The Man Who Sold The World tab - nirvana

From: dherold@io.org (Dan Herold)

"The Man Who Sold The Word"
 =========================

As performed by Nirvana (MTV Unplugged video)

Some of the lyrics may be inaccurate due to Kurt mumbling them at times =B-).

Tune guitar down 1/2 step.

C  - 33555x
C# - 44555x - I think it's called a C# anyways :)
A  - 00222x
D  - xx023x
F  - 133211

Intro (with mild distortion)

E --------------------------
B --------------------------
G --2-2-2-0--2/32-0--------
D --------------------------
A --------------------------
E --------------------------

{ Play Intro 6x }

                    A
We passed upon the stairs,
                  D
Spoken walls and wells,
                  A
Although I was a friend
                F
Sat on walls astrand,
                    C
Which came as so surprised,
                 A                           D
I spoke into his eyes -- I thought you died alone
                    C
A long long time ago

(First chorus)

Oh no, not me,
   C#                C
We never lost control,

The face, to face,
         C#
With the man who sold the world.

{ Play intro 6x }

                        A
I laughed and shook his hand,
                  D
Made my way back home,
                         A
I searched from farther land,
                      F
Years and years I roamed,
                      C
I gazed all gazers there,
                     A                         D
We walked a million hills -- I must have died alone,
                    C
A long long time ago.

(Second chorus)

Who knows, not me,
  C#                C
I never lost control,

Your face, to face,
         C#
With the man who sold the world.

{ Play intro 6x }

Repeat second chorus.

{ Play intro 8x }

Outro:

E -------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------
G -/9-9-9-9-9-9--2-2-2-0--2/32-0--2-2-2-0--2/32-0-----
D -------------------------------------------------------
A -------------------------------------------------------
E -------------------------------------------------------

E -------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------
G -/10-10-10-10-10-10-9-7-7-7-7-7-7-/9 2-2-2-0 2/32-0
D -------------------------------------------------------
A -------------------------------------------------------
E -------------------------------------------------------

E -------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------
G -/10-10-10-10-10-10-9-7-7-7-7-7-7-/9 2-2-2-0 2/32-0
D -------------------------------------------------------
A -------------------------------------------------------
E -------------------------------------------------------
From: LionGirl@aol.com
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 15:42:55 -0500
Subject: TAB: "The Man Who Sold the World" - Nirvana

THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD - Nirvana (written by David Bowie)

Tune down 1/2 step

Intro:   (X4)
------------------------
------------------------
--2-2-2-0---2-3-2--0-
------------------------
------------------------
------------------------

with intro:
F//

Dm
----
----
-2-
----
----
----

Verse 1:
    A
We passed upon the stair
    Dm
Spoke of was and when
    A
Although I wasn't there
    F
He said I was his friend
    C
Which came as a supprise
   A      Dm
I spoke into his eyes I thought you died alone
   C
A long long time ago






Chorus 1:

(C)
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------------2--3--5-----
---------2--3--5---------------
---3--5------------------------

     Oh no
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------------0--2--3-----
---------0--1--3---------------
---1--3------------------------

    F
   Not me
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------------2--3--5-----
---------2--3--5---------------
---3--5------------------------

     We
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------------0--2--3-----
---------0--1--3---------------
---1--3------------------------

Db
never lost control
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------3-----------------
--4------4--------4--4--------
--------------------------------




F
    You're face
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------------0--2--3-----
---------0--1--3---------------
---1--3------------------------

C
    to face
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------------2--3--5-----
---------2--3--5---------------
---3--5------------------------

F        Db
    with the man who sold the world
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-------------------0--2--3-----
---------0--1--3---------------
---1--3------------------------

With intro:
A//Dm//

Verse 2:  (same chords as 1)

I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I serched for form and land
For years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare
(At all the millions here) I must have died alone
A long long time ago







Chorus 2:  (same chords as 1)

Who knows
Not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world

With intro:
A//Dm//

(Repeat chorus 2)

With intro:
A//Dm//F//Dm

Dm
-----------------------
-----------------------
--2--2--2--0----2--2/
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------

A
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-/8----9--10----(10)9----9--
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------

----------------------
----------------------
--9----9------9----9
----------------------
----------------------
----------------------







Dm
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--2----2--0------2--3--3----0--
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--2---2---2---0------2---2---2/
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

F
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
/10----10--10------10---------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--10--10--10------10--109---
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

Dm
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--9--(9)7--7--------7---------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--7----7--7------7--7----------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

A
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--7/9--9--9----9--9--9--------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--9--9--9--9-----------------9
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

Dm
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--2--2--2--0------2--3--3----0-
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--2---2---2---0------2---2---2/
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

F
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
-/10----10--10----10--10--10-
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--10----10--10----10--109---
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

Dm
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--9--(9)7--7------7--7--7-----
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

--------------------------
--------------------------
--7----7--7------7--7/8/
--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------

A
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
/9------9--9------9--9--9------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--9--9--9--9--------9--9------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

Dm
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
--2--2--2--0------2--3--3----0--
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------

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

F
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
--2--------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------

-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
--(2)------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------

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Video The Man Who Sold The World

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World
Music video by Nirvana performing The Man Who Sold The World. (C) 1994 Geffen Records

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World (Unplugged Version)
Here are some facts/reviews about "The Man Who Sold The World" from songfacts.com : This is a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World" form his 1970 album of the same name. This is about a man who no longer recognizes himself and feels awful about it. Some lyrical analysis: "We passed upon the stair" is a figurative representation of a crossroads in Bowie's life, where Ziggy Stardust catches a glimpse of his former self, (being David Bowie) which he thought had died a long time ago. Then he (the old David Bowie) says: "Oh no, not me. I never lost control." This indicates that Bowie never really lost sight of who he was, but he Sold The World (made them believe) that he had become Ziggy, and he thought it was funny (I laughed and shook his hand). He goes on to state, "For years and years I roamed," which could refer to touring. "Gaze a gazely stare at all the millions here" are the fans at concerts For years, Bowie struggled with his identity and expressed himself through his songs, often creating characters to perform them. On the album cover, Bowie is wearing a dress.

Nirvana rehearsing "the man who sold the world"
kurt and the gang rehearse the man who sold the world enjoy b4 viacom takes me off

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World Unplugged
Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World Unplugged 1994

Nirvana-The man who sold who sold the world
the man who sold the world by nirvana