Tabs
NB: An acoustic version by Michael B. is transcribed at the bottom of this post
The Boys Of Summer
by Don Henley
Transcribed by Eric Larson ([email protected])
Key: H - Hammer-On
P - Pull-Off
^f - Full Bend
~ - Vibrato
/ - Slide up
\ - Slide down
Intro
------|---|-----------|---|----------|---|----------|---|---P-P--------------|
------|---|-----------|---|----------|---|-8--------|---|-10-8-7---8---------|
-7/9~-|---|-----7-----|---|-----7----|---|---9-7-9~-|---|--------7---9-7-7/9-|
------|---|-7/9---9~--|---|-7/9---9~-|---|----------|---|--------------------|
------|---|-----------|---|----------|---|----------|---|--------------------|
------|---|-----------|---|----------|---|----------|---|--------------------|
----------|
-12-10~---|
----------|
----------|
----------|
----------|
The funkey little riff during the verses goes something like this:
(Clean with a little echo)
---------------------------|
--------------------------.| Palm mute it and repeat for the length of
----------------------H----| the verse (8 times I think)
-----9-9-7-7-9-X-9-7-7-9--.|
-7-7-----------------------|
---------------------------|
Chorus
Here's how I play the chords: (A augmentedA little distortion & chorus)
G+G C majorC D MajorD
-3---3---2-
-3---3---3- I won't bother putting this part in tab,
-O---O---2- just strum each chord where it says to
-O---2---O- and then arpeggiate the notes of the chord
-X---3----- letting the notes ring.
-3---------
G+G D MajorD
But I can see you, you brown skin ....
D MajorD C majorC
You got your hair combed back ...
D MajorD D MajorD
I can tell you my love for you ...
D MajorD C majorC
After the boys of summer ....
play the chords F#, B, and C#C# instead of G, C, and D.]
The second verse is basically the same as the first, but it has this funkey
lick thrown in at the end:
(Distorted)
-----------------12~~~--|
-/--/8------10^F~~~~~~--|
-/9-(9)-9-7-------------|
------------------------|
------------------------|
------------------------|
Then there's the second Chorus... same chords as the first
Then there's the Bridge:
(Clean with a little echo)
------------------------------------|
----------------P------------------.| This is repeated thorught
-9-9-7-7-------9-7----9--7----------| the bridge.
---------10-10-----10-------10-10--.|
------------------------------------|
------------------------------------|
(Palm Muted)
Here's the riffs for the part after the bridge:
> P >
-10-7------||---P-----||-----H--P-----------------|--------------------------|
------10~~-||-12-10~~-||-10-8-10-8----H-P---------|(8)----8---8-10-10/12-(8)-|
-----------||---------||-----------9-7-9-7---7/9~-|-9-9-9---9------------9-9~|
-----------||---------||-------------------9------|--------------------------|
-----------||---------||--------------------------|--------------------------|
-----------||---------||--------------------------|--------------------------|
Then there's the outro:
(Repeat 7 times)
-------------------------|-------------------------------------|
-12~-10~-12~-8~----8~---.|--H--8---H--8--H------------8-7-8~~--|
----------------7~-------|-7-9----7-9---7-9-9-7-9-9/11---------|
------------------------.|-------------------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------------------|
And that's about all of it.
There's some interesting guitar stuff on all the songs on this CD,
no shredding, or incredible chops, but Mike Campbell & Danny Kortchmar
definately have STYLE!!
If you don't have this CD (Building The Perfect Beast),
BUY IT!!! It's an awesome CD...All She Wants to Do is Dance,
Sunset Grill,
Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed,
and of course this song are
all AWESOME tunes!!!
(I should be posting Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed soon)
*** SOLO ACOUSTIC VERSION ****
"The Boys of Summer"
Don Henley and Mike Campbell, 1984
Don Henley
Building the Perfect Beast
Geffen 24026-2
If you'd like to do a solo acoustic version, might I suggest the following.
It alludes to the keyboard sections to give a bit of a fuller sound.
For guys like me, the ladies seem to rather appreciate this rendering.
Let the bass notes ring throughout. I suggest strumming in a down,
down, up, down pattern (tho' not so rigidly as my meager tab implies.)
On the G, you may substitute [for the BB] or add the root G+G shown in
brackets below. To me, the chorus has more power playing the full G+G
chord after playing G/BG/B in the verses. I've not heard Mr. Henley do
an acoustic version, but surely one exists, if someone would point
me in the right direction.
G/BG/B (four times) C majorC (four times) D MajorD (four times) C majorC (four times)
-3---3---2-------|-3---3---2-------|-3---3---2-------|-3---3---2-------|
-3---3---3---3--.|-3---3---3---3--.|-3---3---3---3--.|-3---3---3---3--.|
-0-------0--[0]--|-0-------0--[0]--|-2-------2--[2]--|-0-------0--[0]--|
-0-------0------.|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
-2---------------|-3--------------.|----------------.|-3--------------.|
[3]--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
I play it according to the following map:
Full verse intro
Verse One
Chorus One [G, D, D, C majorC twice, as Eric kindly showed us]
Full verse break
Verse Two
Chorus Two
[Skip the lead]
Full verse break
Verse Three
Choruses Three and Four
and then i do this little outro reminiscent of the real one:
{3 or 7 times} (slowin' down -- )
-/7-5-7---3---3--|-----3-----3-----3-----3---2~--3---
------------3---.|-3h5---3h5---3h5---3h5---------3---
-----------------|-------------------------------0---
-----------------|-------------------------------0---
----------------.|-----------------------------------
-----------------|-------------------------------3---
If my guitar is tuned right today, the album version is tuned a half step down,
which may explain away some confusion some of you may have. Tuning down is
probably smart as that chorus is a booger to sing. Thanks Eric.
Michael BB
[email protected]