Author/Artist: Todd Rundgren/Utopia Title: Caravan Album: Adventures In Utopia Transcribed by: Lin Sprague Email: lsprague@user1.channel1.com This song is a story, a travelogue, a movie for the mind's eye. The lyrics speak of a journey through harsh lands, while the music tastes of the arid thinness of the desert air and the violence of the sandstorm. Obviously written and arranged with the stage in mind, the studio recording is virtually the same as the band played it live. It features a succession of solos during the "sandstorm": Todd solos over a heavy power chord progression that is phrased in a slightly disorienting pattern of 4 3-bar phrases. Roger's section is more harmonically varied, and leads the key from B to the F# vamp for Willie's drum solo. There is nothing specifically Eastern about the music, but it still manages to suggest something exotic in a B-movie sort of way. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Caravan (*1 Intro - see below. Riff continues through verse) (*2 Verse:) G Moses went into the desert Moses came back with the law A Jesus went into the desert God only knows what he saw G Hitch up your ass and your camel Fill up your skin at the well A Roll up your tent, whisper your prayers Are you ready to ride through hell? (*3) Em Caravan - moving through the night sleeping in the light of day Em/C Caravan - spinning through the void on our way to anywhere Em Caravan - time is just a joke change is all we understand Em/C Caravan - life is a mirage, only a mirage dancing on the desert sand How I recall all the mountains, how I remember the farm Oh how I miss the big city, with a pretty girl on my arm Sell my best friend for some water, cut off my leg for some shade Sunburn these thoughts from my memory, if I live I will be remade (Chorus) (*4) (*5) E The sand is like a razor, slashing at my face Everyone's in panic but you can't see any place G It's a sand storm, taken by surprise A Hide beneath your wrappings and cover up your eyes E Well I lost my kit and camel, maybe I will die Feel so lost and helpless and I think I'm gonna cry G It's a sand storm, nothing you can do No one knows if it will last A B No one knows if you will make it through (*6 - instrumental solos:) It's been so long without water Vultures are filling the air Where is that bloody oasis Must be around here somewhere Time for some strong meditation Time for the ultimate change Time to make peace with your maker Everything has been prearranged ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (*1: Intro - I've notated this one octave lower than it sounds on the record. To play it in the "official" octave, move it up 12 frets, to where your pinky is on the 17th fret.) E--|--5---5-|-5-----5|- B--|3--32--2|3-32--2-|- G--|--------|-----0--|- D--|--------|--------|- A--|--------|--------|- E--|--------|--------|- (*2 - In Utopia' arrangement Todd plays the Intro Riff while Roger plays the chords on keybard. Here is a variation that, although not like what you hear on the record, sounds fuller and works better if you're playing solo or have no 2nd harmonic instrument like a guitar or keyboard:) E--|--0---0-|-0----0-| |--0---0-|-0----0-|- B--|3---2---|3--2----| repeat |3---2---|3--2----|- repeat G--|2---2---|2--2----| these |2---2---|2--2----|- these D--|2---2---|2--2----| 2 bars |2---2---|2--2----|- 2 bars A--|--------|--------| |0---0---|0--0----|- E--|3---3---|3--3----| |--------|--------|- (*3 - Chorus - this is the guitar part in the recorded arrangement:) Caravan, moving through the night... E- - |12- 12- - 10- - |- - - - - 10- 12|- B- - |12- 12- - 10- 12|- - 12- - 10- 12|- G- - |12- 12- - 11- 12|- - 12- - 11- 12|- This pattern plays throughout D- - |- - - - - - - 14|- - 14- - - - - |- the chorus. The bass alternates A- - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - |- every 4 bars from E to C. E- - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - |- (Here is my variation, for solo guitar:) E--|7-7--7--|-----7-7| |3-3-----|--------|- B--|8-8--7--|-----7-8| repeat |5-5--7-5|--5--7--|- G--|9-9--7-9|--9--7-9| these |4-4--7-4|--4--7--|- D--|9-9--7-9|--9--7-9| 2 bars |5-5--7-5|--5--7--|- A--|7-7--7-7|--7--7-7| |3-3--3-3|--3--3--|- E--|--------|--------| |--------|--------|- (*4 - Linking riff) E--|--------|--------|- B--|--------|--------|- G--|--------|--------|- repeat this measure D--|--20--0-|--20--0-|- 2 more times A--|----4---|----4---|- E--|0------0|-0------|- (*5) The sand is like a razor... E--|--------|--------|- B--|--------|--------|- G--|--97--7-|--97--7-|- repeat this measure D--|--97--7-|--97--7-|- 2 more times A--|--750-5-|--750-5-|- E--|0---0--0|-0--0--0|- It's a sand storm... E--|--------|--------|--------|--------|- B--|--320-2-|--320-2-|--320-2-|--320-2-|- G--|--420-2-|--420-2-|--420-2-|--420-2-|- D--|--220-2-|--220-2-|--220-2-|--220-2-|- A--|--------|--------|-------0|--------|- E--|3------3|--------|3-------|--------|- (*6 - Solos: (Guitar solo) E--|--------|--------|--------|- B--|--------|--------|--------|- G--|8-----66|------66|--66--68|- repeat this 3-bar D--|9-----77|------77|--77--79|- pattern 4 times A--|9-----77|------77|--77--79|- E--|7----055|-----055|-055-057|- (Keyboard solo) E--|--------|--------|--------|--------|- B--|4-------|2-------|4-------|4-------|- G--|4-------|2-------|4-------|4-------|- D--|4-------|2-------|4-------|4-------|- A--|2-------|2-------|2-------|0-------|- E--|--------|--------|--------|--------|- E--|--------|--------|--------|--------|- B--|3---2---|2---0---|6-------|4-------|- G--|2---2---|2---2---|6-------|4-------|- D--|4---2---|2---2---|6-------|4-------|- A--|--------|0---0---|4-------|4-------|- E--|3---3---|--------|--------|--------|- (Drum Solo) (triplets) /3\/3\ E--|----0---|----0---| -|------|--------|- B--|---0-0--|---0-0--| play this pattern -|------|--------|- G--|--3---3-|--1---1-| 7 times total, -|43----|--------|- D--|-4-----4|-2-----2| then last time -|--4---|--------|- A--|4-------|2-------| all in unison ----> -|---421|--------|- E--|2-------|0-------| -|------|0-------|- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: This message should be displayed in a mono-spaced font, or the chord diagrams and tabs will look extremely ugly. The letter to the left of the slash in chord names like "A/D" refers to a triad, and the letter to the right refers to the bass note only. The horizontal dashes in the tablature diagram usually correspond to 8th notes unless otherwise indicated. In some places I've added a space between the dashes in order to indicate frets higher than the 9th. The song remains in 4/4 time throughout. If you see any mistakes, or have any corrections or alternate ways of playing any of my tabs, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at lsprague@user1.channel1.com or l.sprague@bull.com Last revised 10:36pm Saturday, June 14, 1997 -- ...Lin Sprague... lsprague@user1.channel1.com -OR- lsprague@crater.ma02.bull.com