The Smiths – London (Guitar Tab)
Capo 2
• Video Lesson
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Speed:
1.0x
BEGINNING NOTES:
A few things before you start,
the way Johnny plays it and in my experience, you get a better, more accurate sound and tone.
You want to either use an overdrive pedal or kick your amp into overdrive for this one.
There will be two different ways the outro included in this tab.
I've used covers, a clip, and my own experimentation to compile this tab.
Credit to:
-The Smiths Live in London 1986 'Rank' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkMmiaORFig
-The Smiths live at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall 1986 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Klgz3HbTI&
-Ry Jones' cover on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K0nft9k1wY
Thank you for using my tab, I hope it is useful. Enjoy playing :)
KEY:
▼ = strum downward
▲ = strum upward
INTRO: e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x2 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
Notes:
Very simple, quick picking of open E string here. Strumming amounts seem to vary so do what you want here.
Same goes for all the repetitions of this riff throughout the song.
VERSE: "Smoke lingers 'round your fingers" e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x2 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-| ▼ ▼ ▼ e|-0-0--0---0-----0-----0-| B|-1-1--3-----3-----3-----| G|-2-2--4-------4-----4---| x1 D|-3-3--5-----------------| A|-3-3--5-----------------| E|------------------------| e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x1 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
Notes:
For the 2nd section here you can either play the power chords on their own or include the picking pattern,
they were both used so take your pick here. If you do the picking pattern too you'll want to be able to switch
to a cleaner sound with a pedal ideally.
BRIDGE:
"Oh...oh...oh"
e|-------------------0-----0-----0-| B|---3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----| G|-----4-----4-----4-----4-----4---| x1 D|-5-----5-----5-------------------| A|---------------------------------| E|---------------------------------| e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x2 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
Notes:
No change from the previous verse here.
VERSE: "You've left your tired family grieving" e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x2 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-| ▼ ▼ ▼ e|-0-0--0---0-----0-----0-| B|-1-1--3-----3-----3-----| G|-2-2--4-------4-----4---| x1 D|-3-3--5-----------------| A|-3-3--5-----------------| E|------------------------| e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x1 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
BRIDGE:
"And do you think you've made the right decision this time?"
e|-------------------0-----0-----0-| B|---3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----| G|-----4-----4-----4-----4-----4---| x1 D|-5-----5-----5-------------------| A|---------------------------------| E|---------------------------------| e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x1 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-| ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ e|-0-0--0-0--0-| B|-0-0--0-0--0-| G|-1-1--1-1--1-| x1 D|-2-2--2-2--2-| A|-2-2--2-2--2-| E|-0-0--0-0--0-|
Notes:
Abruptly mute the strings and carry on with the open string picking once you've strummed the last chord.
VERSE: "You've left your girlfriend on the platform" e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x2 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-| ▼ ▼ ▼ e|-0-0--0---0-----0-----0-| B|-1-1--3-----3-----3-----| G|-2-2--4-------4-----4---| x1 D|-3-3--5-----------------| A|-3-3--5-----------------| E|------------------------| e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x1 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
BRIDGE:
"And do you think you've made the right decision this time?"
e|-------------------0-----0-----0-| B|---3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----| G|-----4-----4-----4-----4-----4---| x1 D|-5-----5-----5-------------------| A|---------------------------------| E|---------------------------------| e|--------------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------| x1 D|--------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------| E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
OUTRO:
Studio Outro:
▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ e|-7-7-7-7-7-7--3-3-3--5-5-5--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--3-3-3--5-5-5-| B|-7-7-7-7-7-7--4-4-4--6-6-6--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--3-3-3--5-5-5-| G|-9-9-9-9-9-9--5-5-5--7-7-7--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--5-5-5--7-7-7-| x10 D|-9-9-9-9-9-9--5-5-5--7-7-7--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--5-5-5--7-7-7-| A|-7-7-7-7-7-7--3-3-3--5-5-5--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--3-3-3--5-5-5-| E|----------------------------------------------------------|
Live Outro:
▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ e|-7-7-7-7-7-7--3-3-3--5-5-5--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--3-3-3--5-5-5-| B|-7-7-7-7-7-7--4-4-4--6-6-6--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--3-3-3--5-5-5-| G|-9-9-9-9-9-9--5-5-5--7-7-7--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--5-5-5--7-7-7-| x8 D|-9-9-9-9-9-9--5-5-5--7-7-7--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--5-5-5--7-7-7-| A|-7-7-7-7-7-7--3-3-3--5-5-5--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--3-3-3--5-5-5-| E|----------------------------------------------------------| ▼ ▲ ▼ e|-0-0-0-| B|-0-0-0-| G|-2-2-2-| x1 D|-2-2-2-| A|-0-0-0-| E|-------|
Notes:
Strumming amounts here vary so use them more as a guideline.
On the studio outro, it fades out so the number of repeats given here represents how much you can hear until
it fades out.
On the live outro, sometimes Marr continuously strums the last notes rather than just the 3 strums shown here.
Your choice on what you want to do.
Again, you'll ideally want to switch to a cleaner sound for this section rather than have it distorted.
I'm not entirely confident on the accuracy of what I've put down here in terms of how Marr played the outro,
so if you have any suggestions/corrections please feel free to comment them.