Ziggy Stardust

4    [G]    [G]     | [D]   [D]*  [D]   [D]*   [D]    |   [F]   [F]      | [C]   [C]  | [D]   [D]
4                  (play four times)

[G]    Ziggy played guitar,  [Bm]  jamming good
with Wierd and [C]Gilly and the Spiders from[D] Mars.

He played it left [G]hand, but made it too [Bm]far
became the spe[C]cial man, and we were [D]Ziggy's band.

[G]     Ziggy really sang, with [Bm]screwed up eyes and
screwed down h[C]airdo like some cat from J[D]apan.

He could lick 'em by s[G]miling, he could leave 'em to [Bm]hang.
He came on so l[C]oaded man, well hung and snow-white [D]tan.

[A]     But [G]where were the spid[F]ers[F],  [F]     [F]        [F]           [F]              [F]                   [G]
[A]     while the [G]fly tried to [F]bre[F]ak [F]our[F] ba[F]lls[F].  [F]        [G]
[A]     Just the b[G]eer light to [F]gui[F]de [F]us.[F]   [F]      [F]         [F]

And so we [G]bitched about his fans and should we [D]crush his sweet hands.

[power section]X2

[G]    Ziggy played for time, [Bm]jiving us that
we were [C]voodoo and the kids was just [D]crass.
He was the [G]nazz with God-given [Bm]ass.
He took it [C]all too far but boy could he play [D]guitar.

[A]    Making [G]love with his e[F]go,[F]   [F]      [F]         [F]            [F]               [F]                   [G]
[A]    Ziggy s[G]ucked up in[F]to [F]his[F] mi[F]nd [F]    [F]       [F]           [G]
[A]    Like a [G]leper messi[F]ah.[F]   [F]      [F]         [F]            [F]               [F]                   [G]

When the k[G]ids had killed the man I had to [D]break up the band.

[power section repeated to fade]

Chords used:          [G]     [Bm]    [C]    [D]    [D]*   [A]    [F]    [F]*


NOTES: on D* and F*
   D* is used in the [power] section.  I play a normal D and used my 'pinky'
   on the 3rd fret on alternate strums to acheive the (D D* D D* etc) sound on
   the record. I think D* is actually Dsus but I'm not sure.

   F* is used in the chorus. I pay the F chord as a barre chord (see tab above)
   and lift my first (barre) finger on alternate strums.

   I guess you really have to listen to the record to get the [chorus] and
   [power] sections timed/played correctly.

Anyway, there it is.  By no means an expert opinion, but it seems to impress my
flat-mate.

Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie.

Thanks to Johnny Birchett and Richard Ashley for their postings, which
inspired me to dig further..  Richard's lyrics are nearly perfect, and
Johnny's tab and chords are right on the mark.  I've borrowed heavily
from Johnny, but made a few modifications (note the A / A7 in place
of [Am]).

I've verified the lyrics against the version included on the jacket of the
recent AU 20 remaster of the Ziggy Stardust CD.  The recorded version adds
a few words, which I've marked with parentheses.

For a great unplugged version of Ziggy, check out Bowie's original
acoustic 12-string demo included as a bonus track on this CD.  The lyrics
are identical to those written on the jacket.

I've included two tabs for the Intro, the first is similar to the Mick
Ronson electric version, and the second is Bowie's acoustic demo version.

Ronson)

Ronson does some hammering on during the intro, so play around with this
if you want to imitate him more closely.  He also plays it a little
differently on the Santa Monica live album (he picks more individual
notes).

|--3-----2--3--2--3--2--------------------------------------------------
|--3-----3--3--3--3--3--3--------3-----3--------3-----3--------3-----3--
|--0-----2-----------2--2--------0--0--0--------0--0--0--------0-----0--
|--0-----0-----------0--0-----2-----2--2-----0-----2--2-----0-----0-----
|--x--------------------------3--------------2--------------0-----0-----
|--3--------------------------------------------------------------------
                              [B]              [B]

Bowie)

Bowie's original intro is pretty simple, but very nice on 12-string.

|--3-----2--3--2--3--2--3-----0--------------0--------------0-----------
|--3-----3-----3-----3--3-----3--------3-----3--------3-----1-----0-----
|--4-----2-----2-----2--2-----0--------0-----0--------0-----2-----0-----
|--5-----0-----------0--0-----2--------2-----0--------0-----2-----0-----
|--x--------------------------3--------------2--------------0-----------
|--3--------------------------------------------------------------------
            [B]     [B]

Transition

The transition between C and D during "the Spiders from Mars" and
subsequent verses goes something like this:

   [C]                                [D]
|------------------------------------
|------------------------------------
|------------------------------------
|-----2-----2-----0-----2------------
|-----3-----3-----2-----3-----4------
|------------------------------------
      the   Spi   ders  from  Mars

Repeat 3 times:

   [A]             [G]               [F]             [G]
|--5-5-5-5-5-----3-3-3-3-3-------1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3---
|--5-5-5-5-5-----3-3-3-3-3-------1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3---
|--6-6-6-6-6-----4-4-4-4-4-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-4---
|--7-7-7-7-7-----5-5-5-5-5-------3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5---
|--7-7-7-7-7-----5-5-5-5-5-------3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5---
|--5-5-5-5-5-----3-3-3-3-3-------1-0-1-0-1-0-1-3---

then:

   [D]                      [E]
|--5---x-5---x-5----------7---7-7-7-7-7-----
|--7---x-7---x-7----------9---9-9-9-9-9-----
|--7---x-7---x-7----------9---9-9-9-9-9-----
|--7---x-7---x-7----------9---9-9-9-9-9-----
|--5---x-5---x-5----------7---7-7-7-7-7-----
|--5---x-5---x-5----------7---7-7-7-7-7-----
   *     *     **         *           **

This is one suggested pattern, but it varies, so improvise.
(My personal preference is to play the D and E in open position.)
On the acoustic and live versions, Bowie and Ronson continue
strumming on the D and E chords.  Bowie also sometimes noodles
around with his pinky on the B string on the D and E chords.
On electric, emphasize the lower (thicker) strings, especially
to get the right sound during the F chord.  The acoustic version
tends to emphasize the upper (thinner) strings.

Lyrics and chords

(Intro x 4, or Intro x 2 in acoustic version)

[G]Ziggy played guitar, [Bm]jamming good with Wierd and Gil[C]ly,

(and) the Spiders from Mars. [D]

He played it left ha[G]nd, but made it too f[Em]ar,

became the [A]special [A7]man, then we were [C]Ziggy's band.

[G]Ziggy really sang, [Bm]screwed up eyes and screwed down hair[C]do,

like some cat from Japan. [D]

He could lick 'em by smilin[G]g, he could leave 'em to h[Em]ang;

(they) came on so [A]loaded, [A7]man. Well-hung and [C]snow-white tan.

[A]            So [G]where were the S[F]piders?       [G]

[A]     While the [G]fly tried to bre[F]ak our balls. [G]

[A]      Just the [G]beer light to gu[F]ide us.       [G]So we

[D]bitched about his fans and should we [E]crush his sweet hands...

(Intro x 2)

[G]Ziggy played for time, [Bm]jiving us that we were voo[C]doo,

the kids was just crass,[D]

He was the [G]nazz, with God given [Em]ass,

He took it [A]all too [A7]far, but boy could he [C]play guitar.

[A]        Making [G]love with his e[F]go,           [G]

[A]         Ziggy [G]sucked up in[F]to his mind,     [G]

[A]        like a [G]leper mes[F]siah,          when [G]the

[D]kids had killed the man I had to [E]break up the band.

(Intro x 3) then:

|--3-----2--3--2--3--2--------0--------------------------------3-----
|--3-----3--3--3--3--3--3-----3--------------------------------3-----
|--0-----2-----------2--2-----0--------------------------------0-----
|--0-----0-----------0--0-----2--------------------------------0-----
|--x--------------------------3--------------------------------x-----
|--3-----------------------------------------------------------3-----
                                    Ziggy played .....   guitar.

(In acoustic version, after the second chorus Bowie immediately repeats
the second chorus, then he plays the intro several times and fades out,
without singing "Ziggy played guitar").