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Chords/Tabulature for
Cortez The Killer

Submitted by: David M. (davidjo@ozemail.com.au)
Solos submitted by: ginalollobrigida@mindspring.com

Notes about this song:

  • I play the Am7* but I dont think Neil does!
  • Note from Wolfgang: I haven't checked all the solos, so feel free to send any corrections you might have.

Intro & Chords

  D ----------0---------0------0-------------0--
  B ----------0---------3------1-------------3--
  G ----------0---------2------0-------------5--
  D ----------2---------0------2-------------5--
  A ----------2----------------0-------------0--
  E ----------0---------------------------------
              Em        D      Am7           Am7*

          Em
He came dancing across the water
           D
With his galleons and guns
Am7
Looking for the new world
                       Am7*
In that palace in the sun

        Em
On the shore lay Montezuma
          D
With his coca leaves and pearls
Am7
In his halls he often wandered
                         Am7*
With the secrets of the worlds.

         Em
And his subjects gathered 'round him
           D
Like the leaves around a tree
           Am7
In their clothes of many colours
                      Am7*
For the angry gods to see.

          Em
And the women all were beautiful
         D
And the men stood straight and strong
       Am7
They offered life in sacrifice
                        Am7*
So that others could go on.


Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones

They carried them to the flatlands
And they died along the way
But they built up with their bare hands
What we still can't do today.

And I know she's living there
And she loves me to this day
I still can't remember when
Or how I lost my way.

He came dancing across the water
Cortez, Cortez
What a killer.

  Em7 (Bar Chord)
D ------------7-------------------7----------------
B ---------8-----8-------------8-----8-------------
G --------7---------7---------7---------7----------
D -------9-------------9-----9-------------9-------
A ----7-------------------7------------------------
E -------------------------------------------------

  D(Bar chord with 3rd finger over G,B&D strings)
D ------------7--------------------7-------------
B ---------7-----7--------------7-----7----------
G --------7---------7----------7---------7-------
D -------7--------------7-----7--------------7---
A ----5--------------------5---------------------
E -----------------------------------------------

  Am7 (Bar Chord) 4 times this time not 2
D ----------5--6--5---------------5--6--5-------
B ---------5-----------5-------5-----------5----
G --------5-------------------5-----------------
D -------5-------------------5------------------
A ----7-------------------7---------------------
E ----------------------------------------------


Here's the complete soloing (Zuma version) submitted by ginalollobrigida@mindspring.com.
_______TAB_________
_5  hammer on/pull off
/7  slide up
\5  slide down
5=  vibrato(single notes)/sustain(whole chords)
5^  bend up
5`  slight bend
(9) ghost bend
5.  staccato note

INTRO-SOLO I
0:00 
 Em7                               D
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
0_2=============-/4-----------4\2-|----------------0----------------|
|----------------|-----------------2---------------|---------------5/
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Am7                              
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
/7--7\(__0)===---|----------------|3--3/5--5/7-----|----------------|
|----------------5-----3'---------|------------5---|----------------|

 Em7                               D
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-5--7(7)(7)(7)--4^-7-7-4====-----|-(7)-9-9-9\\7---|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|--5--/7---------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

Am7             0:30
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|------------5-5-57-7-------------|----------------|
|---9__7-9---7--10-9__7----------------5--(5)----feedback-----------|
|----------------|-------10-------|---------------------------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
    >>             >
 Em7                               D
|----------------|-------------|--|---------------/3-3==/5=---------|
|-7/9-10/12==12==|------5-5/7/<9>-|{5------5-------|-------5-55-5===|
|----------------|-7==------------|{5---5----5-5---|-------5-----5==|
77---------------|-7==------------|{5---5------5---|--------------5=|
|----------------|-5==------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|{5--------------|----------------|
             > >>>
 Em7 0:52         D(sus2)          Am7
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-----3-33-0---3-0---5-5-----5===-|---5.5.5--5-----|----3=3======---|
|-0-x-0-00-0---0-0-7-7--7====-7==-|---5.5.5--5-----|-0==0=0======---|
|-2-x-2----------|-7-----7===--7==|-5---------7\5--|-2======-0======|
|-2--------------|-5-----5=5==--5=|--------------7-|-0========------|
|----------------|----------------|-5--------------|----------------|

 Em7              D                Am7
|----------------|----------------|---5-5-5-\------|----------------|
|--------3-3--0==|-7---7-------7==\-5------5\------|-5==--5-5-------|
2/4------0-0--0==|-7----(77)-5-7==\-5--------------5-5==--5-5---5-5-|
|--0_2-2---------|-7-7--(77)------|-5--------------5------5-5-x-5-5-|
|--0_2-----------|-5--------------|----------------|----------------|
|--0-------------|----------------|-5--------------|----------------|

 Em7 1:25                          D               
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------(----3----3--3)---------|-3=====================----------|
|---------(0---0----0--0)---------|-2======(=====2=====2=)----------|
|0__2=====(2------2-----)---------|-0======(0=========0--)----------|
|0__2==================-----------|---------------------------------|
|0=====================-----------|---------------------------------|
             (optional)  
 Am7                                                    1:40            
|---------------------------------|---------0========---------------|
|-----------(---5-x--5)-----------|-1=======1========---p-h-----p-h-|
|-----------(---5-x--5)-----------|-0=======0========-7-_5_7----_5_7|
|-5=========(5====----)-----------|-2=======------------------------|
|-7============================\__0-0=======------------------------|
|-5============================\--|---------------------------------|
      (optional)  

 Em7              D                Am7
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|------------p---|---3-3---3==----|----------------|----------------|
7_(5)-7-7-7-7_4--4==-2-2-2==-2==-2/4===--4^4-\2----|22-/4-/6===/7===|
|----------------|---0-7----------|------------2====----------------|
|----------------|---------------------------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7      D                 Am7  2:06
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------4.----|----------------|----------------|
|7^(7)77_4--7\4-/7====--4-7-------|--(7)9-7-9==-9_7-97-----797==7-77-9
|----------------|----------------77(9)------------|---7=710-----9--|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

Em7               D                Am7  2:27
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|7====/12-14-16--16^15^14^12^11^9^9==-797----------|44-44-4-44_5----|
|----------------|----------------|------10797-----|-------------5-7|
|----------------|----------------|----------5/7---|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7               D               Am7 2:44
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|-p-p------------|----------------|
|-77-4-7-4-4/7===-999-7--4-4/5-44/5-_4_2------45-4/(5)-/7===(7)-----|
|----------------|-----7----------|-----2====-------|-----------9==9/
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7              D                Am7             3:02
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|-9==9--7.9-9-7--|--------------77-/9==9-7======-7-|
12==12=12=12-\7-7_9-------------9_7---------77/9---|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|1010(7)10-------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7              D                Am7
|----------------|----------------|-----(lightly)--|----------------|
|----3-3--0---0--|/5===5==--------|-------5---5----|---------(5)(5)-|
|----0-0--0-0-0-0|-7-----7==------|--4/5=-5-5-7===-|h-----(5)---(5)-|
|0_2------2------|-7--------7====-|------5---------5_7===-----------|
|0_2------2------|-5--------5====-|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

He came dancing ...

...so that others could go on...


SOLO II
 Em7    4:30      D                Am7
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|h-p---h-p-------|----------------|
//5-7--77-4--4---|/7-9-9-9---7----4_5_4-4_5_4------5-/7==7-5-------x7
|----------------|---------7------|-----------5/7\5|--------5----57-|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------7-77---|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7    4:49      D                Am7
|----------------|-------------p--|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|-----/7===7-7_4-4\3-3-4_33-------|--h---------h-0==
|7==-7-4--7-7-4===-4-7------------|---------542====-44_5-4-0===0_2--|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7              D     5:07       Am7
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
=0====0====0====0========---------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----=====-------|---x------------|----------------|
|----------------|--------====----|----x-------x---|---/9-9_7---h---|
|-------------(feedback)----====--|------------x---|---------/7-_7--|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

Hate was just a legend ...

... how I lost my way.


SOLO III
 Em7    6:11                       D
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-------1010/12===---------10_12--10==10==-----12^===========(12===)|
10/12===---------|---10_12--------|---------10-----|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Am7 ???               
|----------------|----(11&10th frets)--------------|----------------|
|-121212-101010--|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|---------------121212-111111-101010-88-6-5-3-3-5/7-9^(9)=(9)-------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|------------7---|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7            6:30               D
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|------------5-/7-/10^(10)\7------|----------------|
5^---7=7=7===---4=4==----4_5_4----|----------4_5_4-|5---------------|
|----------------|----------------|---------------7`-7_5-----5^-----|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----7------7===|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Am7
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|------7-9`(9`)(9`)
|-----5-7-9==9==-7---/9------0===-|
|----------------|9-7-------(0)==-|
|----------------|----------------|

He came dancing across the water    
Cortez, Cortez
What a killer....


OUTRO-SOLO IV
 Em7  7:03                         D
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|--------5.------|---5------------|---------------5==---5-55===--5--|
|4-5-7==---4==--4-77--------------4-7===-4-7===--4----4--4----------|
|----------------|-----5`-7-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Am7                            begin fade
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----8^====10===10======10======--|----===---------|
4-4--------------|---------------12`=====12`=======|------===--12-12=
|---7-5----------|-9`--------------|---------------|----------------|
|-------/7-/7----|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

 Em7                                            fade out....   7:30
|----10----------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
==-------12`--12-10==-10==10===--10--12^(12)-12-10--etc....---------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

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