39- A

Queen

A Night At The Opera - '39 
Words and music by Brian May 
 
 
Note: on the studio version of this song there are two guitars. 
Use a capo on the first fret. 
 
The most used rythm pattern: 
* *  *** 
d d  udu : strokes (up/down) 
intro 
C(VIII),  Am, E, 
 
A#(VI),   D#(VI) A#(VI) C(VIII) F(VIII) G 
 
   G       D     Em        C     G       D       C       G 
----3----3-2--------0---0--00----3-3-3-----2--2---------33------ 
---33---33-3-------0----0--11---00-0-300-3-3--3-----1---13------ 
---00---00-2------0-----00-0002--0-0-0-202-2--2--------0-0------ 
---0-----0-0----x2---24--0-2-0---0-0---0-0-0-0-0---2-02--0------ 
-2-2-23------00-------/----------2-2-------------3-------2------ 
------h--------0-----------------3-3---------------------3-...-- 
 
 G       D      Em       C       E/C     D         G 
----3----3-2--------0------0-----0---0----------- (folk strum) 
----0--003-3-------0---x0--1--1--0---0----------- 
-0-0---0-2-2-0-----0-----0-0--0--0-0-0-0-2---0--- 
-0-------0-0-----2---24--2-2--22---2---2-0-0-0-4- 
-2---23---------------/--3-----3---3---3-0-0----- 
------/-------00--------------------------------- 
 
____________________________________________________________________ 
simplified intro 
 
-3---3-----3-2----0--------0-0----3---3------2-2---0----0---3-3-- 
-3---3-----3-3----0--------1-1----0---3p0----3-2---1----1---3-3-- 
-0---0-----0-2----0--------0-0----0---0--3p0-2-3---0----0---0-0-- 
-0---0-----0-0----2---2/4--2-2----0---0------0-0---0h2--2---0-0-- 
-2---2h3-------------------3-3----2----------------3----3---2-2-- 
----------------------------------3-------------------------3-3-- 
                               | 
                               |--0---0---2-------3-3-- 
                               |--0---0---3-------3-3-- 
                               |--0-0-0-0-2-2-0---0-0-- 
                               |----2---2---0-0-4-0-0-- 
                               |----3---3---0-----2-3-- 
                               |------------------3-3-- 
 
G (pickup chord)  D                         Em 
         In the   year of '39.... Assembled here the volunteers 
 
        C        G          D              Em          Em7(020000) 
In the days when lands were few   Here the ship sailed out into the 
 
C                     Dsus4     D          G 
Blue and sunny morn   Sweetest sight ever seen. 
 
     D                           Adim(xx1212) 
And night followed day, and the story tellers say 
 
         Em                   Am 
That the score brave souls inside 
 
    G                         D 
For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas 
 
C            Em    C     D       C   (G) D 
Ne'er looked back, never feared, never cried. 
 
          G                           C            G 
Don't you hear my call, though you're many years away, 
 
G                         D 
Don't you hear me calling you 
 
               G    B     Em    G       C     G        Am 
Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand 
 
        G  (A-2/3--)   D (D--2--4--) G 
In the land that our grandchildren knew. 
 
interlude: 
 
668886  5x7885 668886 668888 668886 
 
Cm(III) A C(III) F#m((IX) C(III) Am E 
 
A#(VI),   D#(VI) A#(VI) C(VIII) F(VIII) G 
 
In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue 
The volunteers came home that day 
And they bring good news of a world so newly born 
Though their hearts so heavily weigh 
For the earth is old and grey, to a new home we'll away 
But my love this cannot be 
For so many years have gone though I'm older but a year 
Your mother's eyes in your eyes cry to me. 
 
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away 
Don't you hear me calling you 
All the letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand 
 
For my life 
Still ahead 
Pity Me. 
 
 
 
 
Credits: Ken Goach and Patrick M. Ryan and PD