Bass tabs
As recorded by Cream
(From the 1968 Album WHEELS OF FIRE)
Words and Music by Ginger Baker & Mike Taylor
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Jack Bruce - Bass'
Intro
Q=133
4/4
Gtr I
Q. E E E Q +H E E E E Q. E E E Q +W
|---------------|----------------|---------------|--------|
|------------5--|-(5)----7-5-3---|-5------5---7--|-(7)----|
|-5----7-8------|----------------|------8--------|--------|
|---------------|----------------|---------------|--------|
Q. E +Q Q Q E E Q. E Q. E +Q Q Q E E Q. E
|----------------|-7\-------------|----------------|-7\-------------||
|-------------7--|----------------|-------------7--|----------------||
|-5----8-(8)-----|-----5---3----5-|-5----8-(8)-----|-----5---3----5-||
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------||
1st Verse
Q. E +Q Q Q E E E E E E Q. E +Q Q Q E E H
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-------------|
|-------------7--|----------------|-------------7--|-------------|
|-5----8-(8)-----|----5---3-5---5-|-5----8-(8)-----|----5---3----|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-------------|
5/4 4/4
Q. E +Q H Q. E +Q. E E E H. Q. E Q. E
|------------------|----------------|-------------|---------------|
|------------------|------4-(4)-----|-------------|------4-4------|
|-------------7----|-5------------5-|-3---5-------|-5-----------5-|
|-5----8-(8)-------|----------------|-------------|---------------|
E Q E +Q Q E Q E +E Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|----------------|---7--7-(7)-7--7-|-5-5-4-4---------|-----------------|
|---5--4-(4)-----|-----------------|---------7-7-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
|-3-----------7--|-5---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
2nd Verse
E E E E E E E E Q. E +Q Q Q E E Q. E Q. E +Q Q
|-----------------||----------------|-7\-------------|----------------|
|-----------------||-------------7--|----------------|-------------7--|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||-5----8-(8)-----|-----5---3----5-|-5----8-(8)-----|
|-----------------||----------------|----------------|----------------|
5/4 4/4
Q E E H Q. E +Q H Q. E +Q. E E Q E +Q Q
|-------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
|-------------|------------------|------4-(4)-----|---5--4-(4)-----|
|----5---3----|-------------7----|-5------------5-|-3-----------7--|
|-------------|-5----8-(8)-------|----------------|----------------|
Q H E E E Q E +E Q E Q Q Q E E E E Q E E E E
|-------------|-----------------|----7---------|----------------|
|----4--------|---5--4-(4)------|--------------|----------------|
|-5-------7-5-|-3----------7--7-|-5-----5--5-4-|-3---2--0-0-----|
|-------------|-----------------|--------------|------------3-3-|
Chorus
Q Q E E E E E E E E E E E E Q. E E E Q +H E E E E
|---------------|-----------------||---------------|----------------|
|----3--3-3-3-3-|-----------------||------------5--|-(5)----7-5-----|
|---------------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||-5----7-8------|------------8---|
|-1-------------|-----------------||---------------|----------------|
Q. E Q Q +W Q. E E E Q +H H
|--------------|------------|---------------|--------4----|
|-5------5--7--|-(7)--------|------5-7---5--|-(5)---------|
|------8-------|------------|-8-------------|-------------|
|--------------|------------|---------------|-------------|
E E E E E E E E H Q Q W Q. E E E Q
|-----------------|------------|----------|---------------|
|-7-5-3---5-3-2---|-3----------|----------|------------5--|
|-----------------|------------|----------|-5----7-8------|
|-----------------|---------3--|-5--------|---------------|
+H E E E E Q. E E E E E E E E E E E E E H. Q
|----------------|----------------|-----------------|------------|
|-(5)----7-5-3---|-5------5-7-7-7-|-----------------|-5----------|
|----------------|------8---------|-----------------|---------8--|
|----------------|----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|------------|
Guitar Solo
+H E E E E H. Q +H. Q E Q E S S E S S E
|----------------|------------|----------/14--||-------9-12h14---14h16p14-|
|--------5-------|------------|---------------||---12---------------------|
|-(8)------8-7---|-7----------|---------------||--------------------------|
|----------------|---------5--|-(5)-----------||--------------------------|
E S S +E E S S E S S E +E S S +E E E. S S S E
|-----------------12h14---14h16p14-|-(14)---------------12--14-14h16p14-|
|---12-12-(12)-14------------------|------12-12-(12)-14-----------------|
|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
+E S S +E E E. S S S E
|-(14)---------------12--14-14h16p14-|
|------12-12-(12)-14-----------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
E S S +E E E. S S S E
|-14---------------12--14-14h16p14-|
|----12-12-(12)-14-----------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
E E S S E E E S S E E E S S E E E E E
|---14-14h16p14-14-12-12h14----|---14-14h16p14-------12-14--|
|---------------------------12-|---------------12-14--------|
|------------------------------|----------------------------|
|------------------------------|----------------------------|
E E S S E E E S E.
|---14-14h16p14-------12h14--|
|---------------12-14--------|
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
E E S S E E E E E E E E E E E Q
|---14-14h16p14-------12-14-|------------------16--|
|---------------12-14-------|---12-14-12-14-12-14--|
|---------------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------------|----------------------|
E Q E +E E E E E Q E E E E E E E Q H
|---14----12-(12)-14--------|---16--14-16-14-14-12-|--------------||
|---12-14-12--14--12--10----|----------------------|--------------||
|------------------------12-|---17--16-14-12-12-10-|-12-----------||
|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------||
E E E E E Q.
3rd Verse
Q. E +Q Q Q E E Q E E Q. E +Q Q Q E E H
|----------------|-7\-------------|----------------|-7\-----------|
|-------------7--|----------------|-------------7--|--------------|
|-5----8-(8)-----|-----5---3----5-|-5----8-(8)-----|-----5---3----|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|--------------|
5/4 4/4
Q. E +Q H Q. E +E E Q E Q E +E Q E Q E E +E E Q
|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|------------------|------4-(4)------|---5--4-(4)------|------4-(4)------|
|-------------7----|-5----------7-5--|-3----------7--7-|-5--5-------7-5--|
|-5----8-(8)-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E Q E +E E Q E E E E E S S E E E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----7---7-7-7-7-7-|-5-5-4-4----------|
|---5--4-(4)-4----|-------------------|---------7-7-5-5--|
|-3------------7--|-5-5---5-----------|------------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------|
Out-Chorus
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Q. E E E Q +H E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------||---------------|----------------|
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------||------------5--|-(5)----7-5-----|
|-----------------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||-5----7-8------|------------8---|
|-----------------|-----------------||---------------|----------------|
Q. E E E Q +Q Q Q E E Q. E E E Q +H H
|---------------|----------------|---------------|--------4----|
|-5------5---7--|-(7)-----7------|------5-7---5--|-(5)---------|
|------8--------|----------------|-8-------------|-------------|
|---------------|------5-----5-5-|---------------|-------------|
E E E E E E E E H Q E E W Q. E E E Q
|-----------------|-------------|----------|---------------|
|-7-5-3---5-3-2---|-3-----------|----------|------------5--|
|-----------------|-------------|----------|-5----7-8------|
|-----------------|---------3---|-5--------|---------------|
+H E E E E Q. E E E E E E E E E E E E E Q. E E E Q
|----------------|----------------|-----------------|---------------|
|-(5)----7-5-3---|-5------5-7-7---|-----------------|-5----7-5------|
|----------------|------8---------|-----------------|------------8--|
|----------------|--------------5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|---------------|
+H E E E E H. Q +W +W
|----------------|------------|------------|--------*|
|--------5-------|------------|------------|--------*|
|-(8)------8-7---|-7----------|------------|--------*|
|----------------|---------5--|-(5)--------|-(5)----*|
Duration 🏷Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature 🏷Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
n: - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
- volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc 🏷Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
When the city of Atlantis stood serene above the sea,
Long time before our time when the world was free,
Those were the days.
Golden cymbals flying on ocarina sounds,
Before wild Medusa's serpents gave birth to hell
Disguised as heaven.
Those were the days, yes they were, those were the days.
Those were their ways, miracles everywhere are they now?
They're gone.
Those were their ways, yes they were, those were their ways.
Those were the days, yes they were, those were the days.
Tie your painted shoes and dance, blue daylight in your hair,
Overhead a noiseless eagle fans a flame.
Wonder everywhere.
Those were the days, yes they were, those were the days.
Those were their ways, miracles everywhere are they now?
They're gone.
Those were their ways, yes they were, those were their ways.
