Eagle On A Pole Chords & Tabs
Eagle On a Pole (version from self titled 1st album "Conor Oberst")
by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley band
CAPO ON 5
This version was created by mashing up a few of the existing tabs and the
comments/corrections as well as adding a few small things that I picked up
myself. The lyrics were wrong on the other tabs also.
Most of it can be strummed and sounds pretty good if finger picking is not
your thing but I really think the Cmaj -> Em7 -> A#/Am -> Am progression in
"watched its shadow fly 'cross the cement" needs to be played with a
descending arpeggio to sound good.
Please do not assume the Am in the "El cielo es azul" progression is a typo.
I'm pretty sure the A# root note is left out from the other stanze to make
this part sound more powerful and less dissonant.
Let's define some chords. I apologize if I've used the wrong names for some
of these. If you follow these definitions I promise it will all work out.
Cmaj
------
E|x
B|o
G|o
D|2
A|3
E|x
Em7
-------
E|x
B|x
G|o
D|o
A|2
E|x
A#/Am
-------
E|x
B|o
G|2
D|2
A|1
E|x
G7
-------
E|x
B|o
G|o
D|3
A|2
E|3
=======================
Cmaj Am
Saw an eagle on a pole
Cmaj Am
I think it was an eagle
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am Am
Watched its shadow fly 'cross the cement
Cmaj Am
And I woke up in the snow,
Cmaj Am
all the trees were crowds of people.
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am G7
No coat, no shoes, no idea where they went.
Cmaj Am
I followed the fenceline thin,
Cmaj Am
back where the yard begins
Em G7
My woman, she stood crying like a man.
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/c/conor_oberst_and_the_mystic_valley_band/eagle_on_a_pole_crd_ver_3.html ]
Fm G
Said, where have you been?
Fm G
Where have you been?
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am Am
I thought you said that all of that was done.
Cmaj Em7 Am
El Cielo es azul,
Fm C G7
Just don't go telling everyone
Cmaj Am
Thought the kettle was a train.
Cmaj Am
Thought that Monday was a doorframe.
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am Am
Tried so hard to finally settle down.
Cmaj Am
Heard the fire pop and snap.
Cmaj Am
Like a tack piano rag.
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am G7
I never could get used to happy sounds.
Cmaj Am
Yeah, I hope the world's exposed.
Cmaj Am
A cruel and elaborate hoax.
Em G7
It convinces me to walk without a cane.
Fm G
But what can you do?
Fm G
Child, what can you do?
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am Am
I always heard that what is done is done.
Cmaj Em7 Am
El Cielo es azul,
Fm C G7
Just don't go telling everyone
Cmaj Am
The past don't ever quit.
Cmaj Am
There's boxes in the attic.
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am Am
Baby shoes and taxidermy dreams.
Cmaj Am
While the ashes of the dead,
Cmaj Am
like a dandelion head,
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am G7
explode and then are scattered by the breeze.
Cmaj Am
We're such a long way back,
Cmaj Am
to all the fun that I had.
Em G7
When nothing ever seemed to bother me.
Fm G
But what can you do?
Fm G
Brother, what can you do?
Cmaj Em7 A#/Am Am
Sleep 'neath the stars, and toil in the sun.
Cmaj Em7 Am
El Cielo es azul
Fm C
Just don't go telling everyone
Cmaj Em7 Am
El Cielo es azul
Fm C
Just don't go telling anyone
