SUBTERRANEAN HOMESICK ALIEN
Radiohead
Tabbed by Shor Bowman (abowman@sas.upenn.edu)
This tab has been conspicuously absent from...well, the
world...for entirely too long. I couldn't seem to find
it anywhere, so I just sat down and wrote it out. Caution!
Not only is the song in dropped D, but Colin fills most of
the song with a little pattern of three notes on the low
D-string; those frets are 0, 3, and 5. If it seems that I
have omitted some of the playing, it's because I HAVE! It
would have taken entirely too much time to tab out all of
those improvisational patterns. Just make sure you have your
OK COMPUTER CD or this song's MP3 handy and follow along--
you'll know where these parts come in. If you don't, though,
get in touch with me! I will help or make the tab more user-
friendly any old day of the week. I'm sure that this is not
going to be the most legible of tabs for many, and as a con-
fession I couldn't play this song right now without the aid
of this tab, so bear with me please. For now, though, enjoy.
Bass comes in at approximately 0:05
G-----------------------------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------------------------|
A-10(12)-10(12)-10(12)-10(12)-11/---------------------|
D---------------------------------5---3-0-5---3-0-5---|
"...for cracks in the pavement..."
G-----------------------------------------------------|
D--------9-10-12/-------------------------------------|
A-/10-12----------------------------------------------|
D-------------------5-5-5-3-0-5---3-0-5---------------|
"...home movies for the folks back home..."
G--------------------------------------------|
D-------5(7)5-0------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------|
D--5-5-----------5-5-5-3-0-5-----------------|
"...and live for their secrets..."
G---------------------------------|
D---------------------------------|
A---------------------------------|
D--5-7-9-10-11-12/5--3-0-3(5)-5-5-|
This is the tablature before the first "Uptight!"
G-------------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------|
D--5-7-9-10-12-14/3---3/10---12/5--3-0-5----|
G------------------------------------------------|
D------------------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------------------|
D--5-7-9/12-14-15---10---5---3(5)5--5--3(5)5--5--|
G-----------------------------------|
D-------2-3--2--0--3--2--0----------|
A---3-5---------------------3--5----|
D-5-------------------------------5-|
*Things become mellow for awhile.* Do more improvisation
with the third and fifth frets of the low-D string, and
then:
G-----------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------|
A----------------------------3-5----|
D-12/5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5------5--|
"I'd...love to seeeeee it....."
G--------------------------------------------------------------|
D-----------9-10-9-------5-5-5-------5-5-5-------5-5/7/5-------|
A----/10-12--------12/---------7-5---------7-5-----------7-5---|
D-5--------------------5-----------5-----------5-------------5-|
The improvisation changes to the basic pattern shown here for this
bit (and some at the end as well). The tablature shown beyond the first
row of bars signifies the temporary end of the pattern with a tiny
improvisational section.
G-------------------------------------------------|------------------|
D-5-5-5-------5-5-5-------5-5/7/5-------5-5-5-----|-5-7-9-10-9-------|
A-------7-5---------7-5-----------7-5---------7-5-|------------10/---|
D-----------5-----------5-------------5-----------|----------------5-|
"They'd shut me away, but I'd be all right"
G-------------------------------------------------5---------|
D-------------------------------------------5-5-5---5-7-5-5-|
A-----------------------------------------------------------|
D--5-5-x-5-x-x-5-5-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-/-15-15-15-----------------|
"Uptight" starts to kick in again!
G--7-5-4----------------------------------------------|
D--------7-5-3-2-0------------------------------------|
A-----------------------------------------------------|
D------------------3---3/10---12/3(5)-5-3(5)-5-3(5)-5-|
G------------------------------------------------------------|
D---------------------------------------------0-2-3---3(5)---|
A---0-2-3-2-0---------------------------0-2-3--------------3-|
D-5-----------3---3/10---10-12/3(5)-5-5----------------------|
This is a nice time to use a slap method, such as the thumb:
G------------------------------------------------------------|
D-3-2-0-----3-2-0----------0-2-3-----------------------------|
A--------------------0-2-3---------3-------7-5---------------|
D--------5---------5-------------------5-------5--3(5)-5-----|
OUTRO (May sound best on the HIGHER D-string):
G------------------------------------------------------------|
D------------------------------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------------------------------|
D-5-/-12-------------10--------------7-----------------------|
WHEW! That appears to be the entirety of the song. It's a
perfectly stunning composition, and I hope that this tab is of
use to somebody somewhere. It was a bitch to tab out, so it
may be a bitch to try to learn to perfection (from memory).
But give it awhile--I'm sure you'll be glad you did! If you
have any questions, comments, concerns, corrections, please
give me a ring on the old e-mail program. Peace.
/= slide to note
()= ghost note
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