Billy Joel – Miami 2017 Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway (Guitar Intro)

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There already was a tab that was right, it was just missing some of the nuances that left the song feeling a bit open when played on an acoustic guitar (or in a band). Credits to bJoelFan13 for the chords; all changes and tabs are my work from listening to the record. Side note: Billy Joel’s songs (chord progressions) make a whole lot more sense when they’re viewed on a piano. It’s really easy to see how Billy uses different inversions of chords to connect chords to each other through common tones. The funky A7* chord below (which is really an A7no5th), the A/C# and the G11 are the result of listening super carefully and playing on a keyboard to see what he’s doing. Also, some of the little fills (like D-Dsus4-D D (rest) Dsus4 ) aren’t always played by the guitar, but I think they definitely help. If some of the chord notation or tablature doesn’t quite make sense, comment below and I’ll try to explain; tabs are below the chords—any suggestions are welcome! P.S. This is my first tab/chords submitted on UG \m/ [Chords Used] D xx0232 D/F# 2x023x A x02220 G/D xx0003 C x32010 Gmaj7 3x0002 F#m7 242222 A7* x02253 G 320003 G/B x2003x B7sus2 x24222 G11** 3x042x Bb x13331 Bm x24432 Asus4 x02230 G/B* x2000x G* 320033 A/C# x4222x Dsus4 xx0233 ** on the G11, he plays the high C# on the B string a bit delayed the first time, just listen for it [Intro] D C G Bb D C G Bb D/F# Gmaj7 D G/B A G/B D A* B* C#* D* D G/B *notes with an asterix in the intro are single notes

D                   G/B           D     A7*
I've seen the lights go out on Broadway

Bm         G                 A Asus4 A  G11
 I saw the Empire State laid low.

F#m7                          Bm      
 And life went on beyond the Palisades,

B7sus2          D
 They all bought Cadillacs

A               G        G/B*   A/C#
 And left there long ago.

D            G/B            D       A7*  
 They held a concert out in Brooklyn

Bm            G              A Asus4 A  G11  (***Fill 1)
 To watch the Island bridges blow.

D/F#             G          
 They turned our power down

D              G/B
 And drove us underground

A            G/B                D    
 But we went right on with the show

[Interlude x2] D D A Asus4 A (Tab Below)

D              G/D              D       D-Dsus4-D D (rest) Dsus4
 I've seen the lights go out on Broadway

Bm         G           A  Asus4 A  G11
 I saw the ruins at my feet

F#m7                       Bm       B7sus2 
 You know we almost didn't notice it

Bm          A           Asus4-A         G             G/B*    A/C#  
We'd see it all the time       on Forty-Second Street.

D                G/D            D      D-Dsus4-D D (rest) Dsus4
 They burned the churches up in Harlem

Bm            G                A  Asus4 A  G11  *** Fill 1
 Like in that Spanish Civil War

D/F#              G
 The flames were everywhere

D           G/B           
 But no one really cared

A          G/B                   D
 It always burned up there before

[Interlude x2] D D A Asus4 A

D              G/D              D       D-Dsus4-D D (rest) Dsus4
 I've seen the lights go out on Broadway

Bm             G              A  Asus4 A  G11
 I watched the mighty skyline fall.

F#m7                          Bm      B7sus2 
 The boats were waiting at the Battery

Bm          A            A-Asus4-A
 The union went on strike

           G             G/B*   A/C#
They never sailed at all.

D              G/D           D       D-Dsus4-D D (rest) Dsus4       
They sent a carrier out from Norfolk

Bm             G              A  Asus4 A  G11  *** Fill 1
 And picked the Yankees up for free.

D/F#            G 
 They said that Queens could stay

D               G/B       
 They blew the Bronx away

A            G/B            D
 And sank Manhattan out at sea

[Interlude x2] D D A Asus4 A

D-D    D   D (rest)   G                        D (Fill 2)  
       You know those lights were bright on Broadway

Bm              G             A-Asus4-A  G11
 But that was so many years ago

F#m7                     Bm         B7sus2
 Before we all lived here in Florida

Bm           Asus4 A            G       G/B*  A/C#
 Before the Mafia     took over Mexico.

D G/D D (Fill 2/Fill3****) There are not many who remember

Bm          G                Asus4 A  G11  *** Fill 1
 They say a handful still survive

D/F#         G
 To tell the world about

D            G/B
The way the lights went  out

A               G/B       Bb5
 And keep the memory alive

(repeat and fade out): D C G Bb

[Intro]
**(This should be correct, but it’s really kinda hard to play and let notes ring.**
**Comment below if you know of an easier way—I’d love to know!)**
**Let as many notes as possible ring**
  e   e   e   s   s   e   e   e   e
e|-------------14--15--14---------------|
B|---------15--------------15------15---|
G|-11--14----------------------14-------|
D|-12-----------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|

   e   e   e   e   e   e   e   e
e|---------12------12--------------|
B|---------------------15------15--|
G|-----12------12----------12------|
D|-14------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|-15------------------------------|

   e   e   e   e   e   e    e   e
e|---------12------12---------------|
B|---------------------15-------15--|
G|-----12------12-----------12------|
D|-12-------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|
E|-14-------------------------------|

   e  e   e   e   e   e   e   e
e|--------12------12--10---------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|----10------10----------10-----------|
D|-12-------------------------12-------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-13----------------------------------|

   e   e   e   s  s  e   e   e   e
e|-------------2--3--2-----------5-----|
B|-----3-----------------3-------------|
G|---------------------------2---------|
D|-0-------0---------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

   e   e   e   e   e   e   e   e
e|-----3---2-----------5---------------|
B|-------------5---3-----------3-------|
G|-0-----------------------2-----------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

   e   e   e   e   e   e   e   e
e|-3---2-----------3---2---------------|
B|---------3---------------3-----------|
G|-------------0---------------0-------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-2-----------------------------------|

   e   e  e  q     e   e   e
e|-------------------------------------|
B|-3-p-1-------------------------------|
G|--------3----------------------------|
D|-3---------3-----2---0---2-----------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-1-----------------------------------|

[Interlude]
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|•------3--3-----------3---------3----------2--2-----3---3---3--2----•|
G|-------2--2-----------2---------2----------2--2-----2---2---3--2-----|
D|-------0--0-----------0---------0----------2--2-----2---2---2--2-----|
A|•-0--2----------0--2------0--2-------------0--0-----0---0---0--0----•|
E|-------------------------------------0--2----------------------------|

*** Fill 1 There’s a slight vibrato to each of these notes, and the grace notes (in parentheses) are just a quick slide into each note from the note below—just listen to the record, you’ll hear it.

e|-------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------/2vvv---(2)/4vvv---(4)/6vvv---(6)/4vvv-|
D|-/4vvv----(4)/5vvv-------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|

**** Fill 2

Let Ring-----|
E|--^2--3--2--0------------------------------------------------|
B|--^3-----------3---------------------------------------------|
G|--^2-----------4---------------------------------------------|
D|--^0-----------4---------------------------------------------|
A|---------------2---------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|

**** Fill 3 played over top by a horn or a synth or something (You can play either Fill 2 or Fill 3 here)

Very slight, quick vibrato on the A note
                                                  *Hold and slide out
e|--/5vvvvvvvv--5vvvvvvvv--7-9-10-----------(10)\--------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|