I Had A Good Time Tab by Boston

I Had A Good Time tab by Boston

Guitar Tab

This tab is all my work.  Would anyone else want to take
credit for this anyway?  I doubt it :)
 
What can I say.....As usual Tom Scholz lays down multiple
guitar tracks and layers his riffs dripping with harmony.  
 
When I sat down to extract most of this I was doing it on
my acoustic guitar.  Accordingly, I would expect the
arpeggios to be some type of standard barre chord
shape (like G#), but have some slight modal changes.
 
With all of the previous in mind, this is far from totally
accurate.  However, it should be close enough to give you a
real good indication of what is happening in the song.
 
One day I may finish this with my Ibanez cranked up.
The way its meant to be played!  Long live the sound surgeon
...Master Scholz
 
Note: Of course, it helps if you have all the SR&D equipment
to give you that Boston sound.  ;)
 
 
                            🏷Legend
============================================================
(My comments)
(1:26)  Shows the time line in the song where tab matches.
 
b = bent full note -the number in parenthesis is what you
 should bend up to
p = pull off
h = hammer on
V = downward picking (listed above the fret board)
^ = upward picking (listed above the fret board)
~ = vibrato (shake that string :-)
< = volume pan (he is using a volume pedal)
 
^v^v = tremolo (use your whammy)  :P
 
>Oooooh Ahhhh< = lyrics
============================================================
 
 
 
 
 
Intro
 >Oooooh....<
 
               Lead Guitar
(intro chord here - every so slightly palm muted barre chord)
(gives you that thumpy/chunky sound)
 
E-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--------4--------4---------4--------------4
A-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6--------6--------6---------6--6-6-4-6-4-6-6
D-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6--6-----6--6-----6---6-----6--8-8-6-8-6-8-6
G--------------------3-5------3-5-------3-5-----------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
 
       >Oooooh....<
            >Ooooooh....<
 
E-------------4----------4--------------4-------------------
A-------------6----------6--------------6----6-11-11-6------
D--------6----6-----6----6-----6------3-6----8-13-13-8------
G----------3-5--------3-5-------5h6p5-----------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
 
 >Hey,                     you can be so unfair<
 
(0:19) 
E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
G-----and you know,  I will remember<
 >you said you'd always be there when you go<
 

(Arpeggio fills - my best guess with no amp to test on-
 cuz its late at night and the kids are sleepin')
 
Chorus:
 
 >Hey, just wanted you to know<
 >I wish you were mine<
 >And I, I just wanted you to know<
 >I had a good time<
 
(this arpeggio - or something like it, repeats throughout
 the chorus {and in other locations in the song})
 
(Sorry folks, someone with [AMP]litude needs to thrash this
one out.)
 
   G#        C#         D#       G#
   v v  ^    v v  ^     v v  ^   v v  ^
E--4-----------------------------4--------------------------
A----6-------4----------6----------6------------------------
D----6--6------6--6-------6--6-----6--6---------------------
G-------5---------5----------5--------5---------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
 
 >Ooh, I had a really good time<
 
 
(0:56)    (First Lead)
E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----66-66-66-66-------66-66-66-66------66-66-66-66--------
G------------------3-5--------------3-5---------------3-5-5-
B-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
   (At least two guitars playing a similar lick here)
E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
G-----5h6p5-3~~~~-------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
 
 >You can lie and I still believe it<
 >It's Ok, it doesn't matter<
 >I know that you really mean it<
 >In your own way<
 
Chorus again
 
 
  >Hey, I had a really good time<

(1:42)
E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D-6~~~~-----------3-----------------------------------------
G-------3b(5)-3-1-----3b(5)-3-1---1-3-5-5-6-5h6p5-3-5-3h5p3-
B-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
 

(1:50)
E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
G---1---------------10-8------------------------------------
B-----9~~~-9~~~-8-9----------------11-9-11--9h11p9-8--------
E------------------------9-8h9p8----------------------------
                                
 

 

(2:13)  (hold the bent string and play it twice)
E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D---9b(10)--(10)--(10)-11---6-8-----------------------------
G----------------------------------6-8^v^v------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
       
 >Well, I've been in love<
 >But nothing lasts forever<
 >So just hold on long enough<
 >And maybe you'll end up together<
 >It's Alriiiiight          Yeah Yeah Yeah<

(2:40)
E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------
B------------------11p9p8-9-9-----9-6~~~~--9-----9--9-------
E-----------------------------6-8------------6-8------6-8-8-
 

E-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------
B------------9-----9---9-----9------------------------------
E--8h9p8-6-----6-8-------6-8--------------------------------
 

 >You can lie to my face and I'll believe it<
 >It's OK, 'cause there's a feelin' you can't replace<
 >You didn't mean it, anyway....<
 
Chorus out
 
Note:  When I can plug in and crank the volume, I'll fix this
mess of tab and give you folks some more defined tab. In the
meantime get some peace of mind...
 
mikementen@myeastern.com

Last updated: September 10, 2025

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