James - Maria

Taken from the album Wah Wah

Written by James, performed by James & Brian Eno

Opening Riff:

e------------------------------------8-7----------------
B--5--3---5-5-5-3/1\3---5-5-5-3/1\3------5-3/1\3--------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Riff 2:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B--10-10-10--10p8-10p8----------------------------------
G----------------------7-7-7/9--------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Riff 3:

e-----13-----12-----13-----12---------------------------
B--13-----13-----13-----13----13------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Song Structure:

The song begins with two guitars playing what basically boils down to the Opening Riff.  Parts of this can be heard throughout the song.
When the chord changes to Em Riff 2 is played, and after that when a guitar comes in strumming an A5, Riff 3 is played.
The chord sequence is quite simple, Am for a bit, then Dm, back to Am again the Em Dm Am.  Think Just Like Fred Astaire but in Am not A.  In acoustic versions the chord sequence is far more noticable, and more consistent; in the album version it occasionally forgoes the Dm in the "verse."

Lyrics/Chords:

Am

There's a Malayan stripper of sex unknown

Some Siamese twins from a broken home

        Dm                       Am
Maria's party, what a show going on

      Em              Dm                 Am
Maria loves her life,    she'll show you how


There's a strong man tearing himself into pieces

A magician who will spin you on the end of his spindly fingers

There's a show going on

      Em              Dm                 Am
Maria loves her life,    she'll show you how, how, how

 

There's a high wire act on the telephone wire

And another Buddhist monk has set himself on fire

There's a fakir outside being buried alive

Maria's mad aunt has yet to arrive

A dog that dances, and a frog with wings,

A bear in a tutu that just loves to sing the karaoke 

There's a show going on

 

Maria loves her life, and that's all, and that's all, and that's all.

La La La La La La La .....

You will love her forever when the scene hits your town

La La La La La La La .....

You will love her forever

You will love her forever 

Maria's party

And that's all, that's all, that's all, that's all



  
Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk