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The Wicked Messenger

Written by 
Tabbed by 

Capo 2nd fret (sounding key A major). It’s really a matter of taste.


There

  G                                                     F
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :
|-----6---3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-1---------
|-------------6---|-3---------------|-----------------|-1---------
|-----------------|-----5---3-------|-----------------|-2---------
|-----------------|-------------5---|-3---------------|-3---------
|-----------------|-----------------|-----5---3-------|-3---------
|-----------------|-----------------|-------------5---|-1---------
was   a  wic-ked   mes-sen-ger, from  E-  li  he  did   come       with a
  G
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .      :
|-----6---3-------|-----------------|-3----------------|----------
|-------------6---|-3---------------|-3----------------|----------
|-----------------|-----5---3-------|-4----------------|----------
|-----------------|-------------5---|-5----------------|----------
|-----------------|-----------------|-5----------------|----------
|-----------------|-----------------|-3----------------|----------
mind that mul-ti- plied the smal-lest mat-ter

G
There was a wicked messenger
                F
From Eli he did come,
       G
With a mind that multiplied the smallest matter.

When questioned who had sent for him,
                     F
He answered with his thumb,
        G
For his tongue it could not speak, but only flatter.


He stayed behind the assembly hall,
It was there he made his bed,
Oftentimes he could be seen returning.
Until one day he just appeared
With a note in his hand which read,
"The soles of my feet, I swear they're burning."

Oh, the leaves began to fallin'
And the seas began to part,
And the people that confronted him were many.
And he was told but these few words,
Which opened up his heart,
"If ye cannot bring good news, then don't bring any."

Shadow Kingdom version

The key of this version changes constantly between G minor and G major – not in the way a blues song can lay somewhere in the middle, but as very explicit chords that are sometimes alternating with eachother, sometimes even played at the same time. Since the main tonality is minor, I call the main chord Gm except where a major chord is absolutely played.

Also, the accompanying guitar is playing chord shapes that would be awkward in open position, but straightforward with a capo at the 3rd fret, so the chords below are given according to that.
Am6 = x04210 (or if you prefer: x02212)

When the Wicked figure (first line below) is played, it is in two voices (second line) – hardly practical to play on a single guitar, but hey!
Here, the shape x02212 must be used for Am6 in order to get the full melody line:

  E                                                    Am6
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .    
|-0---7---6---5---|-5---3-----------|-----------------|(2)--------------|
|-----------------|---------5---3---|-5---3-----------|(1)--------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|(2)--------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|---------0---1---|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|(0)--------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
...was a wick-ed   mes-sen-ger, from  E- li   he  did  come
   
                                                       Am6
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .    
|-0---7---6---5---|-5---3-----------|-----------------|(2)--------------|
|-----0---0---8---|-5---3---5--\3---|-5---3-----------|(1)--------------|
|-----------------|---------4--\2---|-4---2-----------|(2)--------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|---------0---1---|-2--2------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|(0)--------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
...was a wick-ed   mes-sen-ger, from  E- li   he  did  come 


      Em
There was a wicked messenger
                Am6
From Eli he did come,
                                         D  E
With a mind that multiplied the smallest matter.
When questioned who had sent for him,
He answered with his thumb,
For his tongue it could not speak, but only flatter.

  E                              
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .    
|-3---2-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---2-0---------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
                                    
  Am6                                 E/Em
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .   
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
|-----3-2---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
|-----------------|---------0---1-2-|-----------------|-----------------
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------

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