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Band: The Smiths
Song: Back to the Old House
Album: Hatful of Hollow
Thom Mills dustbin_man@hotmail.com
This is a transcript I made of "Back to the Old House" by the Smiths. It's from the acoustic
version from "Hatfull of Hollow". The notes on the high e string are heavily emphasized
and ring loudly. This should be pretty close to the recording, though there are a few
notes different here and there.
PATTERN A:
------------------------|-------0----------------
-0---1-1----------------|-0---1------------------
-----------------0-2---0|-----------------0-2---0
---2-----------2-----3--|---2-----------2-----3--
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-------3-2-0-----3----
------------------------|------------------------
I would...
-----------------0------|-------0---------0------
-0---1---------1---1---0|-1---3---3-1-3-----1---0
-------0----------------|------------------------
---2-----------2-----3--|---2---------0-------3--
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-----------------3----
------------------------|------------------------
...rather not go back to the old house...I would
repeat Pattern A once
LEAD IN TO PATTERN B:
rather not go back to the old house
------------------------|-------0----------------
-0---1-1----------------|-0---1------------------
-----------------0-2---0|-----------------0-2---0
---2-----------2-----3--|---2-----------2-----3--
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-------3-2-0-----3----
------------------------|------------------------
PATTERN B:
there's too many bad memories
-------1---------------0|-------1----------------
-1---1-------0---1-3----|-1---1-------0---1-3---0
-2-2-------2------------|-0-0-------2------------
------------------------|------------------------
-3-----3----------------|-3-----1----------------
-------------3-----3----|-------------3-----3----
there's too many memories there
-------1---------------0|-----------0------------
-1---1-------0---1-3----|-------3----------------
-0-0-------2------------|-----------------0-----0
------------------------|---------------2-----2--
-3-----3----------------|-----2-------2-----3----
-------------3-----3----|-0-3---0----------------
-----------0------------|-----------0-----------0
-------3----------------|-------3-----------2----
-----------------0-----0|-----------------2------
---------------2-----2--|---------------0--------
-----2-------2-----3----|-----2-------2----------
-0-3---0----------------|-0-3---0----------------
------------------------|------------------------|-0----
-------3-----3-----3----|-3-----3-----3-----3----|---3-0
-----0-0-----0-----0----|-0-----2---2-2---2-2---2|------
---0-------0-----0-----0|-----0---3-----3-----3--|------
-2-------2-----2-----2--|---2--------------------|------
------------------------|------------------------|------
repeat pattern A twice ("When you cycled by...", "And you never knew...")
lead in to pattern B ("Are you still there?"
pattern B ("Or have you..."
repeat first two bars twice (or so)
play
-----------------0------|-------0----------------
-0---1---------1---1---0|-1---3------------------
-------0----------------|-----------------0-2---0
---2-----------2-----3--|---2-----------2-----3--
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-------3-2-0-----3----
------------------------|------------------------
repeat first two bars many times (about four?)
end on slowly
------------------------|-----------3-3-3--------
-0---1------------------|-0---1------------------
-------0---------0-2---0|-------0----------------
---2-----------2-----3--|---2--------------------
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3----------------------
------------------------|------------------------
Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
Matt Lead Player |
#1 by Matt Cromwell at Apr 26, 1973 at 2:15 PM EST |
| i love this song because it's lyrics are clever but so simple at the same time. but as practically everyone has said before, the acoustic one is so much better | |
|
No Picture
Speed Demon Professional |
#2 by Speed Demon at Mar 16, 1975 at 4:37 AM EST |
| I like this version better than the Hatful of Hollow version. Great song | |
|
No Picture
Chris Average |
#3 by Chris Tucker at Feb 23, 1980 at 9:52 PM EST |
| Yes you are very much right in my opinion too such a beautiful song and heatbreakingly sad - I always cry | |
|
No Picture
More Cowbell Lead Player |
#4 by More Cowbell at Jul 31, 1994 at 2:11 AM EST |
| i just got thsi song. so sad. yeah your right on the meaning. | |
|
No Picture
Jp Wanna Be |
#5 by Jp Collins at Nov 15, 2001 at 2:48 PM EST |
| Agreed. This is a fantastic song either way though, the lyrics are absolutely wonderful | |
|
No Picture
robert Professional |
#6 by robert cunningham at Apr 15, 2003 at 11:05 PM EST |
| a truly beautiful song 4 comments? bah deserves much more | |
|
No Picture
Ace Average |
#7 by Ace Of Spades at May 28, 2005 at 1:51 PM EST |
| This song is so lovely. | |
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