• April 10

FAF: Lord God Bird

Hello again, from this late Freakin Awesome Friday! This week we’ll look at the Lord God Bird. The song was featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered. There is a whole segment describing the story behind the quest for the Lord God Bird and it talks about the song itself.

This FAF there also have a tab to go along with the song. The beginning has two banjo lines with the first one being the melody. The second banjo is playing the accompanying piece in the background. The rest of the song is fairly straight forward. But unfortunately I didn’t finish the ending. The tab ends at around 2:40 into the song. If it gets finished I’ll post the update.

So without further ado here is the excellent song and the tab. Enjoy!

Sufjan Stevens – Lord God Bird

D:-------------|----------------|----6---6-9-----|----------------|
B:-7-7-5-4-----|----------------|------7---------|9---------------|
G:-------------|6---------------|----------------|----------------|
D:-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

D:-------------|------6-------6-|----------------|------9-------9-|
B:-------------|--5-------5-----|--5-------------|9---9-----9-----|
G:-------------|6---6-6-------6-|----------------|--8---9-------8-|
D:-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

D:-------------9---|11---------9-------|-----------------|-------------------|
B:-----------9-----|-------------------|9----------------|---------12--------|
G:-----------------|-------------------|--------11-9-----|11-----------------|
D:-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|

D:-------9-----9---|-------------------|------------------|------------------|
B:---9-------9-----|---10--------9-----|9------9----------|---------12-------|
G:-------8-8-------|---------9-------9-|---9-9---11-9-----|11----------------|
D:-----------------|11----11---9---9---|10----------------|------------------|

   In the delta sun                  Down in Arkansas
D:------------------|
B:------------------|
G:-11---------------|
D:------------------|

D:------------------|------6---------|----------6-----|------9-------9-|
B:------------------|--5-----------5-|------5---------|--9-------9-----|
G:------------------|6---6-6---6-----|--6-------------|8---8-8---------|
D:------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

       Its the       great God             bird                    With its alter
D:-------11---9-----|---------------------|----------------|--------------------|
B:---9--------------|--------10-----------|------9---------|--------9-----------|
G:------------------|---9----------9------|--9-------9-----|---9---------9------|
D:------------------|11---11----11---11---|9---9---9---9---|11---11---11---11---|

    call   And the sowing machines      The industrial God
D:------------------|------6-------6-|------6---------|------9-------9-|
B:--12--------------|--5-------5-----|--5-------5-----|--9-------9-----|
G:-(11)-------------|6---6---------6-|------6---------|8---8-8---------|
D:------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

            On the  great bayou                 where they saw              it
D:-----------------|---------------------|----------9-----|---------------------|
B:---9-------9-----|--------10-----------|------9---------|--------9------------|
G:-------8---------|---9---------11------|--9---------9---|---9----------9------|
D:-----------------|11---11-11---11------|9---9-9-------9-|11---11-11-11---11-9-|

   fall        It's the great      God         Bird    down in  Ar   -     kan
D:---------------------|----------------------|-----------------|---------------------|
B:--------12--------12-|--------10------------|------9----------|--------9----12------|
G:---11--------11------|---9-------11-9-------|--9-------9------|---9-----------------|
D:-9----9----9----9----|11---11----------11-9-|9---9---9---9-11-|11---11---11----11-9-|

-  sa  And the hunter beware              Or the fishers fall
D:-----------------|------------------14-|-----------------|---------------------|
B:-----------------|--------10---12------|------9----------|--------10-----------|
G:-11--------------|---9-----------------|--9-------9----9-|---9-------9--9----9-|
D:-----------------|11---11--------------|9---9---9---14---|11---11---------11---|

     And para    -   dise    might      close   from its safe         flight   flawed
D:-----------9------|------------------|----------------------|--------------9----|
B:-------9----------|--------9-------9-|--------10------------|-------12---12-----|
G:---9------------9-|---9--------9-----|---9----------9----11-|--11-------------9-|
D:-9---9---9---14---|11---11-----------|11---11----11---11----|9----9---------9---|

         It's the  great         God     Bird   though it  all
D:------------------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-------9----------|--------10-------9-|------9----------|12---------------|
G:---9-------9----9-|---9---------9-----|--9-------9------|-----------------|
D:-9---9---9---14---|11---11----9---9---|9---9---9---9-11-|-----------------|

D:-----------------|----------------|------6-------6-|----6---6-9-----|
B:-----------------|----7-7-5-4-----|--5-------5-----|--5---7---------|
G:-----------------|----------------|6---6-----------|----------------|
D:-----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

D:-------9-------9-|--------------9-|11---------9-------|-----------------|
B:-9---9-----9-----|--9---------9---|--------10---------|9------9-9-------|
G:---8-------------|------8---8-----|------9------9---9-|--9--------9-----|
D:-----------------|----------------|---11----------9---|----11-----------|

D:----------9-------|9---------------|------7---9-------|----6---6-9-----|
B:-9----------------|----7-7-5-5-4---|--------------9---|------7---------|
G:---9----9---------|--------------6-|------------------|----------------|
D:-----11-----------|----------------|------------------|----------------|

D:---------9------9----|----------9-----|11--------9-------|-----------------|
B:-10---10-----10---10-|9-------9-----9-|------------------|9--------9-------|
G:----9----------------|--9---9-----9---|---9----9---9---9-|--9----9---9---9-|
D:---------------------|----9-----------|-----11-------9---|----11-------9---|

D:----------------------|-----------9-----|-----------------|-----------------|
B:---------12-12--------|9--------9-------|10-------9-------|9----------------|
G:-11-11-----------11---|--9----9---------|---9---9---9---9-|--9---9-11-9-----|
D:-------9--------------|----11-----------|-----11------9---|----9------------|

               And the watchers beware                lest they see it fall
D:------------------|----------------|------6---------|----------------|
B:------------------|----------------|--5-------------|----------------|
G:-11---------------|----------------|6---6-----------|----------------|
D:------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

                            And paradise         might       laugh    when at
D:-------9-------9-|----------------|--------------11-------|----------9-----|
B:---9-------9-----|--9-------9-----|--------10----------10-|------9---------|
G:-8---8-----------|------8---------|---9-------------------|--9-----------9-|
D:-----------------|----------------|11---11----11----11----|9---9---9---9---|

   last      it         falls And the sowing machines        the industrial
D:---------------------|-----------------|-------------------|----------------|
B:---------9-----------|12---------------|--------10---9---9-|----------------|
G:----9---------9---11-|-----------------|---9---------------|--9-------------|
D:-11---11---11--------|-----------------|11---11------------|----------------|

   god                         And it's the great      god      bird      with its
D:------------------------|----------------|-------------------|------------------|
B:---------10---9h10---10-|----------------|--------10-------9-|--------9-------9-|
G:----9-------------------|--9-------------|---9---------9-----|---9--------9-----|
D:-11---11----------------|----------------|11---11----9---9---|11---11---9---9---|

   alter            call    it's the   2:40
D:-------9---9-----|----------9-----|
B:---7-----------9-|------9-----9---|
G:-----------------|--9-----------9-|
D:-9---9-------9---|9---9-----------|



Comments

  1. ge April 13th

    Comment Arrow

    That seems like too much tab in the intro before the lyrics, but I might be confused?


  2. ge April 13th

    Comment Arrow

    oh that’s because I didn’t read and went straight to the tab, haha nevermind.


  3. mitch April 27th

    Comment Arrow

    AWESOME!


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mike

I have been playing banjo, on and off, for 4 years now. I love indie/alternative music and also loved to play it. When I first got my banjo there weren't any tabs out there for Sufjan or Iron and Wine, so I tried to figure them out. Thus, the birth of alternativebanjo.