The Color of Right

Background and Commentary

“The title refers to an expression used by lawyers. Alex plays a mandola in a main melody,”—Robert Telleria, Merely Players

The meaning of “the color of right” as a legal term depends on the country. In the U.K. and New Zealand, it refers to a concept under which a person seeks acquittal on the grounds that he thought he had a right to do what he did. In the U.S., the term refers to public officials who use a law to unlawfully make arrests: for example, using riot laws to improperly arrest people who are peacefully and legally demonstrating. It’s also sometimes referred to as “the color of law.”

“‘The Color of Right’ . . . is politely loud.”—Martin Popoff, Contents Under Pressure

Lyrics

I don’t have an explanation
For another lonely night
I just feel this sense of mission
And the sense of what is right

Take it easy on me now
I’d be there if I could
I’m so full of what is right
I can’t see what is good

It’s a hopeless situation
Lie awake for half the night
You’re not sure what’s going on here
But you’re sure it isn’t right

Make it easy on yourself
There’s nothing more you can do
You’re so full of what is right
You can’t see what is true

A quality of justice
A quantity of light
A particle of mercy
Makes the color of right

Gravity and distance
Change the passage of light
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right

Tablature

By Doug Du Plessis (doug@antum.com)

Excerpted from XGuitar.

Standard Tuning

If you like using your ring finger, don’t play this song. It remains parked
on the b string 3rd fret most of the song :-). This song is pretty easy to
play (that’s why I like it).

Riff 1

E|–3-3-3—-3–|
B|–3-3-3—-3–|
G|–2-2-0-h2-0–|
D|–0-0-0—-0–|
A|————–|
E|————–|
d d d u

Riff 2

E|————————————————|
B|-3-3—3-3-3—3-3—3—–3-3–3—3—–3-3—|
G|-2-2—2-0-0—0-0—0—–0-0–0—0h2h4-2-0—|
D|-0-0—0-2-4—0-0—0h2h4-2-0–2—0—–0-0—|
A|——————————–3—————|
E|————————————————|
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
i i i i p i
i p p i i
m

Riff 3

E|————————————————|
B|-3——-3——-3——-3——-3——-3——|
G|-0——-0——-0——-0——-2——-2——|
D|-2——-2——-0——-0——-0——-0——|
A|-3——-3——-2——-2———————-|
E|————————————————|
d udud d udud d udud d udud d udud d udud

For complete tab, go to XGuitar.