Only A Northern Song bass tab by The Beatles

Bass tabs

Recorded between FIXING A HOLE and BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR
   KITE, during SGT PEPPER'S sessions on February 1967, this song
   was put in a can until YELLOW SUBMARINE was signed with UA. So
   it had been rejected for the ALBUM and George was feeling he
   played a minor rol and was disappointed with his situation as
   a Beatle and the royalties he got from Northern Songs, on which
   he was actually complaining in the song. Its structure is odd
   and he uses some odd harmonies too in his organ chords. Paul's
   bass is great on the whole track and he also plays trumpet).
   John plays piano and tambourine and Ringo drums and percussion,
   including glockenspiel. There are lots of tape loops, speeded
   up bits and some foolish singing too in the coda.

   If you're listening to this song,
   You may think the chords are going wrong.
   But they're not
   We just wrote it like that

   When you're listening late at night,
   You may think the band are not quite right,
   But they are,
   They just play it like that

   It doesn't really matter what chords I play,
   What words I say,
   Or time of day it is
   As it's only a Northern song

   It doesn't really matter what clothes I wear,
   Or how I pur
   Or if my hair is brown
   When it's only a Northern song

   If you think the harmony
   Is a little dark and out of key,
   You're correct,
   There's nobody there

   And it told you there's no one there


   4/4
   INTRO

  e|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  B|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  G|-------------------------------|4-------4-------4-------------0H
  D|------------------------3---5--|2-------0-------2--------------|
  A|-------------------------------|3---------------2--------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|

  e|------- ------- ------- -------|7------ ------- ------- -------|
  B|-------------------------------|5------------------------------|
  G|-------------------------------|4------------------------------|
  D|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  A|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|

                     x  x  . . X x x  X x X

  e|----2-- 2------ --0-0-- 0---4--|------- ------- ------- -------|
  B|----3---3---------2-2---2---5--|-------------------------------|
  G|2-------------0H2-----------4--|-------------------------------|
  D|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  A|0---------------0--------------|-------------------------------|
  E|----------------------------0--|-------------------------------|

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


   VERSE
   00:08

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7-------7-------5-------5------|7---x---7---x---5-------5------|
  A|------------7-------7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
     If you're       to   this  song,
         listening


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7-------7---x---5-------5------|7-------7-------5-------5------|
  A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
     You may think  the   chords are   going      wrong.


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|9-------9-------5-------5------|9-------9-------5-------5------|
  A|----7-------7-------7-------7--|----7-------7-------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
                             But they're
                                 not


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|----------------5-------4------|-------------------12-\-9---9--|
  A|--------------------7-------7--|----7---7---5------------------|
  E|0---0---0---0------------------|0------------------------------|
             We just wrote it like that

                   2/2

  G|------- ------- 7------ -------|4------ -------|
  D|7---7-------7-----------4---7--|----7---4------|
  A|--------9-----------5----------|------------5--|
  E|-------------------------------|---------------|

   4/4
   VERSE
   00:32

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7---7-----------5-------5------|7---7-----------5-------5------|
  A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
     When  listening    late  at   night,
       you're


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- x------ ------- -------|
  D|7---7-----------5-------5------|7---7---x-------5-------5------|
  A|--------------------7-------7--|--------x-----------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|--------x----------------------|
     You may think  the   band      are not quite


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|9---9-----------5-------5------|9---9-----------5-------5------|
  A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7----------|
  E|-------------------------------|----------------------------0--|
   right,                       But they
                                 are,


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----7-- ----7-- -------|
  D|-------------------------------|----6---9---------------9---9--|
  A|------------7------------------/7------------------------------|
  E|0---0---0-------0---0---0---0--|-------------------------------|
             They  play  it like
               just        that

                   2/2

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|4------ -------|
  D|7---7-------7---0---0---4---7--|----7---4------|
  A|--------9----------------------|------------5-/|
  E|-------------------------------|---------------|
                       It
   4/4
   CHORUS
   00:54

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----4-- 6---6-- 6------|
  D|--------6---9---9-------9-\----|5---5---5-------------------6--|
  A|7---7---------------9----------|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
   doesn't really matter what  chords I    play,    what


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|4---4-- ------- 4------ ----4--|
  D|4-------4-------4-------4------|------------4-----------4------|
  A|----4-------4-------4-------4--|--------5-----------5----------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
   words  I    say,  or   time  of   day   it

             REFRAIN
                   3/4

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ----6--|
  D|4---4---4---4---4---4---4---7--|----4---7---7-------7--|
  A|-------------------------------|5----------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-----------------------|
   is         As it's      a  Northern
                 only

                  x x X   x x  X x x x x x

  G|9------ ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|9------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  A|7------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
   song

   VERSE (INSTRUMENTAL)
   01:12

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7---7---7-------5-------5------|7-------7-------5-------5------|
  A|--------------7-----7-------7--|------------7-------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|



  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7-------7-------5-------5------|7-------7-------5-------5------|
  A|----7-------7-------7-------7--|----7-------7-------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|



  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|9-------9-------5-------5------|9-------9-------5-------5------|
  A|----7-------7-------7-------7--|----7-------7-------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|



  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----7--|
  D|-------------------------------|----6---9------|
  A|------------7-------7---7------|7--------------|
  E|0---0---0-------0-----------0--|---------------|



  G|----7-- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|--------9---9---7---7-------7--|----7---9---7---------------7--|
  A|------------------------9------|9---------------9-------9------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------10----------|
                               It

   CHORUS
   01:33

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----4-- 6---6-- 6------|
  D|--------6---9---9-------9-\----|5---5---5-------------------6--|
  A|7---7---------------9----------|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
   doesn't really matter what  clothes I    wear,  or


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|4-------4-------4-------4------|9\--9\--9\--9\--9\--9\--9---7--|
  A|----4-------4-4-----4-------4--|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
   how   I    pur   or   If   my   hair   is


             REFRAIN


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----6-- -------|
  D|----------------------------7--|----4---7---7-------7--|
  A|9---9---9-----9-9-------9------|5-----------7----------|
  E|-------------------------------|-----------------------|
   brown        When  only    a  Northern
               it's


                  xxx X   x x  X X X X x  x

  G|9------ ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|9------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  A|7------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
   song

   VERSE
   01:50

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7---7-----------5-------5------|7---7-------7---5-------5------|
  A|--------------7-----7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
     If you think  the   harmony


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7---7---7-----7-5-------5------|7---7---7-----7-5---5-5-----5-5|
  A|--------------------7-------7--|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
     Is a  little     dark    and out   of   key,


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|7---7---7-----7-5-------5------|7---7---7-----7-5-------5------|
  A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7----------|
  E|-------------------------------|----------------------------0--|
                             You're
                               correct,


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- -------|
  D|----------------5-------5------|--------6---7--|
  A|--/-7---7---7-------7-------7--|----7----------|
  E|0------------------------------|0--------------|
                 There's     there
                   nobody


  G|------- 7---7-- 7---7-- 7------|------- 4------ ------- -------|
  D|----7--------------------------|4---7-------7---4-------4------|
  A|----------------------------5--|--------------------5-------5--|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|

   CHORUS (INSTRUMENTAL)
   02:12

  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----4-- 6---6-- 6------|
  D|--------6---9---9-------9-\---4|5---5---5---------------------2|
  A|7---7---------------9----------|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|



  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|4-----2-4-------4---4---4-2----|------------4---------------4--|
  A|----------------------------4--|2---2---5-------5---2---5------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|


             REFRAIN


  G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----6-- -------|
  D|4---4---4---4-4-4---4---4------|----4---7---7-------7--|
  A|-------------------------------|5-----------7----------|
  E|-------------------------------|-----------------------|
             And   told  you there's   one
               it         no


             X    xxxx x  X x   x  X x  X x x

  G|9------ ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
  D|9------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  A|7------------------------------|-------------------------------|
  E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
   there.


   INSTRUMENTAL CODA (VERSE, CHORUS, VERSE)
   02:29 ....





    B Bend
    R Release
    / slide up
    \ slide down
    H hammer-on
    P pull-off
    ~ vibrato
    + harmonic
    x Mute note
    . - play note like a dot in standard notation
    ^ - ties two notes together
    (. Pause