Smashing Young Man tab by Collective Soul

Smashing Young Man - Collective Soul
from COLLECTIVE SOUL, 1995.

Transcription by Duncan Koerber

I love the main riff of this song. It's fun to play. This is the
song rumoured to be about Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.
The lyrics certainly are appropriate.

There's two different "versions" of this riff in the song.
I've tabbed the chord formation and progression, if you want the
"chuka-chuka" sound of the guitar in the left channel, hit the muted G B
and E strings (that's the way I like it). Of course, to get the rhythm
right listen to the cd. I like to play the first four or six strums as
downstrokes only and then do alternate (up and down) strumming for the rest
of the riff. It gives it a kinda funky feel rather than a metal feel.

DROP-D tuning.

MAIN RIFF:
E----------------------------------
B----------------------------------
G----------------------------------
D--5-5/8--8--8--8-8-8-8-8-8-10-8---
A--5-5/8--8--8--8-8-8-8-8-8-10-8---
D--5-5/8--8--8--8-8-8-8-8-8-10-8---

RIFF TWO:
E--x-8--x-x-8--x-x-8--x-x-8--x-x---  Well, I'd tab out all eight required
B--x-10-x-x-10-x-x-10-x-x-10-x-x---  but four is enough. The x's
G--x-10-x-x-10-x-x-10-x-x-10-x-x---  mean hit the muted strings.
D--x-10-x-x-10-x-x-10-x-x-10-x-x---  This part relies on that effect.
A--x-8--x-x-8--x-x-8--x-x-8--x-x---
D--x-x--x-x-x--x-x-x--x-x-x--x-x---

MAIN RIFF
Beggar's Description, of what I've ...
RIFF TWO
hey I hope your feeling, a ...

MAIN RIFF
Success is so tragic, pain is ...
RIFF TWO
hey, I hope you're ...
MAIN RIFF
RIFF TWO
Hey, I hope you're feeling...

CHORUS:

A#5          C5                 G#5
   Help me I plea, I ...
              D#5  A#5
your ways and your means ...
           C5                     G#5
help me to see, the ...
               D#5 A#5
you're wearing me thin ...

MAIN RIFF
you preach synthetic-like, ....
RIFF TWO
hey, I hope you're ...
MAIN RIFF
RIFF TWO
hey, I want to tell you, I ....

REPEAT CHORUS

G5                        C5
I don't recall ...
G5                     F5
I don't recall ....
G5                           C5
I don't recall ...
           D#                           G#
but I'm so impressed, with the ....

SOLO: (over chorus chord progression)
       anyone want to tab this great solo?

CHORDS:

A#5     - 888xxx
C5      - 10,10,10,x,x,x
G5      - 555xxx
F5      - 333xxx
G#5     - 666xxx
G#      - x,11,13,13,13,11
D#      - x68886