Big Country - Inwards
Album - The Crossing(1983)
From: maule_andy@hotmail.com
The second track from the bands debut album was a staple of their 80's
live shows. I've tried to concentrate on the 2 main guitar parts that
run throughout the song (these are also pretty much the ones employed
when the song was played live). However, in an effort to make life
harder for myself I took on tabbing the 3 guitar parts that make up the
outro - that'll teach me! The song is in A.
h - hammer on
p - pull off
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
~ - vibrato
PM- palm mute
Guitar 1 - Stuart Adamson
Guitar 2 - Bruce Watson
CHORDS FOR RHYTHM GUITAR - Guitar 2
A C#m D E F#m
E|---5---|---4---|-------|-------|---2---|
B|---5---|---5---|---7---|---9---|---2---|
G|---6---|---6---|---7---|---9---|---2---|
D|---7---|---6---|---7---|---9---|---4---|
A|---7---|---4---|---5---|---7---|---4---|
E|---5---|-------|-------|-------|---2---|
INTRO - Guitar 1 plays the 12 bar intro backed up by the palm muted
picking of Guitar 2 which continually repeats the same riff.
Guitar 2
[PM.............]
E|-0-0-2-5-0-0-7-5-|
B|-----------------|
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|
Guitar 1
E|----------|----------------|------------|-------------------|
B|----------|----------------|------------|-------------------|
G|------5-7-|----------------|-------9-11-|-------------------|
D|-5-7------|-5-7------------|-9-11-------|-9-11--------------|
A|----------|------5h7p5h7p5-|------------|-------9h11p9h11p9-|
E|----------|----------------|------------|-------------------|
E|--------------|-----------------------|
B|--------------|-----------------------|
G|--------11-14-|-----------------------|
D|-11-14--------|-11-14-----------------|
A|--------------|--------11h14p11h14p11-|
E|--------------|-----------------------|
PRE-VERSE - Just before the 1st verse kicks in Guitar 1 repeats the
following riff twice whilst Guitar 2 strums the chords
marked.
C#m(Gtr 2) C#m
Guitar 1
E|--------------------|-------------------|
B|------9-10-9--------|-12------10------9-|
G|----9--------9----9-|----9-------9------|
D|-11------------11---|------11------11---|
A|--------------------|-------------------|
E|--------------------|-------------------|
1ST VERSE - Guitars 1 & 2 double-up both repeating this riff 16 times.
Guitar 1 & 2
E|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-------7-----|
A|-0-4/5---5\4-|
E|-------------|
CHORUS - Guitar 1 plays the following sequence twice followed by the
PRE-VERSE riff, again repeated twice. Guitar 2 strums the
chords marked.
A(Guitar 2) D F#m D
Guitar 1
E|---------9------|-------10\--|----------9--------|----------10-------|
B|------10---10---|-------10\--|----10----10-10----|----10----10-10----|
G|----9---------9-|-/11---11\--|-11-11-11----11-11-|----11-------11-11-|
D|-11-------------|-/12---12\--|-11----11-------11-|-12----12-------12-|
A|----------------|------------|-9-----9--------9--|-12----12-------12-|
E|----------------|------------|-------------------|-10----10----------|
BRIDGE - Guitar 2 picks out the repeated palm muted riff from the
intro whilst Guitar 1 slides up to the following notes.
E|---------|---------|----------|---------|
B|-/10~~~~-|-/14~~~~-|-/10--/14-|-/17~~~~-|
G|---------|---------|----------|---------|
D|---------|---------|----------|---------|
A|---------|---------|----------|---------|
E|---------|---------|----------|---------|
2ND VERSE - as per 1st Verse
CHORUS - As per previous Chorus except that this time Guitar 1 plays
the following bars after playing the PRE-VERSE riff twice.
Again Guitar 2 strums the chords marked.
D(Guitar 2) D
Guitar 1
E|-------------------------|----------------------|
B|-------10-12-10----------|-14-------12-------10-|
G|----11----------11----11-|----11-------11-------|
D|-12----------------12----|-------12-------12----|
A|-------------------------|----------------------|
E|-------------------------|----------------------|
F#m F#m E
[PM...............................................]
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
B|-------14----------14----|-------14----------12----|
G|----14----14----14----14-|----14----14----13----13-|
D|-16----------16----------|-16----------14----------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D C#m
[PM.........................................]
E|-------------------------|-------------------|
B|-------10----------10----|------9--------9---|
G|----11----11----11----11-|----9---9----9---9-|
D|-12----------12----------|-11-------11-------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------|
MID-BREAK/2ND VERSE REPEAT - The song now enters a 'quiet bit' as
Guitar 2 plays the following palm muted riff.
After playing it 3 times the 2ND VERSE is
repeated. Instead of playing the verse as before,
this time Guitar 2 carries on repeating it's riff
a further 4 times. Guitar 1 plays nothing.
Guitar 2
[PM...................................]
E|-------------------|-------------------|
B|-------------------|-------------------|
G|-------------------|-------------------|
D|-0-0-12-0-0-11-0-0-|-9-0-0-14-0-0-11-0-|
A|-------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------|-------------------|
[PM...................................]
E|------------------|--------------------|
B|------------------|--------------------|
G|------------------|--------------------|
D|-0-0-12-0-0-9-0-0-|--------------------|
A|------------------|-12-0-0-12-0-0-12-0-|
E|------------------|--------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/big_country/inwards_tab.html ]
1ST VERSE REPEAT - The 1ST VERSE is now repeated with a different
backing. Guitar 2 plays the riff from the INTRO
repeatedly but without the palm mute. Guitar 1
repeats(roughly) the following 4 bars 4 times.
Guitar 1
E|----------|----------|-12----12-----|-12----12---12-|
B|-/10------|----------|---1010--1010-|---1010--10----|
G|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|
D|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|
A|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|
E|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|
CHORUS - As before although this time the chorus is played twice. The
second time Guitar 1 plays the following twice.
A(Guitar 2) D
Guitar 1
E|---------9------|----------10-------|
B|------10---10---|-------10----10----|
G|----9---------9-|----11----------11-|
D|-11-------------|-12----------------|
A|----------------|-------------------|
E|----------------|-------------------|
F#m D
E|----------9-------|----------10-------|
B|-------10---10----|-------10----10----|
G|----11---------11-|----11----------11-|
D|-11---------------|-12----------------|
A|------------------|-------------------|
E|------------------|-------------------|
OUTRO - Guitars 1 & 2 play the original riff from VERSE 1 16 times
although Guitar 1 replaces bars 4, 8, 12 & 16 with the
following marked bars. A third guitar part enters at the
fifth bar.
Bar 4 Bar 8 Bar 12 Bar 16
Guitar 1
E|----------| E|-----------| E|------------| E|-----------|
B|----------| B|-----------| B|------------| B|-----------|
G|----------| G|-----------| G|------------| G|-----------|
D|-/9--7--6-| D|-/11--9--7-| D|-/9-999-7-6-| D|-/11--9--7-|
A|----------| A|-----------| A|------------| A|-----------|
E|----------| E|-----------| E|------------| E|-----------|
Guitar 3
E|-17-------|-16--14--12-|-12h14------|-------------|
B|----------|------------|-------14~~~|--12-14------|
G|----------|------------|------------|--------14~~~|
D|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
A|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
E|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
E|-17-17161616----|-16-16h17-16-14-12-|----------|----------|
B|-------------17-|-------------------|----------|----------|
G|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|
D|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|
A|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|
E|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|
E|-17-------|-16--14--12-|-12h14------|-------------|
B|----------|------------|-------14~~~|--12-14------|
G|----------|------------|------------|--------14~~~|
D|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
A|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
E|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
OUTRO CONTINUED - Confused!?! You will be! Guitar 3 plays the next bar
6 times whilst Guitar 2 strums the C#m chord - this
changes to a D chord at the fifth bar.In the meantime
Guitar 1 brings up the rear playing the same guitar
part that followed the chorus after the 2nd verse.
After playing this through Guitar 1 then repeats the
bars from the F#m chord onwards twice before ending
by repeating the last bar in this sequnce whilst
Guitar 2 strums the C#m chord. Blimey, anybody get
that....I'm of to catch some Z's.
C#m(play D chord fifth & sixth time)
E|-21\19-19\17-17/19-19/21-|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|
F#m E
E|-2121\19-19\17-17\16-16/17-|-17\16-16\14-14\12-12-|
B|---------------------------|----------------------|
G|---------------------------|----------------------|
D|---------------------------|----------------------|
A|---------------------------|----------------------|
E|---------------------------|----------------------|
D E
E|-1414\12-12\9-9/12-|-12\9-9/12-12\9-9/12-12-|
B|-------------------|------------------------|
G|-------------------|------------------------|
D|-------------------|------------------------|
A|-------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------|------------------------|
F#m E
E|-1414\12-12\9-9/12-|-12\9-9/12-12\9-9/12-12-|
B|-------------------|------------------------|
G|-------------------|------------------------|
D|-------------------|------------------------|
A|-------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------|------------------------|
D E
E|-1414\12-12\9-9/12-|-12\9-9\7-7/9-9/7-7-|
B|-------------------|--------------------|
G|-------------------|--------------------|
D|-------------------|--------------------|
A|-------------------|--------------------|
E|-------------------|--------------------|
F#m E
E|-1414\12-12\9-9/12-|-12\9-9/12-12\9-9\7-7-|
B|-------------------|----------------------|
G|-------------------|----------------------|
D|-------------------|----------------------|
A|-------------------|----------------------|
E|-------------------|----------------------|
D C#m
E|-99\7-7\5-5/7-|-7\5-5/7-7\5-5\2-2p0-|
B|--------------|---------------------|
G|--------------|---------------------|
D|--------------|---------------------|
A|--------------|---------------------|
E|--------------|---------------------|
C#m C#m
E|/9\-7\5-5/7-7\5--|5/7-7\5-5\2-2p0-|
B|-----------------|----------------|
G|-----------------|----------------|
D|-----------------|----------------|
A|-----------------|----------------|
E|-----------------|----------------|
C#m C#m C#m A[let ring]
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|
B|-2----------|------------|------------|-2----------|
G|-------4--2-|------------|------------|-2----------|
D|------------|-4--2-------|-4--2-------|-2----------|
A|------------|-------4--2-|-------4--2-|-0----------|
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|
