Behind The Songs: The Small Print

Hi!

This time, I'm going to tell you everything about 'The Small Print', one of those songs that you just like because it's a cool song, and not for any other complicated reason.

About The Small Print

A simple metal come heavy rock song.

Chosen ahead of "Fury" in the final track listing for Absolution. It was a live favourite from the 2002 tour up to and including the 2005 tour. Matt mentioned in an interview that he wanted Fury instead of The Small Print but the band had a vote and Matt was outnumbered 2-to-1 by Chris and Dom.

While initially played before Absolution's release, it went by the name 'Action Faust.' The song can be understood as, clearly alluding to Goethe's Faust, being sung from the point of view of the Devil to someone selling their soul to him in exchange for, presumably, musical prowess and fame. It shows the transaction as ultimately manipulative on the part of the Devil, dooming the recipient to be a "slave to the grave" and robbing him of all memories of "the good days". The Devil's identity can be seen in the line "I'm a priest God never paid"; he is able to mediate supernatural power but does so outside of the service of God. The final title "The Small Print" yet again underlies the motif of a dishonest contract between a Devil and Faustian figure.

At 2:51, a cat can be heard meowing.

My Opinion:

As I said, I just like this song because it's cool. I seriously didn't even knew the song was written from the Devils' point of view, I just liked the rythm and the lyrics. I also hope to be able to play it on my guitar one day, and maybe sing it at the same time. But I don't think my guitar and singing skills are good enough for that yet, lol. 

Lyrics: 

Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed
With broken hearts
Sell, I'll sell your memories
For 15 pounds per year
But just the good days

Say, it'll make you insane
And it's bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose and
You watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest God never paid

Hope, I hope you've seen the light
'cause no one really cares
They're just pretending
Sell, and I'll sell your memories 
For 15 pounds per year
But you can keep the bad days

Say, it'll make you insane
And I'm bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose and
You watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest God never paid

Say, it'll make you insane
And I'm bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose and
You watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest God never paid

Early Live Lyrics:

Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed
With broken hearts
Sell, and I'll sell your memories
At 15 pounds per year
But I'll keep the good days

Say, it'll make you insane
And I'm breaking the rules
You're to blame
For all the life you're losing
You watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And I'm not your slave to the grave
I'm the priest God never paid

Hope, and I hope you've seen the light
'cause no one really cares
They're just pretending
Sell, and I'll sell your memories 
At 15 pounds per year
But I'll keep the good days

Say, it'll make you insane
And I'm breaking your rules
You're to blame
For all the life you'll lose and
You watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And I'm not your slave to the grave
I'm the priest God never paid

Say, it'll make you insane
And I'm breaking your rules
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose and
You watch this space
Yeah I'm going all the way
And I'm not your slave to the grave
I'm the priest God never paid

Guitar Tabs:

tabbed by leo bwotkins@blueyonder.co.uk

probaby the best album track off absolution.

DROP D TUNING BECAUSE OF VERSE

intro

|-----------------------------|   cant be bothered to say how many times
|-----------------------------|     this riff is played, but it's a lot.
|--------7---------------7----|
|-----------------------------|
|-8-9-8-9--9-8-9-8-9-8-9------|
|-----------------------------|

verse

|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-9-9-9-9-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-|
|---------------------------------------------------------|block out
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
|---------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-12-12-12-12-14-14-14-14-16x16x16x16x16x16x18x16x16x16x16x16x15~~~~|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------| X2
|-10-10-10-10-12-12-12-12-14x14x14x14x14x14x16x14x14x14x14x14x------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                                           on second time
                                                          do a treelo bend
                                                           on 15th fret

chorus (heavy)

palm mute

remember drop d!

|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-------------------------------------------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|x2
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-----------------4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|

without palm mute
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|--------------------------------------------------------|

your wrist hurting yet?

|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|


|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-----------------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
|11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|hold chord
|9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
|------------------------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----------------|

it's all there, work the order out

hope it's right

Videoclip:

I hope you guys like the song as well. See you next time!

♣ Gasoline Diamond ♣

Source of all the information and the lyrics: MuseWiki.org

Source of the tabs: Ultimate-Guitar.com