Peter Hammill - The Top of the World Club (chords)
Chord transcription by Mikayel Abazyan mikayelabazyan@yahoo.com
Playing tips
Now this song is special, for me at least. I would love to be able to play it
as close to the original as possible, because I can't imagine any other rendition
equally filled with emotional aura, given the idea and the lyrics. Hence I made
an attempt to express what I hear in this song and how I am going to play it, and
I used some strange notation on this page which is described below. So please refer
to the studio original (which I hope you have already done since you have already
reached this page trying to play it by yourself) to get the idea about the nuances
I will be talking about.
The initial version of my transcript was prepared with use of piano, and since I am
not experienced in preparing decent tablature/chord layouts, I filled it with lots
of disturbing symbols and not-friendly interpretation of how I play it.
However, some time passed and I tried to play the song based on what I wrote. It
worked to some extent, but the result was unsatisfactory. In addition, those symbols
were not useful (or, should I say, were problematic) for converting the text into
HTML format, and I was asked to rework it. Fortunately!
Being quite a difficult task, I started approaching to this N-th round from some distance.
I tried it on guitar. And then I've got the key! Right now I am not sure if this
transcript will be easily transformed into one suitable for piano (the main instrument
used in the song on the album), but this IS how I would play it for myself.
The whole song is divided into "sections" based on the note that is being accented
during those sections. This provides good reference point while playing, and will
correctly lead you through the melody, which is fantastic.
Have I already told you to refer to the original album to get the idea on how to play it?
Do it! Everything is there! And enjoy!
Dm(no 3rd) x x 0 2 3 0
C(add 9) x 3 2 0 3 0
Bb(no 5th) x x 3 3 3 0
C(add 9+f) x 3 2 0 3 1
C(+f) x 3 2 0 1 1
E7(+f) x 2 2 1 3 1
Em(+c) 3 2 0 0 1 0
Fmaj7 x x 3 2 1 0
Dm(no 3rd +6) x x 0 4 3 0
Intro: ("open 2nd string", or B-oriented section)
Am/a Am/a C/g F/f
Am/a Am/g C/c F/f
Am Am C F
Am Am
C Dm Am Am
And the future spread before us like a feast,
C F Am G
we saw clearly to the curve of the horizon,
F Am
felt like everything we'd wa - anted was in reach,
G F Am
all we so eagerly awaited
G F
And the perfume on the a - ir,
Am c b
oh, I could taste it....
"open 1st string", or E-oriented section
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd)/d C(add9)/c C(add9)/c
(Decline and fall, decline and fall
Bb(no 5th)/bb Bb(no 5th)/bb Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd)/d
is coming to us....
C(add9)/c C(add9+f)/c
And when the fall comes it will hit you pretty hard
Bb(no 5th)/bb Bb(no 5th)/bb
when the fortified castle proves a house of cards
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd)/d E7
and the sweet cup of plenty's shattered into a million shards.
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd)/d
Your Weltanschauung is now cut down at the core
C(add9)/c C(add9)/c
and your self-estimation's falling through the floor
Bb(no 5th)/bb Bb(no 5th)/bb Dm(no 3rd)/d now there's not much still standing of the edifice by which you once swore
Dm(no 3rd)/d E7/g# E7/f# - E7/e
and which you used to adore.)
"1st string on 1st fret", or D-oriented section
Dm/d Dm/d
The air is thin, the air is thin,
C(+f)/c C(+f)/c
the top of the world club's what we're in;
Bb/bb Bb/bb
how thin the air, how thin the air,
Dm/a Dm/a E7/g# E7/f# - E7/f#
the top of the world club isn't there any more.
Dm/d Dm/d
The air is thin, the air is thin,
C(+f)/c C(+f)/c
the top of the world club's what we're in;
Bb/bb Bb/bb
how thin the air, how thin the air,
Dm/a Dm/a E7/g# E7/g#
the top of the world club isn't there any more.
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm/d
My crawling skin, my crawling skin,
F/c F/c
what circle of hell are we fallen in,
Bb/bb Bb/bb
so dread and drear, so dread and drear,
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd)/d E7/g# E7/g#
the pressure above an atmosphere, open-jawed.
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd)/d
All the stars are darkening,
"open 1st string", or E-oriented section
Dm/d Dm/d
F/c F/c Bb/bb Bb/bb
all the stars extinguishing one by one.
Dm/a Dm/a E7(+f)/g# E7(+f)/g#
Am-oriented section
Am/a Am/a Em(+c)/g Em(+c)/g
Worlds we thought were ours to own
Fmaj7/f Fmaj7/f Am/a Am/a Em(+c)/g Em(+c)/g
disap - peared and gone,
Fmaj7/a Fmaj7/a Am
dis - appeared,
Am/a Am/a Em(+c)/g Em(+c)/g Fmaj7/a Fmaj7/a
disappeared.
Final .back-to-Dm. section
Dm/d Dm/d
C(+f)/c C(+f)/c
Bb/bb Bb/bb
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd +6)/dchord
C(add9)/c C(add9)/c
Bb(no 5th)/bb Bb(no 5th)/bb
Dm(no 3rd)/d Dm(no 3rd +6)/d
E7