#

World Before Colombus
written by Suzanne Vega
originally performed by Suzanne Vega
track #8 on "nine objects of desire"

"World Before Colombus" is a rather simple song.  The chord
progression is easy, and the fingerpicking is simple as
well.  I have included the lyrics with the basic chords,
and then the tablature below that.

Chords:
Em=022000      Dsus2/E=0x0230      Cmaj7=x32000   G=320033
Amsus=x02210   D/F#=2x0230         F=133211       Bm=x24400
C=x32010

Lyrics and chords:

Dsus2/E
[intro]
EmEm Piano Chord 
       Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
           BmBm Piano Chord 
      Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 

If your love were taken from me
EmEm Piano Chord 
    Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
           BmBm Piano Chord 
        Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 

Every color would be black and white.
GG Piano Chord 
        D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
              EmEm Piano Chord 
           AmsusAmsus Piano Chord 

It would be as flat as the world before Colombus.
GG Piano Chord 
          D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
            EmEm Piano Chord 
      FF Piano Chord 
       Dsus2/E
That's the day that I lose half my sight.
EmEm Piano Chord 
      Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
            BmBm Piano Chord 
      Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 

If your life were taken from me
EmEm Piano Chord 
      Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
                 BmBm Piano Chord 
        Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 

All the trees would freeze in this cold ground.
GG Piano Chord 
         D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
              EmEm Piano Chord 
          AmsusAmsus Piano Chord 

It would be as cold as the world before Colombus.
GG Piano Chord 
    D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
             EmEm Piano Chord 
      FF Piano Chord 

Sail to the edge and I'll be there, looking
Dsus2/E
Down.
GG Piano Chord 
     D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
              EmEm Piano Chord 
           CC Piano Chord 
                 GG Piano Chord 

Those men who lust for land and for riches strange and new,
D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
         EmEm Piano Chord 
               CC Piano Chord 
              GG Piano Chord 

All those trinkets of desire, but they never will have you.
D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
           EmEm Piano Chord 
           CC Piano Chord 
              GG Piano Chord 

And they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair,
D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
                FF Piano Chord 
                Dsus2/E
How could they weigh the worth of you so rare.
EmEm Piano Chord 
        Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
          BmBm Piano Chord 
      Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 

If your love were taken from me
EmEm Piano Chord 
    Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
                     BmBm Piano Chord 
        Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 

Every light that's bright would soon grow dim.

GG Piano Chord 
         D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
             EmEm Piano Chord 
           AmsusAmsus Piano Chord 

It would be as dark as the world before Colombus.
GG Piano Chord 
         D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
          EmEm Piano Chord 
       FF Piano Chord 

Down the waterfall and I'd swim over the
Dsus2/E
Brim.
GG Piano Chord 
     D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
              EmEm Piano Chord 
            CC Piano Chord 
                GG Piano Chord 

Those men who lust for land and for riches strange and new,
D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
         EmEm Piano Chord 
              CC Piano Chord 
               GG Piano Chord 

All those trinkets of desire, oh they never will have you.
D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
           EmEm Piano Chord 
           CC Piano Chord 
              GG Piano Chord 

And they'll never know the gold or the copper in your hair,
D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
                FF Piano Chord 
                Dsus2/E
How could they weigh the worth of you so rare.
Dsus2/E
[outro]

TAB notation:
P: pull off
h: hammer on

(intro riff)
Dsus2/E
E-------------------------------0-|------------------------B-------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3--G---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0----D---------------------------------|------------------------A---------------------------------|------------------------E-0-------------------------------|-0----------------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .

-------0-|-------------------------------0-|--------------------3---|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3--2h4-----|---------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2--------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------|-0-------------------------------|-0-------------
+ . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^

-----------------0-||
-------3-------3---||
-4---0-----2h4-----||
-------------------||
-------------------||
-------------------||
. + . ^ . + . ^ .

(verse)
EmEm Piano Chord 
              Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
             BmBm Piano Chord 
              Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 

---------------------------------|--------------------------------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0---------0--------------0---------------0---|-----------0------------------2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4-----------2--------------------3---------------|-2---------------3--------0-------------------------------|-------------------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
If your love were taken...
If your life were taken...

EmEm Piano Chord 
              Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
             BmBm Piano Chord 

-------|---------------------------------|----------------------0-|-------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-----0------0---|-------------0---------------0---|-----------0------2-----|-----2-----2---------2-----2-----|-----4---4--------------|-----------------3---------------|-2----------------------|-0-------------------------------|-----------------
. ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .

Cmaj7Cmaj7 Piano Chord 
             GG Piano Chord 
               D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
              EmEm Piano Chord 

-----------------|---------------------------------|--------------0---------|-------3---------------3---------|------------------------|-----------0---------------2-----|------------2-----2-----|-----0---------0-----0---------0-|-----2--3-----------0---|---------------------------------|------------------------|-3---------------2---------------|-0-----
+ . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^

AmsusAmsus Piano Chord 
             GG Piano Chord 
               D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 

---------------------------|--------------------------------0---------------3---------|-------3---------------3------------0---------------2-----|-----------0---------------2------------0-----2---------0-|-----0---------0-----0--------------------0---------------|----------------------------------------------------------|-3---------------2-------------
. + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^

(these two measures go with the first verse)
EmEm Piano Chord 
              FF Piano Chord 

---|--------------------------------|-----------------||
---|-------0------------------------|-----------------||
---|-----------0--------------------|-----------------||
-0-|-----2---------0----------------|-----------------||
---|-----------------3--------------|-(3)-------------||
---|-0---------------1--------------|-(1)-------------||
.   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .

(these two measures go with the second and third verses;
they replace the two measures above)
EmEm Piano Chord 
              FF Piano Chord 

---------------------------------|-----------------||
-------0(3)------------1---------|-------1---------||
-----------0---------------2-----|-----------2-----||
-----2---------0-----3---------3-|-----3---------3-||
---------------------------------|-----------------||
-0---------------1---------------|-1---------------||
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .

(pre-chorus riff)
Dsus2/E
-------------------------------0-|--------------------------------------3-------3-------3---|-----3-------3-------3------------2-----4---0-----2h4-----|---------2-----4---0--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------0-------------------------------|-0-----------------------
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .
...down.
...brim.

(chorus riff)
GG Piano Chord 
               D/F#D/F# Piano Chord 
              EmEm Piano Chord 

---------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0----------|-------0-0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-0-0-|-------2-2-2-2----------|---------------------------------|----------------0---2---|-3---------------2---------------|-0-------------
+ . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^

CC Piano Chord 

-0-------0-0-0-0-0-||
-0-------1-1-1-1-1-||
-0-------0-0-0-0-0-||
-2-------2-2-2-2-2-||
---3---------------||
-------------------||
. + . ^ . + . ^ .

(repeat chorus riff 3 times; the last time, play only the
first measure, then the chorus outro)

(chorus outro)
FF Piano Chord 

-------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-||
-------1-1-1-1-1-------1-1-1-1-1-|-------1-1-1-1-1-||
-------2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-|-------2-2-2-2-2-||
-------3-3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-3-|-------3-3-3-3-3-||
---------------------------------|-----------------||
-1---------------1---------------|-1---------------||
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ .   + . ^ . + . ^ .

(play intro riff 2 times; replace the last measure with the
outro riff)

(outro riff)
Dsus2/E
-------------------------0------------------------------||
-----3-------3-------3---3------------------------------||
---------2-----4---0-----4------------------------------||
-------------------------2------------------------------||
-------------------------0------------------------------||
-0-----------------------0------------------------------||
+ . ^ . + . ^ . + . ^ . +

That's it everybody.  Have fun.