BE AWARE: Sufjan is doing something fishy to the beat. The song can be written in 6/8 time signature, with
four metres per bar; however, while the first three metres of each bar both play along nicely with the 6/8
time signature, in many cases, the fourth metre is only 4 beats long. For example:
Am G6/B* D
What are you now?
1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 4
Am G6* D/F#
Cas- tra- ted by your son
1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 4
This makes it hard to find a comfortable strumming pattern. I have marked the lines which do this with ! at
the beginning.
The song also has an extensive intrumental outro, which I did not tab; it's very spacey and it doesn't quite
work on just guitar.
Silly chords:
Am*: x022xx (plucked)
Em/B*: x2200x (plucked)
C*: x3201x (plucked)
G*: 3x003x (plucked)
G6/B*: x20030
G6*: 320030
Bm7/F#: 220202 (use thumb for bass note)
Dsus2/F#: 200230 (use thumb for bass note)
[Intro]
Am* Em/B* C* G*
! Am G6/B* D
! Am G6/B* D
[Verse 1]
! Am G6/B* D
What are you now?
! Am G6* D/F#
Castrated by your son
Am C/G Em D/A
The odd spring scattered on the deep
! Am G6* D/F#
From Aphrodesia
[Interlude 1]
! Dm/F Am/E Bm/F#
! Dm/F Am/E D/F#
[Verse 2]
! Am G6/B* D
You sexless fraud
! Am G6* D/F#
From chaos choreographed
Am C/G Em D/A
Defiled us in a fit of rage
! Am G6* D/F#
The earth will find its way
[Bridge]
C/G G/F# Em
Violent storm
! D7/A Am Bm
From mysterious vengeance lies
C/G G/F# Em
Born from incest
! D6/A Am Bm7/F#
As the evidence flipped its eyes
[Chorus]
Am* Em/B* C* G* C/G Em Dsus2/F# D/F#
Cross me with your wildness, snake-eyed warrior's knife
[Interlude 2]
C/G Em D/F# Bm/F#
! F#m E C#m
! Em G Bm
! F#m C#m G
! Bm A E/G#
[Verse 3]
! F#m E C#m
Aquarius (Aquarius)
! Em G Bm
The scorpion (the scorpion)
! F#m C#m G
Your venom kiss (Your venom kiss)
! Bm A E/G#
My guardian (my guardian)
! F#m E C#m
I trust your touch (Aquarius)
! Em G Bm
I trust your cries (the scorpion)
! F#m C#m G
Render the knife (Your venom kiss)
! Bm A E/G#
Cut off my kind
[Outro]
(finger picking from here)
Am Em/B C G/B Am Em/B C G/B
Am Em/B C G/B Am Em/B C G/B
Oooooh oh oooooh oh oh oooooh
Am Em/B C G/B Am Em/B C G/B
Oooooh oh oooooh oh oh oooooh
Am Em/B C G/B Am Em/B C G/B
My, you, they, we, us
Am Em/B C G/B Am Em/B C G/B
My, you, they, we, us
Am Em/B C G/B Am Em/B C G/B
My, you, they, we, us
Am Em/B C G/B F#m
My, you, they, we, us