Rush: Circumstances From the album Hemispheres (Mercury Records) Copyright 1978 Core Music Publishing Music by Lee and Lifeson Lyrics by Peart Comments/corrections to C. D. Bruce Transcribed by C. D. Bruce Intro 4/4 Am Bm Am e|---------|------------------------|------------------------| B|---------|-1----------------------|-3-----1----------------| G|---------|-2----------------------|-4-----2----------------| D|---------|-2----------------------|-4-----2----------------| A|-3--2----|-0--0--0--0--0--3--2----|-2-----0--0--0--0--0--0-| E|-------3-|----------------------3-|------------------------| 3/4 2/4 7/8 G D G D e|-3--3--3--2~------|-3--3--3--2~|---------------------| B|-3--3--3--3~------|-3--3--3--3~|---------------------| G|-0--0--0--2~------|-0--0--0--2~|---------------------| D|-0--0--0--0~------|-0--0--0--0~|---------------------| A|-x--x--x----------|-x--x--x----|-------------3--2----| E|-3--3--3----------|-3--2--3----|-------------------3-| 4/4 5/4 Am Am Bm Am Am e|------------------------|------------------------------| B|-1--------1-------------|-3-----1--------1-------------| G|-2--------2-------------|-4-----2--------2-------------| D|-2--------2-------------|-4-----2--------2-------------| A|-0--0--0--0-----3--2----|-2-----0--0--0--0-----3--2----| E|----------------------3-|----------------------------3-| 4/4 Am Am e|------------------------| B|-1--------1-------------| G|-2--------2-------------| D|-2--------2-------------| A|-0--0--0--0-----3--2----| E|----------------------3-| 3/4 2/4 7/8 G D G D e|-3--3--3--2~------|-3--3--3--2~|---------------------| B|-3--3--3--3~------|-3--3--3--3~|---------------------| G|-0--0--0--2~------|-0--0--0--2~|---------------------| D|-0--0--0--0~------|-0--0--0--0~|---------------------| A|-x--x--x----------|-x--x--x----|---------------------| E|-3--3--3----------|-3--2--3----|---------------------| *Vocal Start 4/4 B G e|------------------------|------------------------| B|-4--------4--------4/---|-12-------12-------12\--| G|o4--------4--------4/---|-12-------12-------12\--| D|o4--------4--------4/---|-12-------12-------12\--| A|-2--------2--------2/---|-10-------10-------10\--| E|------------------------|------------------------| D A/C# D F# e|------------------------|-2-----------2-----2----| B|-7--------5--------7-(0)|-2-----------2-----2----| G|-7--------6--------7-(0)|-3-----------3-----3---o| D|-7--------7--------7-(0)|-4-----------4-----4---o| A|-5--------4--------5----|-4-----------4-----4----| E|------------------------|-2-----------2-----2----| G B e|-3--------3--------3----|------------------------| B|-3--------3--------3----|-4-----------4----------| G|-0--------0--------0----|-4--------4--------4----| D|-0--------0--------0----|-4----------------------| A|-x--------x--------x----|-2----------------------| E|-3--------3--------3----|------------------------| C A e|-8--------8--------8----|-5--------5--------5----| B|-8--------8--------8----|-5--------5--------5----| G|-9--------9--------9----|-6--------6--------6----| D|-10-------10-------10---|-7--------7--------7----| A|-10-------10-------10---|-7--------7--------7----| E|-8--------8--------8----|-5--------5--------5----| D D#0 e|------------------------|------------------------| B|-7--------7--------7----|-7--------7--------7----| G|-7--------7--------7----|-8--------8--------8----| D|-7--------7--------7----|-7--------7--------7----| A|-5--------5--------5----|-6--------6--------6----| E|------------------------|------------------------| Eno3rd E C G e|------------------------|-7----------------------| B|-0--------0--------0----|-9----------------------| G|-4--------4--------4/---|-9-----------5-----4----| D|-2--------2--------2/---|-9-----------5-----5----| A|-2--------2--------2/---|-7-----------3-----5----| E|-0--------0--------0----|-------------------3----| 7/8 e|---------------------|---------------------| B|---------------------|---------------------| G|----2---------p--p---|---------------------| D|-------0--2--5--4--0-|----5--2-------------| A|-0-------------------|-3--------3--5--2----| E|---------------------|-------------------3-| 4/4 Am Bm Am e|------------------------|------------------------| B|-------------1.-------1-|-------------3-----1----| G|-------------2.-------2-|-------------4-----2----| D|-------------2.-------2-|-------------4-----2----| A|----3--2-----0.-------0-|----3--2-----2-----0----| E|-1--------3-------------|----------3-------------| G D C G e|-3--3--3--2~------------|-------------------3---| B|-3--3--3--3~------------|-------------------3---| G|-0--0--0--2~----------5-|----5-----5--5-----0---| D|-0--0--0--0~----------5-|----5-----5--5-----0---| A|-x--x--x--------------3-|----3-----3--3-----2---| E|-3--3--3----------------|-------------------3---| 2/4 4/4 2/4 Am Bm Am e|------------|------------------------|------------| B|------------|-1.-------1-------------|-3-----1----| G|------------|-2.-------2-------------|-4-----2----| D|----0-------|-2.-------2-------------|-4-----2----| A|-------2----|-0.-------0-----3--2----|-2-----0----| E|----------3-|----------------------3-|------------| 4/4 7/8 G D C e|-3--3--3--2~----------3-|---------------------| B|-3--3--3--3~----------x-|---------------------| G|-0--0--0--2~----------5-|---------------------| D|-0--0--0--0~----------5-|---------------------| A|-x--x--x--------------3-|-------------2--0----| E|-3--3--3----------------|-------------------3-| 4/4 2/4 Am Bm Am e|------------------------|------------| B|-1--------1-------------|-3-----1----| G|-2--------2-------------|-4-----2----| D|-2--------2-------------|-4-----2----| A|-0--------0-----3--2----|-2-----0----| E|----------------------3-|------------| 3/4 5/4 G D G D e|-3--3--3--2~------|-3--3--3--2~------------------| B|-3--3--3--3~------|-3--3--3--3~------------------| G|-0--0--0--2~------|-0--0--0--2~------------------| D|-0--0--0--0~------|-0--0--0--0~------------------| A|-x--x--x----------|-x--x--x----------------------| E|-3--3--3----------|-3--2--3----------------------| Go Back to *Vocal start and repeat once Bridge (not in any music book I know of!) Start with chorus, reverb, No distortion. (5 times) 5/4 6/4 C DaddG C D e|---------------|------------------|-------------------| B|---------------|------------------|-------------------| G|o---------0----|----------0-----0-|----------0~~---0--| D|o------10----10|-------12----12---|-------10----------| A|----10---------|----12------------|----10-------------| E|-8-------------|-10---------------|-8-----------10----| E e|------------------| B|------------------| G|-----------------o| D|-14--------------o| A|-14---------------| E|-12---------------| Distortion on 5/4 6/4 AaddB BaddE(let B string ring on) e|---------------|------------------| B|----------0~---|------------------| G|o------------6-|----------8-----8o| D|o------7-------|-------9-----9---o| A|----7----------|----9-------------| E|-5-------------|-7----------------| 5/4 6/4 C DaddG e|---------------|------------------| B|---------------|------------------| G|o---------0~---|----------0-----0o| D|o------10----10|-------12----12--o| A|----10---------|----12------------| E|-8-------------|-10---------------| 5/4 6/4 AaddB BaddE(let B string ring on) e|---------------|------------------| B|----------0~---|------------------| G|o------------6-|-------8-----8---o| D|o------7-------|----------9-----9o| A|----7----------|----9-------------| E|-5-------------|-7----------------| 5/4 6/4 C DaddG e|---------------|------------------| B|---------------|------------------| G|o---------0~---|----------0-----0o| D|o------10----10|-------12----12--o| A|----10---------|----12------------| E|-8-------------|-10---------------| 6/4 C D E e|------------------|------------------| B|------------------|------------------| G|o---------0~~---0-|------------------| D|o------10---------|-14---------------| A|----10------------|-14---------------| E|-8-----------10---|-12---------------| 5/4 6/4 e|---------------|------------------| B|---------------|------------------| G|o---------0~---|----------0-----0-| D|o------10----10|-------12----12---| A|----10---------|----12------------| E|-8-------------|-10---------------| 6/4 e|------------------|------------------| B|------------------|------------------| G|o---------0~~---0-|------------------| D|o------10---------|-14---------------| A|----10------------|-14---------------| E|-8-----------10---|-12---------------| 7/8 e|---------------------|---------------------| B|---------------------|---------------------| G|----2---------p--p---|---------------------| D|-------0--2--5--4--0-|----5--2-------------| A|-0-------------------|-3--------3--5--2----| E|---------------------|-------------------3-| 4/4 Am Bm Am e|------------------------|------------------------| B|-------------1.-------1-|-------------3-----1----| G|-------------2.-------2-|-------------4-----2----| D|-------------2.-------2-|-------------4-----2----| A|----3--2-----0.-------0-|----3--2-----2-----0----| E|-1--------3-------------|----------3-------------| G D C G e|-3--3--3--2~------------|-------------------3---| B|-3--3--3--3~------------|-------------------3---| G|-0--0--0--2~----------5-|----5-----5--5-----0---| D|-0--0--0--0~----------5-|----5-----5--5-----0---| A|-x--x--x--------------3-|----3-----3--3-----2---| E|-3--3--3----------------|-------------------3---| 2/4 4/4 2/4 Am Bm Am e|------------|------------------------|------------| B|------------|-1.-------1-------------|-3-----1----| G|------------|-2.-------2-------------|-4-----2----| D|----0-------|-2.-------2-------------|-4-----2----| A|-------2----|-0.-------0-----3--2----|-2-----0----| E|----------3-|----------------------3-|------------| 4/4 7/8 G D C e|-3--3--3--2~----------3-|---------------------| B|-3--3--3--3~----------x-|---------------------| G|-0--0--0--2~----------5-|---------------------| D|-0--0--0--0~----------5-|---------------------| A|-x--x--x--------------3-|-------------2--0----| E|-3--3--3----------------|-------------------3-| 4/4 2/4 Am Bm Am e|------------------------|------------| B|-1--------1-------------|-3-----1----| G|-2--------2-------------|-4-----2----| D|-2--------2-------------|-4-----2----| A|-0--------0-----3--2----|-2-----0----| E|----------------------3-|------------| 3/4 2/4 G D G D With digital delay at ending e|-3--3--3--2~------|-3--3--3--2~---------------------| B|-3--3--3--3~------|-3--3--3--3~---------------------| G|-0--0--0--2~------|-0--0--0--2~---------------------| D|-0--0--0--0~------|-0--0--0--0~---------------------| A|-x--x--x----------|-x--x--x-------------------------| E|-3--3--3----------|-3--2--3-------------------------| Lyrics: Verse1: A boy alone so far from home Endless rooftops from my window I felt the gloom of empty rooms On rainy afternoons Sometimes in confusion I feel so lost and disillusioned Innocence gave me confidence To go up against reality Chorus: All the same, we take our chances Laughed at by time Tricked by circumstances Plus ca change Plus c'est la meme chose The more that things change The more they stay the same Verse 2: Now I've gained some understanding Of the only world that we see Things that I once dreamed of Have become reality These walls that still surround me Still contain the same old me Just one more who's searching for The world that ought to be Chorus Bridge Chorus Tabulature Explanation (Ripped off from Jimmy Pena, with some minor changes): | = bar line ~ = vibrato or held note x = percussive note with no pitch; muted note . = staccato; mute the note immediately after striking it h = hammer p = pull s = slide (used when \ or / don't fit) ^ = bend string up to indicated pitch/fret shown in parenthesis () r = release bend to indicated string/fret / = slide up \ = slide down <5> = natural harmonic (lightly touch the string at fret indicated) [5] = artificial harmonic (use thumb to follow through the pick attack) () = either indicates grace notes or used for something else that is self explanatory. o \ }- repeat sign o / Other pertinent information: Tuning: Standard [EADGBe]. Key signature: C Effects: Chorus, Distortion, Reverb, delay at end Chord Chart: None provided (Is it necessary?). Comments: This song is "classic" Rush with time signature changes, use of open string chords as well as "odd" chords (who ever heard of D#0 anyway!). It is difficult to determine the precise chord voicing with the guitar heavily laden with chorus and distortion. I made my best attempt here. This song has special meaning to me in that is was the first "new" Rush song I heard on the radio when I first became a fan the previous summer (that's right, back in the late 70s!). I also used a line in this song for my High School yearbook "quote" (pretty lame, huh.). Please provide your comments to cbruce@peco-energy.com.