Logo for GuitarTabsExplorer
Only A Northern Song Bass Tab by The Beatles

Only A Northern Song bass tab by The Beatles

Bass Tab

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.



🎸
Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

     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

Your last visited songs

The Beatles bass tabs for Only a northern song

What is this?

Learn how to play "Only A Northern Song" by The Beatles with our easy-to-follow guide. Build confidence, sharpen your technique, and enjoy playing guitar.

Who Is This Page For?

This bass tabs tutorial for "Only A Northern Song" by The Beatles is crafted for all musicians players ready to learn and grow. Whether you're just starting or refining your skills, this guide meets you where you are.

Why This Page Is Perfect for You

No matter your skill level, this page is a valuable resource for improving your guitar bass tab playing.

What You Will Gain

By using our bass tabs, you’ll not only learn to play "Only A Northern Song" by The Beatles with accuracy and style, but you'll also elevate your overall musicianship. Explore our full archive of bass tabs for more songs, skills, and inspiration.

Find guitar tabs and chords

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

×