Lions Bass Tab by Dire Straits

Lions bass tab by Dire Straits

Bass Tab

Lions by Dire Straits: Guitar, Bass & Songwriting Insights

"Lions" by Dire Straits is an instrumental track from their album "Love Over Gold." Mark Knopfler's signature fingerpicking style shines through on this track, showcasing his impeccable technique and tone. The song features a haunting melody played on a resonator guitar, adding a unique texture to the band's sound. John Illsley's solid bassline anchors the song, providing a steady groove for Knopfler's guitar work to soar over.

Tuning: Standard tuning
Difficulty: Intermediate 💪

-------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Artist - Dire Straits
                    ***********************
                         Song - Lions
                        **************
                  Album - Dire Straits (1978)
                 *****************************
                    Tabbed By - Ayreon77
                   **********************
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuning = Standard


INTRO - Low
******
G|-11--11-|---------s-------|-11---11--11-|--------s----------|
D|--------|--------9\12--12-|-------------|-7--7--9\10-12--12-|
A|--------|-----------------|-------------|-------------------|
E|--------|-----------------|-------------|-------------------|

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

00:18
G|-11~~~~~~~~---------------11~~~~-|
D|------------9--9--9--9-----------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|


-------------------------------
00:27
VERSE 1
********
G|--------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|
D|--------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|
A|--------|-----5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|------------|-------------|
E|-7~~~~~-|-7-5--------|------5~~~~~-|-5--0-3~~~~-|-3--5-7~~~~~-|


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

00:45
G|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A|----7-5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|-------------|-------------|
E|-7-----------|------5~~~~~-|-5--0-3~~~~~-|-3--5-7~~~~~-|

00:53
G|--------------|-------------|------------|
D|--------------|-------------|------------|
A|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---5-7~~~~~-|
E|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5----------|


---------------------------
01:00
CHORUS
*******
G|--------------|--------9---------9-|-----------------------------|--------------|-------------|------|
D|--------------|------9---------9---|---s--s---------9-9-7-7------|--------------|---9-9-7-7---|------|
A|---5---7~~~~~-|-7~~~------7~~~-----|-10\-9\-------9---------9-~~-|---9-9-7------|-9---------9-|------|
E|-7---7--------|--------------------|---------7~~-----------------|-9-------10-7-|-------------|-8~~~-|


---------------------------
01:18
VERSE 2
********
G|--------|--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D|--------|--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A|--------|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---7---------|-------------|
E|-7~~~~~-|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5---5-3~~~~-|-3--5-7~~~~~-|


G|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
D|--------------|-------------|-------------|-----9--------|
A|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---7---------|-7-9----------|
E|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5---5-0~~~~-|-------7~~~~~-|

01:37
G|--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D|--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---7---------|-------------|
E|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5---5-3~~~~-|-3--5-7~~~~~-|

01:45
G|--------------|-------------|------------|
D|--------------|-------------|------------|
A|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---5-7~~~~~-|
E|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5----------|


---------------------------
01:51
CHORUS
*******
G|-----------9-7-9~~~-|--------9---------9-|-----------------------------|--------------|-------------|------|
D|--------------------|------9---------9---|---s--s---------9-9-7-7------|--------------|---9-9-7-7---|------|
A|---5--7~~-----------|-7~~~------7~~~-----|-10\-9\-------9---------9-~~-|---9-9-7------|-9---------9-|------|
E|-7------------------|--------------------|---------7~~-----------------|-9-------10-7-|-------------|-8~~~-|


---------------------------
02:09
SOLO
*****
G|--------|------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D|--------|------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A|--------|-9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---7---------|-------------|
E|-7~~~~~-|---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5---5-3~~~~-|-3--5-7~~~~~-|


G|------------|------------|-------------|
D|------------|------------|-------------|
A|-----5~~~~~-|-7----------|---7---------|
E|-7-5--------|-----5~~~~~-|-5---5-3~~~~-|


G|--------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------|
A|---0-2~~~~~~-0-2-2-------------0-2-2--0-2-2--0-2--------|
E|-3------------------0-2~~-0-2--------------------2~~~~~-|


---------------------------
02:35
VERSE 3
********
G|--------|--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D|--------|--------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A|--------|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---7---------|-------------|
E|-7~~~~~-|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5---5-3~~~~-|-3--5-7~~~~~-|


G|--------------|-------------|-----------|-----|
D|--------------|-------------|-----------|--s--|
A|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---5-7~~~--|-7\9-|
E|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5---------|-----|

02:52
G|--------|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
D|--------|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
A|--------|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|---7---------|-7-9----------|
E|-7~~~~~-|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5---5-3~~~~-|-----10-7~~~~-|

03:02
G|--------------|-------------|--------------|
D|--------------|-------------|--------------|
A|---9---5~~~~~-|-5--7--------|-----5-7~~~~~-|
E|-7---7--------|------5~~~~~-|-5-7----------|


---------------------------
03:08
CHORUS
*******
G|-------------|--------9---------9-|-----------------------------|-------------|-------------|
D|-------------|------9---------9---|---s--s---------9-9-7-7------|-------------|---5-5-------|
A|---5--7~~~~~-|-7~~~------7~~~-----|-10\-9\-------9---------9-~~-|-9-7-5-------|-5-----5-----|
E|-7-----------|--------------------|---------7~~-----------------|-------7-3~~-|---------7-5-|


G|--------|---------------|--------------|----------------------------|
D|--------|---------------|--------------|-----------------------9----|
A|--------|----------5----|----------7---|---------5---5-7--7-10------|
E|-5-0-5--|-3~~--3-3---3--|-5~~~-5-5---5-|-3~~-3-3---3-------------10-|

03:35
G|---------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------|
D|--------9-9-7-7------|-------------|---9-9-7-7---|-------------|---9-9-7-7---|-------------|---9-9-7-|
A|------9---------9-~~-|---9~~-7~~---|-9---------9-|---9~~-7~~---|-9---------9-|---9~~-7~~---|-9-------|
E|-7~~-----------------|-9---------7-|-------------|-9---------7-|-------------|-9---------7-|---------|


---------------------------
03:50
OUTRO SOLO
***********
G|---------------------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|
D|---------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------s--7-|
A|---------------------|--------------------|--------------------|------------5\7---|
E|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-0-2-0-|-5~~~~~~-5~~~-0-2-0-|-5~~~~~~-5~~~-0-2-0-|-5~~~~~~-5--------|

04:07
G|-------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
D|--------------h--7-|----------------h--7-|----------------s--7-|----------------s--7-|
A|-------------5-7---|---------------5-7---|---------------5\7---|---------------5\7---|
E|-5~~~~~-5~~~-------|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-------|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-------|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-------|

04:24
G|---------------------|------------------|---------------------|------------------|
D|----------------s--7-|-------------s--7-|----------------s--7-|-------------s--7-|
A|---------------5\7---|------------5\7---|---------------5\7---|------------5\7---|
E|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-------|-5~~~~~~-5--------|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-------|-5~~~~~~-5--------|

04:41 Fade Out...........................................................
G|---------------------|------------------|---------------------|------------------|
D|----------------s--7-|-------------s--7-|----------------s--7-|-------------s--7-|
A|---------------5\7---|------------5\7---|---------------5\7---|------------5\7---|
E|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-------|-5~~~~~~-5--------|-5~~~~~-0-5~~~-------|-5~~~~~~-5--------|


ENJOY.............

Last updated: July 7, 2025

Dire Straits bass tabs for Lions

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This bass tabs tutorial for "Lions" by Dire Straits is crafted for Intermediate players ready to learn and grow. Whether you're just starting or refining your skills, this guide meets you where you are.

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