To play this song all the way through, you will actually require
TWO harmonicas: one diatonic in the Key of
C, and one diatonic in the Key of E.
This is the first tabulature I’m posting, and I already know some
notes are slightly incorrect. Tabbed directly from sheet music.
Key of C
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 -5 5
There’s a grief that can’t be spoken.
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 56
There’s a pain goes on and on.
6 6 -6 6 -5 5 5 -4
Empty chairs at empty tables,
5 -5 5 5 -3 4 5
now my friends are dead and gone.
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 -5 5
Here they talked of rev-o-lu-tion.
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 5 6
Here it was they lit the flame.
6 6 -6 6 -5 5 5 -4
Here they sang about tomorrow,
5 -5 5 5 -3 4 -3′
and tomorrow never came.
4 4 4 4 -4 4 4 -3′
From the table in the corner
4 -4 5 -5 6 -5 -5-4
they could see a world re-born
-4 5 -5 6 -6 6 6 5
and they rose with voices ringing.
4 4 -8 -8 -8 7
And I can hear them now.
7 -8 8 -9 8 -8 -6 -5
The very words that they had sung
-9 9 -9 8 -8 -6 -5
became their last communion
7 7 -8 7 -7 -6 -6 6 -6
on the lonely barricade at dawn.
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 -5 5
Oh my friends, my friends forgive me
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 5 6
that I live and you are gone.
6 6 -6 6 -5 5 5 -4
There’s a grief that can’t be spoken.
5 -5 5 5 -3 -3 5
There’s a pain goes on and on.
Key Change C->E
-6 -6 -7-6 6 -5 -5 5
Phantom faces at the window,
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 5 6
Phantom shadows on the floor.
6 6 -6 6 -5 5 5 -4
Empty chairs at empty tables
5 -5 5 5 -3 4 5
where my friends will meet no more.
-6 -6 -7 -6 7 -7 -7 5
Oh my friends, my friends don’t ask me
-6 -6 -7 -6 6 -5 5 6
what your sacrifice was for.
6 6 -6 6 -5 5 5 -4
Empty chairs at empty tables
5 -5 5 5 -3 4 -3′
where my friends will sing no more.