Waiting On A Friend Bass Tab by The Rolling Stones

Waiting On A Friend bass tab by The Rolling Stones (Ver. 2)

Bass Tab

Tuning: Standard (E A D G)

Key: C

Difficulty: Intermediate

WAITING ON A FRIEND (Bassline)
As recorded by The Rolling Stones
(From the 1981 Album TATTOO YOU)

Words and Music by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards

Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Bill Wyman - Bass'

  Intro:
  Q=106
  4/4
   Gtr I
   Wx7
G|--------|
D|--------|
A|--------|
E|--------|

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -


   H    Q  E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  E E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|-------------|---------------|------------------|---------------|
D|-------------|---------------|------------0-----|---------------|
A|-----------0-|-3-------3-----|----------------2-|-3-------3-----|
E|-------------|-------------1-|-(1)-0-1----------|-------------1-|


   +E  E Q  Q  E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  E E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|-----------------|---------------|------------------|---------------|
D|-------------0---|---------------|--------------0---|---------------|
A|---------------3-|-3-------3-----|------------0---2-|-3-------3-----|
E|-(1)-------------|-------------1-|-(1)--------------|-------------1-|


                      1st Verse:
   +E  E Q  E E E E    H    Q  E E   E E Q  E Q  E   Q.   E E Q  E
G|------------------||------2--0---|---------------|---------------|
D|------------------||-----------0-|----------3--4-|-5-------------|
A|------------0-1-2-||-0-----------|-3-3----5------|--------5----3-|
E|-(1)-0-1----------||-------------|---------------|----------3----|


                   Bridge:
   Q  Q  E E E E    H    E E E E   +E  E E E +E  E E E   E E Q  E E E E
G|---------------||--------------|---------------------|----------------|
D|-------0-2-3-4-||-5------------|-----------------5---|----------------|
A|-3-------------||------5-5-----|---------0-(0)-5---0-|-3-3----------3-|
E|---------------||------------3-|-(3)-3---------------|----------3-----|


   +Q   Q  E E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   Q  E E E Q  E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|-----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
D|-----------0-2-3-|-5-------------|---------------|---------------|
A|-(3)-------------|---------5-----|----------5----|-3-----------3-|
E|-----------------|-------------3-|-3----3-3----5-|---------3-----|


                      2nd Verse:
   +E  E E E E Q  E    Q.   E +E  E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E   Q  Q  E Q  EG
G|------------------||------2-(2)-2-0---|--------------|--------------|
D|------------------||----------------0-|-3-------3--4-|-5------------|
A|-(3)-3---3-3-3--2-||-0----------------|--------------|-------5-5--3-|
E|------------------||------------------|--------------|--------------|


                   Chorus:
   Q  Q  E E E E    Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E +E  E
G|---------------||----------------|------------------|-----------------|
D|---------2-3-4-||-5--5-----------|--------------5---|-----------------|
A|-3-------------||--------5-5-----|------0-(0)-5-----|-3-------------0-|
E|---------------||--------------3-|-3--------------5-|---------3-(3)---|


   Q  E E +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E E E +E  E E E   E E Q  E E E E
G|------------------|---------------|---------------------|----------------|
D|--------------3-4-|-5-------------|-----------------5---|----------------|
A|-3----3-(3)-5-----|-------5-5-----|---------------5---0-|-3-3----------3-|
E|------------------|-----------3-3-|-(3)-3---3-(3)-------|----------3-----|


                        3rd Verse:
   +E  E E E +E  E Q     Q.   E +E  E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E   Q  Q  E Q  E
G|--------------------||------2-(2)-2-0---|--------------|--------------|
D|--------------------||------------------|-3-------3--4-|-5------------|
A|-(3)-3---3-(3)-3-2--||-0----------------|-------5------|-------5-5----|
E|--------------------||------------------|--------------|------------5-|


                   Chorus:
   Q  Q  E E E E    Q  E E E E E E   E E Q  E E E E   Q  Q  E E +E  E
G|---------------||----------------|----------------|-----------------|
D|-------0-2-3-4-||-5--5-----------|----------------|-----------------|
A|-3-------------||--------5-5-----|------------5-0-|-3-----0-------0-|
E|---------------||--------------0-|-3-3----0-3-----|---------3-(3)---|


   Q  E Q  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  Q  Q  E E E   Q  E E E E E E
G|---------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------|
D|-----------3-4-|-5-------------|-------------5---|----------------|
A|-3--0-3--5-----|---------5-----|-----------5---0-|-3----3---3-----|
E|---------------|-------------3-|-(3)-3--5--------|--------------1-|


   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
D|----------------0---|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
A|--------------0---3-|-3-------3-----|--------------0-1-2-|-3-------3-----|
E|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|


                        Sax Solo:
   +E  E Q  +E  E E E    E E Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E +E  E
G|--------------------||----------------|--------------------|-----------------|
D|--------------------||----------------|--------------------|---------5-(5)-3-|
A|--------------0-1-2-||-3-3------3-----|--------------0-1-2-|-3---------------|
E|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------||--------------1-|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-----------------|


   E E Q  E E E E   E E Q  E Q  E   +E  E Q  E E E E   Q  Q  E E +E  E
G|----------------|---------------|------------------|-----------------|
D|-3--------------|----------5--3-|-(3)---3----------|---------5-(5)-3-|
A|----------5---3-|-3-3-----------|-----3------5-5-3-|-3---------------|
E|----------------|---------------|------------------|-----------------|


   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  E E E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|--------------------|----------------|--------------------|---------------|
D|-(3)---3--(3)-------|----------------|--------------------|---------------|
A|-----5--------0-3-0-|-3----3-5-3-----|--------------0-1-2-|-3-------3-----|
E|--------------------|--------------1-|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|


   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
D|--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
A|--------------0-1-2-|-3-------3-----|--------------0-3-2-|-3-------3-----|
E|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|


                                                          4th Verse:
   +E  E H    E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E E E +E  E E E    Q.   E +E  E E E
G|----------------|---------------|---------------------||------2-(2)---0---|
D|----------------|---------------|---------------------||------------0---4-|
A|------------3-2-|-3-------3-----|---------------3-3-2-||-0----------------|
E|-(1)-0-1--------|-------------1-|-(1)-0-1-1-(1)-------||------------------|


                                                        Bridge:
   Q  E E +E  Q  E   Q  E E E E E E   +Q   Q  E E E E    Q  E E E E E E
G|-----------------|----------------|-----------------||----------------|
D|-3----------3--4-|-5----------5---|-------------3-4-||-5--5-----------|
A|------5-(5)------|--------0-5---3-|-(3)-------3-----||----------5-----|
E|-----------------|------3---------|-----------------||--------------3-|


   +E  E E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E   E E E E +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|-------------------|--------------|-------------------|---------------|
D|---------------5---|--------------|-------------0-2-3-|-5-----------5-|
A|-------------5---0-|-3-----0----0-|-3-3---3-(3)-------|-------5-5-----|
E|-(3)---3-4-5-------|---------3----|-------------------|---------------|


                                                      5th Verse:
   +E  E +Q   E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E   Q  E Q  E Q     Q.   E +E  E E E
G|--------------------|--------------|--------------||------2-(2)---0---|
D|-(5)-5-(5)--5-5-----|--------------|--------------||------------0---4-|
A|----------------5-4-|-3-----0----0-|-3----3--3-2--||-0----------------|
E|--------------------|---------3----|--------------||------------------|


                                                          Chorus:
   Q  E E +E  E +E  E   Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E E E E E    Q  E E E E E E
G|--------------------|----------------|----------------||----------------|
D|-3----------3-(3)-4-|-5--5-----------|----------0-2-3-||-5--5-----------|
A|------5-(5)---------|------5-5---5---|-3----0---------||----------5-----|
E|--------------------|----------3---3-|----------------||--------------3-|


   Q  E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E   E E E E +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|----------------|--------------|-------------------|---------------|
D|------------5---|--------------|---------------3-4-|-5-------------|
A|----------5-----|-3-----0----0-|-3-3---3-(3)-5-----|---------5-----|
E|-3--3-4-5-----5-|---------3----|-------------------|-------------3-|


                   Outro:
   Q  E Q  E E E    Q  Q  E E E E   Q  E E +E  E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E
G|---------------||---------------|------------------|--------------|
D|---------5-----||---------------|--------------0---|------------3-|
A|------5----5-0-||-3-----0-----0-|------------0---3-|-3-----0-3----|
E|-3--3----------||---------3-----|-1--0-1-(1)-------|--------------|


   E E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
D|--------------0---|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
A|------------0---2-|-3-------3-----|--------------0-1-2-|-3-------3-----|
E|-1-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|


   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   E E Q  E E E E   Q  E E E Q  E
G|--------------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|
D|----------------0---|---------------|------------0---|---------------|
A|--------------0---2-|-3-------3-----|----------0---2-|-3----0-0-3----|
E|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|-1--------------|-------------1-|


   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E   E E Q  E Q  E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|--------------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|
D|----------------0---|---------5--3-|-3-3------3----|---------------|
A|--------------0---2-|-3-----5------|-------------0-|-3-------3-----|
E|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|--------------|---------------|-------------1-|


   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   E E E E E E E E
G|--------------------|---------------|--------------------|-----------------|
D|----------------0---|---------------|--------------0-0---|-----------------|
A|--------------0---2-|-3-----5-3-----|------------------2-|-3-3---3-3-3-----|
E|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|-------------1-|-(1)-0-1--(1)-------|---------------1-|


   Q  Q  E E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E   Q  Q  E E E E
G|---------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
D|---------------|-----------5-3-|-(3)---3--(3)-----3-|-----------5-3-|
A|---------0-1-2-|-3-------3-----|-----5--------5-5---|-3-------3-----|
E|-1-------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|


   E E Q  E E E E   Q  Q  E E E E   E E Q  Q  E E   Q  E E E E E E
G|----------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
D|-----3--3---3-3-|-----------5-5-|-5-3-3-------3-|----------5---5-|
A|-5-3------------|-3-----3-3-----|---------------|-3----3-3-------|
E|----------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|


   E E Q  +Q.   E     Q  Q  E E E E   +E  E Q  +E  E E E  5x
G|----------------||----------------|---------------------||
D|---3-3--(3)---3-||o---------------|--------------------o||
A|----------------||o-3-------3-----|--------------0-1-2-o||
E|----------------||--------------1-|-(1)-0-1--(1)--------||

Lyrics:
Watching girls go passing by
It ain't the latest thing
I'm just standing in a doorway
I'm just trying to make some sense
Out of these girls go passing by
The tales they tell of men
I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend

A smile relieves a heart that grieves
Remember what I said
I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend
I'm just waiting on a friend

Don't need a whore
I don't need no booze
Don't need a virgin priest
But I need someone I can cry to
I need someone to protect
Making love and breaking hearts
It is a game for youth
But I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend

************************************
Duration 🏷Legend

W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; a - acciaccatura;
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted;
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.
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration).

|  (n)  -  note tied to previous
************************************

Last updated: September 10, 2025

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