The funky little riff during the verses goes something like this: (Clean with a little echo) e|---------------------------| B|--------------------------.| Palm mute it and repeat for the length of G|----------------------H----| the verse (8 times I think) D|-----9-9-7-7-9-X-9-7-7-9--.| A|-7-7-----------------------| E|---------------------------|
[Chorus]
Here's how I play the chords: (A little distortion & chorus) G C D e|-3---3---2-| B|-3---3---3-| I won't bother putting this part in tab, G|-O---O---2-| just strum each chord where it says to D|-O---2---O-| and then arpeggiate the notes of the chord A|-X---3-----| letting the notes ring. E|-3---------|
G D But I can see you, you brown skin shining in the sun D C You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby D D I can tell you my love for you will still be strong D C After the boys of summer have gone
The second verse is basically the same as the first, but it has this funkey lick thrown in at the end: (Distorted) e|-----------------12~~~--| B|-/--/8------10^F~~~~~~--| G|-/9-(9)-9-7-------------| D|------------------------| A|------------------------| E|------------------------|
Then there's the second Chorus... same chords as the first
Then there's the Bridge: (Clean with a little echo) e|------------------------------------| B|----------------P------------------.| This is repeated thorught G|-9-9-7-7-------9-7----9--7----------| the bridge. D|---------10-10-----10-------10-10--.| A|------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------| (Palm Muted)
Here's the riffs for the part after the bridge:
> P > e|-10-7------||---P-----||-----H--P-----------------|--------------------------| B|------10~~-||-12-10~~-||-10-8-10-8----H-P---------|(8)----8---8-10-10/12-(8)-| G|-----------||---------||-----------9-7-9-7---7/9~-|-9-9-9---9------------9-9~| D|-----------||---------||-------------------9------|--------------------------| A|-----------||---------||--------------------------|--------------------------| E|-----------||---------||--------------------------|--------------------------|
There's some interesting guitar stuff on all the songs on this CD, no shredding, or incredible chops, but Mike Campbell & Danny Kortchmar definitely have STYLE!!
If you don't have this CD (Building The Perfect Beast), BUY IT!!! It's an awesome CD...All She Wants to Do is Dance, Sunset Grill, Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed, and of course this song are all AWESOME tunes!!!
(I should be posting Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed soon)
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| H - Hammer-On | P - Pull-Off | ^f - Full Bend | ~ - Vibrato | / - Slide up | \ - Slide down
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Tunning: Standard (E A D G B e)
The Boys Of Summer by Don Henley
Transcribed by Larry Whittaker
Updated May 7th, 2016 Fixed quite a few things to clear up any confusion and to adjust a few notes so it's easier to play and more correct.
I believe this is now the most correct version available.
****************************************** ***** TUNE TO E FLAT (1/2 step down) ***** ******************************************
Key: H - Hammer-On P - Pull-Off ^F - Full Bend ^H - Half Bend / - Slide up \ - Slide down ~ - Vibrato
Use a clean standard tone with chorus effect for chord richness and make good use of neck and bridge pickup switching. A few leads use the bridge pickup with distortion. I have loved this song ever since it was release and since none of the tabs I found were exactly accurate, I decided to give it a go.
Please comment if you find anything that needs changing. Thanks.
Intro
KEYBOARDS ARRANGED FOR GUITAR -- Dsus4
We'll call this triplet K (plays 16 times over intro before vocals).
Verse A The rhythm played underneath the verse is simply an easy A7 arpeggio (Once each per line - 8x total)
|---------PM----------| e------------------------------| B-----0-0----------0--0--------| G---------2-2--------2---------| D-2-2----------2-2-------------| A------------------------------| E------------------------------| Conversely it can be played even easier if you wish (I play this) |---------PM-----------| e------------------------------| B------------------------------| G------------------------------| D-----9-9-7-7------9-7-9-------| A-7-7----------7-7-------------| E------------------------------|
Play Verse A over vocals
Em Nobody on the road Nobody on the beach C I feel it in the air the summer's out of reach D Empty lake, empty streets tThe sun goes down alone C I'm drivin' by your house though I know you're not at home
Chorus Play 2x ***** Switch to BRIDGE PICKUP ***** Dsus4 G D | D D C(add9) e-3-3-----2---3-2---2-0-----0-0------------------------| B-3--3----3---3-3---3--3----3--3-----------------------| G-0---0---2---2-2---2---2---0---0----------------------| D-0-------0---0-0---0-------2--------------------------| A-X-------------------------3--------------------------| E-3----------------------------------------------------|
G D Dsus4 D But I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun D C(add9) You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby G D Dsus4 D I can tell you my love for you will still be strong D C(add9) After the boys of summer have gone
***** Switch to NECK PICKUP ***** P e------|---|------------|---|----------|---|-10-7-----|---|--------| B------|---|------------|---|----------|---|------10--|---|--------| G-7-9~-|---|--H--7--H---|---|---7-9-7~-|---|----------|---|--------| D------|---|-7-9---7-9--|---|-/9-------|---|----------|---|--------| A------|---|------------|---|----------|---|----------|---|--------| E------|---|------------|---|----------|---|----------|---|--12\---|
Repeat Verse
Em I never will forget those nights, I wonder if it was a dream C Remember how you made me crazy? Remember how I made you scream D Now I don't understand what happened to our love C But babe, I'm gonna get you back...
(Distorted fill near end of verse)
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of e--------------------------------12----| B--------------------------------------| G-----------12-12^H------12-14^F-------| D-----------12-12^H--/14---------------| A--------------------------------------| E--------------------------------------|
G D Dsus4 D But I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun D C(add9) I see you walkin' real slow and you're smilin' at everyone G D Dsus4 D I can tell you my love for you will still be strong D C(add9) After the boys of summer have gone
Interlude (May be played as what's comfortable to you but these are the notes sounded) P P H P |------DISTORTION------| e-10-7------||---P-----||-5-3-5-3---3--P-----H---||------------------------| B------10~~-||-12-10~~-||---------5---5-3---3-5--||-----8---8-10-10^F------| G-----------||---------||-----------------4------||/9-9---9-----------9-9~-| D-----------||---------||------------------------||------------------------| A-----------||---------||------------------------||------------------------| E-----------||---------||------------------------||------------------------|
Repeat Verse: (The seagull sounds may be a synth effect but can be created by scraping the pick against the higher strings with a delay effect. A metal pick works even better, i.e. a dime)
Em Out on the road today, I saw a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac C A little voice Inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back." D I thought I knew what love was, what did I know? C Those days are gone forever, I should just let them go but-
Repeat Chorus: (2X)
G D Dsus4 D But I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun D C(add9) You got that top pulled down and that radio on, baby G D Dsus4 D I can tell you my love for you will still be strong D C(add9) After the boys of summer have gone
G D Dsus4 D But I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun D C(add9) You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby G D Dsus4 D I can tell you my love for you will still be strong D C(add9) After the boys of summer have gone
Outro:
The outro is played perhaps using two guitars but very easily done with one. Play 2x
Intro: Guitar 2 (This whole part is actually played on synthesizer keyboard, but every other tab this, so here it is) e|------|-------|------|----------|----------------------------------------| b|------|-------|------|----------|--7-6---7-6---7-6---7-6---7-6---7-6-----| g|------|-------|------|----------|------6-----6---------------------------| d|------|-------|------|----------|----------------------------------------| a|------|-------|------|----------|----------------------------------------| E|------|-------|------|----------|----------------------------------------| ____________________________________________________________________________
[Verse]
Verse: Guitar 1 (In the song, it sounds like he just strums it once, but I just keep strumming it, so do you want) e|------6------|--------------|---------------|--------------| b|------7------|------4-------|------6--------|-------4------| g|------8------|------4-------|------6--------|-------4------| d|------8------|------4-------|------6--------|-------4------| a|------6------|------2-------|------4--------|-------2------| E|-------------|--------------|---------------|--------------|
Verse: Guitar 1 (In the song, it sounds like he just strums it once, but I just keep strumming it, so do you want) e|------6------|--------------|---------------|--------------| b|------7------|------4-------|------6--------|-------4------| g|------8------|------4-------|------6--------|-------4------| d|------8------|------4-------|------6--------|-------4------| a|------6------|------2-------|------4--------|-------2------| E|-------------|--------------|---------------|--------------|
Bridge: Guitar 1 (I'm not entierly sure, what Guitar 2 does, and I'm not sure on the exact picking for 1, but this is pretty close) (cont. throughout bridge) e|----------------------------| b|------4-4--2-2-----4-4--2-4-| g|--4-4----------4-4----------| d|----------------------------| a|----------------------------| E|----------------------------|
The song fades out with guitar 1 playing the chorus, and guitar 2 has the cool ending thing: ____________________________________________________________________________
Ending Chorus: Guitar 2 Play x7 and then.....................fades out on this e|---6---6------|------------------|---6---6------| b|-----9---7--7-|--7----7-----7//9-|-----9---7--7-| g|-----------6--|---6-6---6-6------|-----------6--| d|--------------|------------------|--------------| a|--------------|------------------|--------------| E|--------------|------------------|--------------|
I know the part in the middle on the ending chorus isn't right, but post any suggestions have...
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//=slide up \\=slide down p= pull off h= hammer on