------*|
|-------11----11----12----16----14-------|-------14---------*|
|----------------10----------15----15-13-|------------------*|
|----------------------------------------|------------------*|
|----------------------------------------|------------------*|
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
