123 by Indigo Girls guitar tab (text):

1 2 3
         written by Amy Ray and Ellen James Society
            originally performed by Indigo Girls
             track #5 on "nomads indians saints"
        transcribed by Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)


This song is rather easy, with some practice.  I have
included all of the parts that Amy and Emily play (I don't,
however, have the transcribed part for Cooper Seay's
electric guitar).  Amy plays primarily chords, and Emily
plays all of the lead stuff.

There are a few parts in here that I have *made up* to go
along with the lead guitar (in parts where the lead seems
rather inactive).  These spots are marked below, so you can
play them, or leave them out.

Tuning: regular (low to high) E A D G B E

I have included all of the lyrics, followed by Emily's lead
part with small lyric markers (so you know where you are in
the song).  Amy's rhythym part should be found in the chord
version of this song, preceeding this file.


(Amy and Emily ad lib until the end)

Tab notation:
h: hammer on        NOTE: I use straight lines across staves
p: pull off              to indicate the beginning and
b: bend string up        ending of each riff
r: release bend
/: slide up
: slide down
~: vibrato
: harmonic

Emily's lead part
(intro riff)
     E      Dsus2       E      Dsus2         bend 1/4 up
E-----------------------------------------------------------B-----------------------------------------------------------G-----------------------------------------------------------D----------------------------4--------4-----4---------------A-------------------------------2--3-----3-----0------------E-------------------0--12-----------------------3b--------

  E       Dsus2           E       Dsus2         bend 1/4
--------------------2-----0--------------------------------------------------3--------------------------------------------------------0--------0-----------------------------------------4--------------------------4--------4-----4--------------------2--3-----------------------2--3-----3-----0-----------0--------------------------0-----------------------3b-----

                         (verse riff 1)
  E       Dsus2             E      Dsus2
--------------------2-----0-|------------------------------------------------3----------|---------------------------------------------0--------0----|------------------------------------4----------------------|-----4--------4-----2------------------2--3----------------|--------2--3-----3-----0---------0-------------------------|--0-----------------------3b---
                    From the bowery...


(simile chord progression)
                           (repeat riff 1 one time)
--------------------2-----0-|------------------------------------------------3----------|---------------------------------------------0--------0----|------------------------------------4----------------------|---------------------------------------2--3----------------|--------------------------------0--------------------------|-------------------------------
          ...your heart.

(verse riff 2)
  E      Dsus2                   E 
|-----------------------------------------------------------
|------------8--10--10b11r10--8--10--8-----8-----8-----8----
|---------9-----------------------------9-----9-----9-----9-|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------
     I understand...

(repeat riff 2 two times)

(*pre-chorus: this part thru end of chorus is made up)
                         (chorus riff 1)
   Dsus2                E              Dsus2
---------------------12-|-12--12--12--12-----11----10-10h12----8h10--10---10h12-----|-12--12--12--12--12----12----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------
...self infatuation.     1 2 3...

(repeat chorus riff 1 one time)

 E                       Dsus2
(bend 1/4 gradually, then release gradually)
-12--12-12-12-12--12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--------------10b-10-10-10-10r-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-108--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...go home.

 E                       Dsus2
-------------------------------------------------12---------8--8h10--8-----8h10--8-----8h10--10--10--10/12--12---------------------9-----------9----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...own up to me.

(verse 2 and 3)                                                 
 E    Dsus2  E     Dsus2                         1/4 bend
-0-----0-----0-----------------------------------------------0-----3-----0-----------------------------------------------1-----2-----1-----------------------------------------------2-----0-----2--0--2p0--0------------------------------------2-----------2-------------2p0--0--2p0--0--3p0--0--2---------0-----------0----------------------------------------3b----
Manic blood...
Once that wheel...

E     Dsus2  E     Dsus2
-------0-----0--------------2-----0--------------------------------3-----0-----------3-----------------------------------------2-----1--------0--------0-----------------------------------0-----2-----0-----------------------------------------------------2-----------------------------------------------0-----------0----------------------------------------------


Here, Emily plays chords along with Amy.  Then, it's on to
the chorus a second time (which then leads into the solo.)

(Solo)
  C                                   Em
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4h5--4----------------5h7--5---5h7---------------------7-----------7--5h7--5--0----------7------7----------7--10-----------------------------------------------/7--10------------


                            Em
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7h9p7-------------------------------------------------8--9---------9--8--7----------------7--7h9--7---------7---------------------------10--7--10--7-------------7--10------------------------------------------------------------------

         C                              Em
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7-----------9------------------------------7h9--7--7--8--9-----7--8--9-----7--8--9--7h9--7h9--7h8--7-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                C
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7--7h9--9------------------------------------7--8--9--7--9-------------7--9-----10--7--10---------7--10------------------------------------------------7--10-------------------------------------------

     
             Em          
------------------0----0----0----0----0----0----0----0------------------------------------------------------------------7-7h9-9-----7-7h9--7h9--7h9--7h9--7h9--7h9--7h9--7h9-----------------7-9------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(bridge)
 C                        Em
---0-----0-----0-----0-------0--------------2----0---------------8-----8-----8-----8-----0-----------3----------3/5------9-----9-----9-----9-----9--0--------0-------0------------------------------------------2-----------------------------------------------------------2-----------------------------------------------------------0------------------------------

(bridge riff)
 C                          Em
-------------------------------0-----------2-----0-----------3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----0--------3-----------3/5--------0-----0-----0-----0-----0---0-----0--------0------------------5-----5-----5-----5-----5-2-----------------------------------------------------------2-----------------------------------------------------------0----------------------------

(repeat bridge riff 1 time)

(bridge riff 2)
 A                           B
-------------------------------------------------------------3-----3-----3---------5-------------7-------------------------0-----0-----0-----0---0---0-----9---9---9--12--11---9---------5-----5-----5/7-------7---7/9-------9----12--12--12----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(3rd verse is the same as the second; it feeds into the last
chorus, followed by a vocal and lead guitar ad lib; both
guitars end on an Em chord).

There you go everybody.  Have fun.

transcribed by: Drew Boles (BolesGJD@aol.com)