The Mission - Serpents Kiss

Whether it was requested or not, I am finally going to tab out this song properly. When I say that, I mean it will ‘A’ sound good, and ‘B’ include all the nuances that other transcriptions seem to neglect. It is important to note at this point that the original version of this song was recorded as a three-piece – minus Simon ‘Slink’ Hinkler on lead guitar. One can be near certain as such that this was recorded entirely on Wayne’s Aria electric 12-string. I’ve tried my best to get these transcriptions near-as-damn-it to the original recording, with the exception of the guitar solo; taken from the 1986 Crusade tour – it just sounds cooler!

Note: Some of the transcriptions of the main riff look understandably peculiar – the nuances only applicable to 12-strings mean that things sound very different depending on where they are played on the neck. I’m convinced that for the recording, one of the guitars is played in this way as you can hear that almost crystalline sound to the notes – listen to it again.

Guitar 1

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|-8h9p8----8------8---------------------------------------------------------|

D|-------11---9-11-----------------------------------------------------------|

A|-------------------12------------------------------------------------------|

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Guitar 2

The second note of bar 2 is correct when using a 12-string; if you don’t have one, here is an alternate way of playing it!

E|--------------------|--------4-------|-----7---4------|----------------------|

B|-4h5p4---4-----4----|------4---------|-------4--------|----------------------|

G|-------6---4-6------|----4--------OR-|----------------|----------------------|

D|------------------7-|--7-------------|--7-------------|----------------------|

A|--------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------------|

E|--------------------|----------------|-for-six-strings|----------------------|

Main Riff

Guitar 1 – Again, I appreciate that it looks strange, but on a 12-string, it’ll really give you that crystalline sound; just work with me here…

E|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

B|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

G|------13----11-----13|------11----13----11|------11----11-----11|----------------|x2

D|-9-11----11-----11---|---11----11----11---|-9-11----11-----11---|-11-14--13-14---|

A|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------14|

E|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

Guitar 2 – the ‘normal’ version that they would play live

E|-----4---2----4-|----2---4---2-|-----2---2----2-|----0----0-----|

B|-0-2---2----2---|--2---2---2---|-0-2---2----2---|--2----4-------|

G|----------------|--------------|----------------|-----------4---| x2

D|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

A|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

E|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

Guitar 1

E|-----0—--0--------|-------------------|-----0---0--------|-------------------|

B|----0-------0-----|-4h5p4---4-----4---|----0-------0-----|-4h5p4---4-----4---|
G|---6----------6---|-------6---4-6-----|---6----------6---|-------6---4-6-----|
D|--7----7--------7-|-------------------|--7----7--------7-|-------------------|
A|-0----------------|-------------------|-0----------------|-------------------|
E|------------------|-------------------|------------------|-------------------|

Guitar 2

E|-----7----|-----0----|-----7----|-----0----|
B|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|

G|---6------|---8------|---6------|---8------|

D|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|

A|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|
E|----------|----------|----------|----------|

Verse – Part A

Guitar 1

        

E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|

B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|

G|-------------|-------------|-------------|-11-11-9-9-8-8-9-9-| x1

D|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|

Guitar 2

E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

G|-------6-----|-------4-----|-------------|-------------| x1

D|----6-----6--|----4-----4--|-------4-----|-------4—-6--|
A|-4-----------|-2-----------|----4-----4--|----4--------|
E|-------------|-------------|-2-----------|-2-----------|

Verse – Part B

Guitar 1

        

E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|

B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|

G|-6~----------|-------------|-------------|-11-11-9-9-8-8-9-9-| x3

D|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|

Guitar 2

E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

G|-------6-----|-------4-----|-------------|-------------| x3

D|----6-----6--|----4-----4--|-------4-----|-------4—-6--|
A|-4-----------|-2-----------|----4-----4--|----4--------|
E|-------------|-------------|-2-----------|-2-----------|

Bridge

Guitar 1

E|-----0---0--------|-----0---0--------|-----0---0--------|-4h5p4---4------0-|

B|----0-------0-----|----0-------0-----|----0-------0-----|-------7---5—-4---|

G|---6----------6---|---8----------8---|---6----------6---|------------------| x2

D|--7----7--------7-|--7----7--------7-|--7----7--------7-|------------------|

A|-0----------------|-0----------------|-0----------------|------------------|

E|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|

Guitar 2

E|-----7----|-----0----|-----7----|-----0----|
B|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|

G|---6------|---8------|---6------|---8------| x2

D|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|

A|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|
E|----------|----------|----------|----------|

Guitar 1

E|-----0---0--------|-----0---0--------|-----0---0--------|-----0---0--------|

B|----0-------0-----|----0-------0-----|----0-------0-----|----0------—0-----|

G|---6----------6---|---8----------8---|---9----------9---|--11----------11--| x1

D|--7----7--------7-|--7----7--------7-|--7----7--------7-|--9----9--------9-|

A|-0----------------|-0----------------|-0----------------|-0----------------|

E|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|

Guitar 2

E|-----7----|-----0----|-----0----|-----0----|
B|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|

G|---6------|---8------|---9------|--11------| x1

D|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|--9-------|

A|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|
E|----------|----------|----------|----------|

Chorus

Guitar 1 – Again, I appreciate that it looks strange, but on a 12-string, it’ll really give you that crystalline sound; just work with me here…

E|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

B|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

G|------13----11-----13|------11----13----11|------11----11-----11|----------------|x2

D|-9-11----11-----11---|---11----11----11---|-9-11----11-----11---|-11-14--13-14---|

A|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------14|

E|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

Guitar 2 – the ‘normal’ version that they would play live

E|-----4---2----4-|----2---4---2-|-----2---2----2-|----0----0-----|

B|-0-2---2----2---|--2---2---2---|-0-2---2----2---|--2----4-------|

G|----------------|--------------|----------------|-----------4---| x2

D|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

A|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

E|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

Guitar 1

E|-----0—--0--------|-------------------|-----0---0--------|-------------------|

B|----0-------0-----|-4h5p4---4-----4---|----0-------0-----|-4h5p4---4-----4---|
G|---6----------6---|-------6---4-6-----|---6----------6---|-------6---4-6-----|
D|--7----7--------7-|-------------------|--7----7--------7-|-------------------|
A|-0----------------|-------------------|-0----------------|-------------------|
E|------------------|-------------------|------------------|-------------------|

Guitar 2

E|-----7----|-----0----|-----7----|-----0----|
B|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|

G|---6------|---8------|---6------|---8------|

D|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|

A|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|
E|----------|----------|----------|----------|

Verse – As Before!

Bridge – As Before!

Chorus

Guitar 1 – Again, I appreciate that it looks strange, but on a 12-string, it’ll really give you that crystalline sound; just work with me here…

E|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

B|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

G|------13----11-----13|------11----13----11|------11----11-----11|----------------|x4

D|-9-11----11-----11---|---11----11----11---|-9-11----11-----11---|-11-14--13-14---|

A|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------14|

E|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------|

Guitar 2 – the ‘normal’ version that they would play live

E|-----4---2----4-|----2---4---2-|-----2---2----2-|----0----0-----|

B|-0-2---2----2---|--2---2---2---|-0-2---2----2---|--2----4-------|

G|----------------|--------------|----------------|-----------4---| x4

D|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

A|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

E|----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|

Guitar 1

E|-----0—--0--------|-------------------|-----0---0--------|-------------------|

B|----0-------0-----|-4h5p4---4-----4---|----0-------0-----|-4h5p4---4-----4---|
G|---6----------6---|-------6---4-6-----|---6----------6---|-------6---4-6-----|
D|--7----7--------7-|-------------------|--7----7--------7-|-------------------|
A|-0----------------|-------------------|-0----------------|-------------------|
E|------------------|-------------------|------------------|-------------------|

Guitar 2

E|-----7----|-----0----|-----7----|-----0----|
B|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|----0-----|

G|---6------|---8------|---6------|---8------|

D|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|--7-------|

A|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|-0--------|
E|----------|----------|----------|----------|

Guitar solo

Guitar 1

E|-------------------|-----|-----|-----------|

B|-4h5p4---4-----4---|-----|-----|-----------|

G|-------6---4-6-----|-----|-----|-----------|

D|-----------------7-|-----|-----|---6(7)(6)~|
A|-------------------|-----|-----|-----------|
E|-------------------|-----|-----|-----------|

Guitar 2

E|------------|-----|-----|-----|

B|------------|-----|-----|-----|

G|-6----4---2-|-----|-----|-----|

D|-6----4---2-|-----|-----|-----|

A|-4----2---0-|-----|-----|-----|
E|------------|-----|-----|-----|

Guitar 1

E|-------|----------------|--------------|------------------|---------------|

B|-------|----------------|--------------|-4h5p4---4---4-5~-|-5/7-7~-7-5-7~-|

G|-------|---------4~---4-|-4-6-6~-6~-6~-|-------6---6------|---------------|
D|-------|-----4-6----6---|--------------|------------------|---------------|
A|-4~----|-4-6------------|--------------|------------------|---------------|
E|-------|----------------|--------------|------------------|---------------|

Guitar 2 – C# Bmaj F# throughout solo

E|-0-----|-0--------------|-0------------|
B|-0-----|-0--------------|-0------------|

G|-6-----|-4--------------|-3------------|

D|-6-----|-4--------------|-4------------|
A|-4-----|-2--------------|-4------------|

E|-------|----------------|-2------------|

Guitar 1

E|--------------|------------------|-----------------------|-12-11-----------|
B|-7/9-9~-9~-9~-|-9/12-12-12---12--|-9h12p9----9----9-12-9-|-------12-9~--9~-|
G|--------------|------------------|--------11---11--------|-----------------|
D|--------------|------------------|-----------------------|-----------------|
A|--------------|------------------|-----------------------|-----------------|
E|--------------|------------------|-----------------------|-----------------|

Guitar 2 – C# Bmaj F#

Guitar 1

E|---------------------|--------------|----------------|--------------|
B|-9h12p9----9---------|--------------|----------------|--------------|
G|--------11---11-9-8--|-9-8---8~-----|-----4---4----4-|-4-6-6~-6~-6~-|
D|---------------------|-----9-----9\-|-4-6---6----6---|--------------|
A|---------------------|--------------|----------------|--------------|
E|---------------------|--------------|----------------|--------------|

Guitar 2 – C# Bmaj F#

Guitar 1

E|-------------------|--------------|-----------------|
B|-4h5p4---4---4-5-4-|/7~-7-5~-5-7~-|-9~-9-14~-14-----|
G|-------6---6-------|--------------|-------------13~-|
D|-------------------|--------------|-----------------|
A|-------------------|--------------|-----------------|
E|-------------------|--------------|-----------------|

Bridge – As Before!

Chorus – As Before!

End

Guitar 1

E|-------------------|-------4---|-----|-----------|

B|-4h5p4---4-----4---|-----4-----|-----|-----------|

G|-------6---4-6-----|---4-------|-----|-----------|

D|-----------------7-|-7---------|-----|-----------|
A|-------------------|-----------|-----|-----------|
E|-------------------|-----------|-----|-----------|

Guitar 2

E|------------|-----|-----|-----|

B|------------|-----|-----|-----|

G|-6----4---2-|-----|-----|-----|

D|-6----4---2-|-----|-----|-----|

A|-4----2---0-|-----|-----|-----|
E|------------|-----|-----|-----|