Jacob’s Ladder

Background and Commentary

“Part heavy metal, part New Age, this song is not about the vision seen by Jacob in the Bible but rather the atmospheric phenomena that has been named after that image. The tympani pounding parts rock like apocalyptic earthquakes. Alex plays like he’s ascending the ladder in the clouds.”—Robert Telleria, Merely Players

“We built a whole song around a picture . . . where the rays break through the clouds. I came up with a couple of short pieces of lyrics to set the musical parts up. And we built it all musically, trying to describe it cinematically, as if our music were a film. We have a luminous sky happening and the whole stormy, gloomy atmosphere, and all of a sudden these shafts of brilliance come bursting through. (Modern Drummer) I think Geddy actually suggested the idea, after hearing his mother-in-law use the name. It had a nice sound to it, and of course the event itself is a beautiful and inspiring one.” (Backstage Club, 1985)—Neil in Merely Players

Three “Jacob’s Ladder” tributes.

Lyrics

The clouds prepare for battle
In the dark and brooding silence
Bruised and sullen storm clouds
Have the light of day obscured
Looming low and ominous
In twilight premature
Thunderheads are rumbling
In a distant overture

All at once, the clouds are parted
Light streams down in bright, unbroken beams

Follow men’s eyes as they look to the skies
The shifting shafts of shining weave the fabric of their dreams

Tablature

By Charles Grogan (s3sijdp@sae.towson.edu)

Excerpted from Fretplay.

————–8—-|———4——-|———1—–|———3——|
—————–8-|———–4—–|———–1—|———–3—-|
—9——-9——-|——-5—–5—|——-2—–2-|——-4—–4–|
10——10—10—-|—–6———6-|—–3———|—–5———5|
—–10———10-|—6————-|—3———–|—5————|
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———4—–|———0—–|———–8—–|———4—–|—
———–4—|———–0—|————-8—|———–4—|—
——-5—–5-|——-1—–1-|———9—–9-|——-5—–5-|—
—–6———|—–2———|——10———|—–6———|—
—6———–|—2———–|—10————|—6———–|—
-4————-|-0————-|-8—————|-4————-|—

—————|———3——-|———4—–|———0—–|—
———0—–|———–3—–|———–4—|———–0—|—
——-2—2—|——-4—–4—|——-5—–5-|——-1—–1-|—
—–3——-3-|—–5———5-|—–6———|—–2———|—
—3———–|—5————-|—6———–|—2———–|—
-1————-|-3—————|-4————-|-0————-|—

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|-3-3-3-3—-3-3-3—-3-3-3-3—-3-3-3-3-|—————————
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[repeat 6 times]

Lyrics start here, during repetitions. (“The clouds…”)

—-1-3-4-|—–0—–0—–0—–0-|———————————–
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—-3-5-6-|-4-4-4-5-5-5-4-4-4-5-5-5-|———————————–
-3–3-5-6-|-2-2-4-3-3-3-4-4-4-5-5-5-|———————————–
—-1-3-4-|————-2-2-4-3-3-3-|———————————–

-2-2-3-2-2-3-3-|—————————————–|———–
-2-2-3-2-2-3-3-|———5->-(7)-5—5->-(7)-5—5->-(7)-|———–
-4-4-5-3-3-4-4-|——-7———–7———–7———|———–
-4-4-5-4-4-5-5-|—–7———————————–|———–
-2-2-3-4-4-5-5-|—5————————————-|———–
——-2-2-3-3-|-7—————————————|———–

->–9-7-6–9->-10–9-7–9-10->-12–>-(down)-|————————
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->-11-9-8-11->-12-11-9-11-12->-14–>-(down)-|————————
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————————————16->-(17)————————
18->-(19)-!–18->-(19)–18->-(19)-!———–17->-(19)-(19)->-17-15-
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For complete tab, go to Fretplay.