The Background Tab by Third Eye Blind

The Background tab by Third Eye Blind

Guitar Tab

Difficulty: Intermediate 💪

Key: D

Intro:

    at 0:22
D |-0h4p0-----0-------|
A |-------4-------0---|
F#|-------------------|
D |-------------------|
A |-------------------|
D |-------------------|

    play line 2x
D |-----------------0h4p0---0-----|--------0-------0h4p0-----0-------|
A |-----------------------4-------|--------0-------------4-------0---|
F#|---------0---------------------|--------4-------------------------|
D |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A |---------------------------5---|----------------------------------|
D |-0-------------------------5---|----------------------------------|

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -


Verse 1A Riff:

    play 3x
D |--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A |---------------0-0--------------|---------------------------------|
F#|---------------0-0---0----------|---------------------------------|
D |---------4-----4-4---0----------|---------7---5h7-7-7-5h7-7-7-5p4-|
A |---------5-----5-5--------------|---------5---5---5-5-5---5-5-5---|
D |-0---------------------------5--|---------------------------------|
                 "Everything is quiet"
                 "Since you're not around"
                 "And I live in the   numbness  now  In the background."

    ending
D |--------------------------------|---------12----12-----7---7----(0)|
A |---------------0-0--------------|---------12----12-----7---7----(0)|
F#|---------------0-0---0----------|---------12----12-x-x-7---7----(0)|
D |---------4-----4-4---0----------|---------12----12-x-x-7---7-------|
A |---------5-----5-5--------------|----------------------------------|
D |-0---------------------------9--|-----9----------------------------|


Verse 1B Riff:
    play lightly 4x

D |---------0-----0-0---0----------|----------------5-5-----5-5-------|
A |---------0-----0-0---0----------|--------------0-5-5---0-5-5-------|
F#|---------0-----0-0---0-------5--|--------5-------5-5-----5-5---0---|
D |---------0-----0-0---0-------5--|--------5-------5-5-----5-5-------|
A |---------0----------------------|----------------------------------|
D |-0-------0----------------------|----------------------------------|
        "I do the things we did before"
        "I walk Haight Street to the store
and they say"
   "Where's that crazy girl? You don't get drunk on red wine, and fight no more"
        "I don't see you anymore
Since the hospital"

Prechorus 1:

D |--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------7--|-7-------------------------------|
F#|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---0---0---x-x-|
D |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---0---0---x-x-|
A |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---x-x-|
D |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---x-x-|
 "The plans I    made    still    have    you     in     them"


Chorus 1:

    play line 3x:
D |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
A |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
F#|---------x-----x-x---x-x---x-0---|----13--13--13--13--13--13--0---|
D |---------7-----7-7---7-7---7-0---|----12--12--12--12--12--12--0---|
A |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|
D |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|
   "and you come swimmin into view            And I'm hanging on your"
   "words like I always used to do
The words they use so"
   "lightly, I only feel for you
I only know because I"


   Ending:
D |-----------------------------0---|-------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------0---|-------------------------------|
F#|-5-------5-------5---5-------3---|-------------------------------|
D |-5-------5-------5---5-------5---|-------------------------------|
A |-5-------5-------5---5-----------|-------------------------------|
D |-5-------5-------5---5-----------|-------------------------------|
           "carry   you around                 In the background"


PreVerse 2:

D |-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------5-----------------------|
A |-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------5---------5-------5---0-|
F#|-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------5-----3h5-----3h5-------|
D |-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------5-----------------------|
A |--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------5--|---------------------------------|

D |-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------12----12-----7---7-------|
A |-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------12----12-----7---7-------|
F#|-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------12----12-x-x-7---7---x-x-|
D |-0-------0-----0-0---0----------|---------12----12-x-x-7---7---x-x-|
A |--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D |-0---------------------------9--|-----9----------------------------|


Verse 2:

    play 3x
D |--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A |---------------0-0--------------|---------------------------------|
F#|---------------0-0---0----------|---------------------------------|
D |---------4-----4-4---0----------|---------7---5h7-7-7-5h7-7-7-5p4-|
A |---------5-----5-5--------------|---------5---5---5-5-5---5-5-5---|
D |-0---------------------------5--|---------------------------------|
   "Words they come and memories all repeat"
   "I lift your head while they change the hospital sheets"
   "I would never lie to you, No     I would never lie to you, No"

    ending
D |--------------------------------|---------12----12-----7---7----(0)|
A |---------------0-0--------------|---------12----12-----7---7----(0)|
F#|---------------0-0---0----------|---------12----12-x-x-7---7----(0)|
D |---------4-----4-4---0----------|---------12----12-x-x-7---7-------|
A |---------5-----5-5--------------|----------------------------------|
D |-0---------------------------9--|-----9----------------------------|
  "I felt you long after we were through"


PreChorus:

D |--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------7--|-7-------------------------------|
F#|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---0---0---x-x-|
D |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---0---0---x-x-|
A |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---x-x-|
D |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---x-x-|
 "The plans I    made    still    have    you     in     them"


Chorus 2:

    play line 3x:
D |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
A |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
F#|---------x-----x-x---x-x---x-0---|----13--13--13--13--13--13--0---|
D |---------7-----7-7---7-7---7-0---|----12--12--12--12--12--12--0---|
A |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|
D |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|
   "and you come swimmin into view            And I'm hanging on your"
   "words like I always used to do
The words they use so"
   "lightly, I only feel for you
I only know because I"


   Ending:
D |-----------------------------0---|-------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------0---|-------------------------------|
F#|-5-------5-------5---5-------3---|-------------------------------|
D |-5-------5-------5---5-------5---|-------------------------------|
A |-5-------5-------5---5-----------|-------------------------------|
D |-5-------5-------5---5-----------|-------------------------------|
           "carry   you around            In the background"


Bridge:
    heavy distortion on - play riff 2x
D |-----------------0h4p0-----0------|---------0-------0h4p0-----0-------|
A |-----------------------4----------|---------0-------------4-------0---|
F#|-0-------0------------------------|---------x-------------------------|
D |-0-------0---------------------5--|---------5-------------------------|
A |-0-------0---------------------5--|---------5-------------------------|
D |-0-------0---------------------5--|---------5-------------------------|


Prechorus 3:

D |-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
A |-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
F#|-x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x--|-x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---|
D |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---|
A |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---|
D |-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7--|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---|
"Cause I    felt     you    long       after    we    were through"


Instrumental Chorus:

    play line 3x:
D |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
A |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
F#|---------x-----x-x---x-x---x-0---|----13--13--13--13--13--13--0---|
D |---------7-----7-7---7-7---7-0---|----12--12--12--12--12--12--0---|
A |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|
D |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|


Lead Guitar part (possibly in standard tuning):

D |--------17~--------16b17r16------|--------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------17--|--------------------------------|
F#|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|

D |--------17~-----17-16b17r16------|--------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------17--|----------------------19--17h19-|
F#|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|

D |--------17~--------16b17r16------|--------------------------------|
A |-17--------------------------17--|----------------------12--------|
F#|---------------------------------|-----------------------------13-|
D |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|

D |---------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------|  now repeat
F#|-12\10---------------------------|  during lyrics
D |-----------------------------12--|
A |---------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------|


Chorus 3:

    play line 3x:
D |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
A |---------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---|----------------------------0---|
F#|---------x-----x-x---x-x---x-0---|----13--13--13--13--13--13--0---|
D |---------7-----7-7---7-7---7-0---|----12--12--12--12--12--12--0---|
A |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|
D |-9-------9-----9-9---9-9---9-----|----12--12--12--12--12--12------|
   "When you come swimmin into view            And I'm hanging on your"
   "words like I always used to do
The words they use so"
   "lightly, I only feel for you
I only know because"


Outro:

D |-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0------|
A |-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0------|
F#|-x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x--|-x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x--|
D |-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5--|-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---x--|
A |-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5--|-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---x--|
D |-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5--|-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---x--|
       "I'm   way
I'm     way                  in the background"

D |--------------------------------|-0h4p0-----0--------------------|
A |--------------------------------|-------4-------0----------------|
F#|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D |-5------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A |-5------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D |-5------------------------------|-------------------0------------|
          (I'm in the background)

************************************

| x   Dead note
| g   Grace note
| (n) Ghost note
| h   Hammer-on
| p   Pull-off
| r   Release
| >   Accented note
| t   Tapping
| b   Bend
| br  Bend release
| pb  Pre-bend
| pbr Pre-bend release
| /   Slide up
| \   Slide down
| ~   Vibrato
| s   Slap
| P   Pop
| PM  Palm mute
| TR  Trill
| N   Tremolo

************************************

Published: June 24, 2025

Last updated: June 24, 2025

Your last visited songs

Third Eye Blind tabs for The background

What is this?

Learn how to play "The Background" by Third Eye Blind with our easy-to-follow guitar tabs guide. Build confidence, sharpen your technique, and enjoy playing guitar.

Who Is This Page For?

This guitar tabs tutorial for "The Background" by Third Eye Blind 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.

Why This Page Is Perfect for You

Intermediate players can explore new challenges and boost their technique with a deeper dive into "The Background."

What You Will Gain

By using our guitar tabs, you’ll not only learn to play "The Background" by Third Eye Blind with accuracy and style, but you'll also elevate your overall musicianship. Explore our full archive of guitar tabs for more songs, skills, and inspiration.

Other versions of The Background by Third Eye Blind

The background Chords

×