Two Short Planks

Word and Music by Ian Anderson

Tab by Robert Walker

 

Capo 3

4/4 time throughout, except for a 6/4 bar in the last line of each verse.

the "r" strum symbol below the tab staff is a light upstroke rake that Ian

Anderson is fond of using.  The asterisk lines divide the music into sections.

 

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INTRO - 8 bars

      

 

   Dadd9,11                           C    Cadd9   C      Cadd9         C

 

-----------0--------------------------0----0--0----0------0--0--0--0----0-----

-------------3------3--------3--------1----3--3----1------3--3--3--3----1-----

--------0-------------0--------0------0----0--0----0------0--0--0--0----0-----

---0-h4-----------4--------4-----4----2----2--2----2------2--2--2--2----2-----

--------------------------------------3----3--3----3------3--3--3--3----3-----

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                      ^    ^  v    ^      ^  v  ^  v    ^    

                                      * (^=downstroke; v=upstroke)

 

 

   Dadd9,11                           C    Cadd9   C      Cadd9         C

 

-----------0--------------------------0----0--0----0------0--0--0-------0-----

-------------3------3--------3--------1----3--3----1------3--3--3-------1-----

--------0-------------0--------0------0----0--0----0------0--0--0-------0-----

---0-h4-----------4--------4-----4----2----2--2----2------2--2--2-------2-----

--------------------------------------3----3--3----3------3--3--3-------3-----

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                      ^    ^  v    ^      ^  v  ^       v    

 

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PRE-VERSE - D Dsus2,4 strumming - 4 bars

 

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VERSE 1 - 15 bars, all 4/4 except 1 6/4 bar

 

 D                    Asus4      Bm    Csus2      D     Dsus2,4  D     Dsus2,4

 

-2----2-----2-2-----|---------------------------|-2--2--0-0-0--|-2--2--0-0-0--

-3----3-----3-3-----|---------------------------|-3--3--3-3-3--|-3--3--3-3-3--

-2----2-------------|-----2----------------0----|-2--2--0-0-0--|-2--2--0-0-0--

-0------------------|---0-----------0----0------|-0------------|-0------------

--------------------|-0----------2-----3--------|--------------|--------------

--------------------|---------------------------|--------------|--------------

 Find some  way to    square the cir-    cle      ^  r  ^ v ^    ^  r  ^ v ^ 

                                                     * (r=rake)

 

 

      C                                           D     Dsus2,4  D     Dsus2,4

 

------0----0----0----0----|---------------------|-2--2--0-0-0--|-2--2--0-0-0--

------1----1----1----1----|---------------------|-3--3--3-3-3--|-3--3--3-3-3--

------0----0----0----0----|------0---2-0--------|-2--2--0-0-0--|-2--2--0-0-0--

------2----2----2----2----|-3--2---------2-0----|-0------------|-0------------

------3----3----3----3----|---------------------|--------------|--------------

--------------------------|---------------------|--------------|--------------

      ^    ^    v    v                            ^  r  ^ v ^    ^  r  ^ v ^  

Feet slip-ping slid-ding   on   the le- vel                                 

 

 

      C                                           D     Dsus2,4  D     Dsus2,4

 

------0----0----0----0----|---------------------|-2--2--0-0-0--|-2--2--0-0-0---

------1----1----1----1----|----1----------------|-3--3--3-3-3--|-3--3--3-3-3---

------0----0----0----0----|-2-------------------|-3--2--0-0-0--|-2--2--0-0-0---

------2----2----2----2----|------------------0--|-0------------|-0-------------

------3----3----3----3----|----------0-2--3-----|--------------|---------------

--------------------------|---------------------|--------------|---------------

      ^    ^    v    v                            ^  r  ^ v ^    ^  r  ^ v ^

 Con- nect to   rea- son    is there a-ny bo-dy   there                             

 

 

6/4 bar

         G                         F     C

 

---------3--3--3--3--3--3-3-3-0--|-1-1-1-0-|------------

---------0--0--0--0--0--0-0-0-0--|-1-1-1-1-|------------

---------0-----0--------0--------|-2-----0-|------------

---------0-----0--------0--------|-3-----2-|-3-2-3-2-0--

---------2-----2--------2--------|-------3-|------------

---------3-----3--------3--------|---------|------------

         ^  ^  v  v  ^  v v ^ v    ^ ^ v ^                                   

 Drum it in to me now  if you--ou da-----re...              

 

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PRE-VERSE - D Dsus2,4 strumming - 4 bars

 

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VERSE 2 (see Verse 1 tab above)

 

Triangles by Isosceles.

Principles by Archimedes.

Amo, amas; even amat

Make for one less way to skin the cat.

 

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PRE-CHORUS - D Dsus2,4 strumming - 2 bars

 

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INITIAL CHORUS - 8 bars

 

G   D     A Asus2 A

Two short planks

 

C               G

Try my luck on another day 

 

                 G   D     A      Asus2 A

Must be thick as two short planks

 

C                            Dsus2,4

That’s about all that I have to say.

 

******************************************************************************

 

PRE-VERSE - D Dsus2,4 strumming - 3 bars

 

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VERSE 3 (see Verse 1 tab above)

 

They say truth comes flooding if you let it.

But what happens if I just don’t get it?

I’m blissful in my sweet ignorance

And delight in my incompetence.

 

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PRE-CHORUS - D Dsus2,4 strumming - 2 bars

 

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FULL CHORUS - 16 bars

 

G   D     A Asus2 A

Two short planks

 

C               G

Try my luck on another day 

 

                 G   D     A      Asus2 A

Must be thick as two short planks

 

C                            Dsus2,4

That’s about all that I have to say.

 

 

G   D     A Asus2 A

Two short planks

 

C                   G

Pop the question: I sit the test

 

                 G   D     A      Asus2 A

Must be thick as two short planks

 

C                         Dsus2,4

Spin me round till I come to rest.

 

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POST-CHORUS - D Dsus2,4 strumming - 2 bars

 

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Repeat INTRO - 8 bars

 

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INSTRUMENTAL - FLUTE SOLO - 17 bars

 

A Asus2 A Asus4 A Asus2 A     G

 

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REPEAT FULL CHORUS

 

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OUTRO - 25 bars

 

This section consist of 3 parts - 2 guitar and 1 mandolin.  I have rewritten

the mando part for the guitar.  Each part consists of four repeating bars.

Parts 1 and 2 overlap, while part three is offset by one bar.  I have placed

beat numbers under the bars so you can get the timing correct.  You can play

all three parts if you have a looping device such as the Line 6 DL-4 or the

Boss Loop Station.  The total length of the outro is 25 bars.  The four bars

of part 1 are played first, then part 2 is added at bar 5, and part 3 at bar

6.  These three parts continue to repeat until bar 25, which consists of an

A chord to end the piece.

 

Part 1

 

-------0------------|------------------|-----0------------|-------------------

-*-----------2------|-3----------------|-----------2------|-3---------------*-

---2----------------|-------0---2------|-2----------------|-------0---2-------

---2---2---2---2----|-2---2---2---2----|-2---2---2---2----|-2---2---2---2-----

-*------------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------*-

--------------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------

   1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4

 

 

Part 2 (mando)                                                                      

 

--------------------|---2---3---5-3-5--|------------------|-------------------

-*-------0---2---3--|------------------|------------------|-----------------*-

-------2-----2------|------------------|------------------|-------------------

-------2------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------

-*---0--------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------*-

--------------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------

   1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4                                   

 

      

Part 3 (offset by one bar; beat one of part 3, bar 4 is simultaneous with beat

      one of parts 1 and 2.)

 

                    |------------------|------------------|-------------------

                    |*-----------------|------------------|-------------------

                    |------------------|------------------|-------------------

                    |------------------|------------------|-----420---0-2-4---

                    |*-----------------|------------------|---------4---------

                    |------------------|------------------|-------------------

                      1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4      1   2   3   4                                                  

 

--------------------|

-------------------*|

--------------------|

---2----------------|

-------------------*|

--------------------|

   1   2   3   4     

 

On the last time

(bar 25) subtitute

an A chord in this

bar to end the piece.