LET DOWN
Radiohead
Bassist: Colin Greenwood
Album: OK Computer (1997)
Tabbed by Shor Bowman (abowman@sas.upenn.edu)
*MEMBER OF THE BASS TAB ARCHIVE TABBING ARMY*
This is a superb song, and one that I feel is quite unjustly overlooked by
many Radiohead fans. Did you know that originally, this was to be the main
single to be released off of OK Computer? An experience that the group had
with some people that they had comissioned to make a video for the song
destroyed its prospects, however. Still, this song is gorgeous and the tab
that was originally posted here has been wrong for too long. Here is the
corrected version, and this is pretty much dead-on, as far as I can tell.
OH, and as an extra note, I would have credited the author of the last
version of this tab, but he didn't sign it, so I have no way of knowing who
it was. Sorry. Let me know if you're him and you want your name credited.
INTRODUCTION
G-----------------------------------------------------|
D--------------------12--11--------------------12--11-|
A-12--12-12--12--12---------12--12-12--12--12---------|
E-----------------------------------------------------|
RIFF #1 ("Transports, motorways and...")
G---------------------------------------------------------------------|
D---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-12--12-12--12--12--12-11--------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------12--12-12--12--12----14--14-14--14--14-14--|
G--------------------------------|
D--------------------------------|
A--------------------14-12-11----|
E--12--12-12--14-12-----------12-|
RIFF #1 is played during all of the verses and is repeated continuously
with minor variations on the second part.
RIFF #2 ("Let down and hangin' around...")
G--------------------------------------|
D---------------------------------6--7-|
A-5---7--9--11-12--12--9-7--7--7-------|
E--------------------------------------|
RIFF #2 is also repeated during the chorus, and at the end of the chorus
comes the little fill that to me makes the song, especially for a bassist:
RIFF #3 (Post-chorus fill)
G-------------------|
D-9---7-6-----------|
A---------9-7-------|
E---------------[5]-|
When the instrumental section comes (guitar solo), followed by the bass
and drum kick-in, you'll need to play the following riff. Just keep repeating.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Right before Thom starts singing those dreamy "Let down and haaaaaaaang..."'s,
you need to play the little fill that comes AFTER the asterisks in RIFF #4. When
he sings the final one, you need to play the FIRST part of RIFF #2 (the movement
up the fretboard) before you kick back into RIFF #1 for the final verse.
RIFF #4
G-----------------------------------------*-11-----------------|
D-----------------------------------------*------14--11--------|
A-/-12--12-12--12-11h12h11-12h11h12h11h12-*-----------------12-|
E-----------------------------------------*--------------12----|
The song ends with a variation of RIFF #3 that features hitting the low E-string
and then sliding up to the 5th fret, very sweet and simple.
RIFF #5
G-----------------------|
D-9---7-6---------------|
A---------9-------------|
E-----------0-/-[5]-----|
What a lovely, lovely song...and again, how tragically underrated it is.
The fact that this tab has gone as wrong as it was for as long as it was kind of
tells me that not many people will be looking at this tab, which is a shame;
however, I do hope that it is at least some help to some people. As usual I have
attempted to use the spacing to indicate how long between notes, and as usual
you are better off using this tab AND following along with the recording. And,
of course, PLEASE use common sense. If you think I'm wrong somewhere, please let
me know at abowman@sas.upenn.edu, and I will make every effort to correct my
mistakes. Peace out.
KEY:
/=slide
[]=let ring
()=ghost note
h=hammer-on/ghost note
SHORESWORTH'S PSYCHEDELIC BREAKFAST (my webpage):
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~abowman
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