#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: marc@owlnet.rice.edu (Marc Bennett Hirsh)
Subject: TAB: "Ballad Of El Goodo" (Big Star)
A great Pop gem from a great Pop group. No wonder every cool band
(R.E.M., Replacements, Bangles, Nirvana, etc.) loved 'em. Notes:
1) Capo everything up six frets! And yet, even this won't get you in
the right key to play along with the recording. All the
instruments in this one are a touch flat. But the sixth fret will
get you the closest to the recorded key. Side note: I had
stupidly, stupidly thought that this was capoed at the first fret,
but then I discovered that a few things didn't sound right and
realized what was going on. Which means that I have to relearn
this song that I thought I knew, since all of the chords have
effectively changed. This *can* be faked with the capo at one,
though it won't sound perfect and, frankly, you should just learn
it at the 6th. I don't know why you'd bother confusing yourself.
But I'm just so pissed that I know it two different ways that I
thought I'd point it out.
2) Since we are capoed up 6 frets, I am treating the 6th fret as if
it's the nut. Therefore, all chord names are really just the
shapes and don't reflect the true concert pitch. Also, if the
number in the TAB says "1", then it's really played on the 7th
fret (since the seventh fret is the first non-capoed fret). This
is fairly standard, but I'm just restating it.
3) As with all Big Star songs, there are some beauty vocal harmonies
which I am abandoning for this feeble transcription. Sorry, folks.
4) I don't know what effects are on the main guitar (probably
Chilton, since it seems to be his song), but it sounds quite
nifty. Some sort of flanger, perhaps.
5) The rhythm for most of this song is dead-simple. 2 strums per bar
(which means, for those of us who know nothing about theory or
other real-music stuff, hit each chord twice and then move on).
The chord changes are faster in the chorus than in the verses, so
here's the deal: for the verses, hit each chord twice for each
time I've written it. For the chorus, hit each chord once for
every time I've written it. Thus, if it's the verse and I've
written "Eb Eb," then play Eb four times. I've put "G (G)" in the
chorus because you don't actually hit that second G, but you let
the first one continue ringing. For the bridge, I actually point
out how many times to play each chord. Make sense? I was
originally going to put the chords in TAB, but it took up way too
much space and you don't really need to know *exactly* what's
going on (like rests, chordals, etc.). You can figure that out on
your own if it bothers you.
6) A couple of places where I just list chords, there's something a
little more complex going on. I try to point out basically what's
happening, but I couldn't figure out exact TAB, so I decided
against putting in guesses. If you can pick it out, please do,
but I can't.
7) I came [] <--- *that* close to denoting 12-string TAB with `='
rather than `-' (like I always use) but then thought that that'd
probably tell more about me than I really want people to know.
"The Ballad of El Goodo" (Alex Chilton/Chris Bell)
Performed by Big Star
From the album _#1_Record_ (on one stupendous CD with _Radio_City_)
Transcribed without permission as always by Marc Hirsh
Notation:
s - sixteenth note
e - eighth note
q - quarter note
h - half note
w - whole note
. - play note for one and a half times the value before it (just like a dot in
standard notation)
^ - ties two note lengths together
NOTE LENGTHS IN CAPITAL LETTERS MEAN REST FOR THAT VALUE OF TIME!
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
(capo all guitars up 6 frets)
Let all guitars ring!
(guitar 1 - electric, flanged?)
G D Em Bm Am7 Dsus4
E-3---2---|-3---2---|-3---3---|
B---3---3-|---3---3-|---1---3-|
G---------|---------|---------|
D-----0---|---------|-----0---|
A---------|-----2---|-0-------|
E-3-------|-0-------|---------|
q q q q q q q q q q q q
G
E-3---------|---------------|---------------|-------------|
B-3-------3-|-------3-----3-|-----3-------3-|-------3-----|
G-0---------|-----0-----0---|---0-----------|-----0-------|
D-0-----0---|-0h2-----0-----|-----------0---|-0h2-----0---|
A-2-0h2-----|---------------|-------0h2-----|-------------|
E-3---------|---------------|-3-------------|-------------|
h e e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e q Q
G C Am7 D
Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
Bm G C Eb Eb
I been trying hard against unbelievable odds
(guitar 1 now doubled by guitar 2 [12-string acoustic], bass enters)
G C Am7 D
It gets so hard in times like now to hold on
(drums enter)
Bm G C Fadd9 Fadd9
But guns they wait to be stuck by, at my side is God
CHORUS
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 G (G)
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me round
G D Em Bm C Dsus4
Ain't no one goin' to turn me
(guitar 1 plays G once, guitar 2 plays:)
G
E---3-------3---|-----3-----3---|---3-------3---|-----3-----3---|
B-----3-------3-|-------3-----3-|-----3-------3-|-------3-----3-|
G---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
D---------------|-0h2-----0-----|---------------|-0h2-----0-----|
A-------0h2-----|---------------|-------0h2-----|---------------|
E-3-------------|---------------|-3-------------|---------------|
q e e e e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e q e e
round
(both guitars)
G C Am7 D
These people now, they tell you that they know
Bm G C Eb Eb
And places where they send you, and it's easy to go
G C Am7 D
They zip you up and dress you down and stand you in a room
Bm G C Fadd9 Fadd9
But you know you don't have to, you could just say no
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/big_star/ballad_of_el_goodo_tab_ver_2.html ]
CHORUS
G (G)
(guitar 1)
E---------|
B---------|
G---------|
D-0-----0-|
A---0h2---|
E---------|
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 h e e q
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me round
G (G)
(guitar 1)
E---------|
B---------|
G---------|
D-0-----0-|
A---0h2---|
E---------|
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 h e e q
Ain't no one goin' to turn me round
G (G)
(guitar 1)
E---------|
B---------|
G---------|
D-0-----0-|
A---0h2---|
E---------|
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 h e e q
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me round
[guitar 1 arpeggiates these next chords, but I'm not sure how]
G D Em Bm C Dsus4
Ain't no one goin' to turn me
(guitar 1 plays G once, guitar 2 plays:)
G
E---3-------3---|-----3-----3---|---3-------3---|-----3-----|
B-----3-------3-|-------3-----3-|-----3-------3-|-------3---|
G---------------|---------------|---------------|-----------|
D---------------|-0h2-----0-----|---------------|-0h2-----0-|
A-------0h2-----|---------------|-------0h2-----|-----------|
E-3-------------|---------------|-3-------------|-----------|
q e e e e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e h
round
(guitar 1 plays chords, guitar 2 plays some arpeggiations)
Am (4 times) C (3 times) G/B
Been built up and trusted
Am (4 times) C (3 times) G/B
Broke down and busted
(guitar 2)
E-----------|
B-1-0-------|
G-----2-0---|
D---------2-|
A-----------|
E-----------|
e e e e h
Am G/B C (twice) Am (twice, then rest twice)
But they'll get theirs and we'll get ours, if you can just-a
(both guitars) (guitar 2 only)
Em Am D G
E-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|---------------|-3-|
B-0-0-|-0-0-|-1-1-|-1-1-|-3-3-|-3-3-|---------------|-3-|
G-0-0-|-0-0-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|---------------|-0-|
D-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|---------0h2p0-|-0-|
A-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|---1/2---------|---|
E-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|-----|-----|-3-----3-------|---|
h h h h h h h h h h h h q e e e e e e w
Hold on, hold on
(both guitars) (guitar 2 only)
Em Am D G
E-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|---------------|-3-|
B-0-0-|-0-0-|-1-1-|-1-1-|-3-3-|-3-3-|---------------|-3-|
G-0-0-|-0-0-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|---------------|-0-|
D-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|---------0h2p0-|-0-|
A-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|---1/2---------|---|
E-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|-----|-----|-3-----3-------|---|
h h h h h h h h h h h h q e e e e e e w
Hold on, hold on
(guitar 1 does little one-note lines until "...strong odds")
(guitar 2 plays chords as usual)
G C Am7 D
Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
Bm G C Eb Eb
I been trying hard against strong odds
(guitar 1 plays chords)
G C Am7 D
It gets so hard in times like now to hold on
Bm G C Fadd9 Fadd9
But I'll fall if I don't fight, and at my side is God
CHORUS
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 G (G)
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me round [the rhythm for the end
chord of every line in
this final chorus is:
e q. h, if you care]
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 G (G)
Ain't no one goin' to turn me round
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 G (G)
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me round
G D Em Bm C Dsus4 G (G)
Ain't no one goin' to turn me round
(both guitars) (guitar 2 only)
Em Am D G
E-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|---------------|-3-|
B-0-0-|-0-0-|-1-1-|-1-1-|-3-3-|-3-3-|---------------|-3-|
G-0-0-|-0-0-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|---------------|-0-|
D-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|---------0h2p0-|-0-|
A-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|---1/2---------|---|
E-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|-----|-----|-3-----3-------|---|
h h h h h h h h h h h h q e e e e e e w
Hold on, hold on
(both guitars)
Em Am D
E-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|-3-2-|-0-2-|
B-0-0-|-0-0-|-1-1-|-1-1-|-3-3-|-3-3-|
G-0-0-|-0-0-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|
D-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|
A-2-2-|-2-2-|-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|
E-0-0-|-0-0-|-----|-----|-----|-----|
h h h h h h h h h h h h
Hold on, hold
(guitar 1 plays G chord once)
(guitar 2)
G
E---3-------3---|---3-------3---|---3-------3---|---3-------3---|
B-----3-------3-|-----3-------3-|-----3-------3-|-----3-------3-|
G---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
D-0-----0h2-----|-0-----0h2-----|-0-----0h2-----|-0-----0h2-----|
A---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
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
on
(guitar 2)
G
E---3-------3---|---3-------3---|---------------|-------|
B-----3-------3-|-----3-------3-|---------------|-------|
G---------------|---------------|---------------|-0-----|
D-0-----0h2-----|-0-----0h2-----|-------0-0h2p0-|-------|
A---------------|---------------|-2-1h2---------|---2---|
E---------------|---------------|---------------|-----3-|
q e e e e e e q e e e e e e q e e e e e e q q h
=====================================================================
Chords used in this song (in order of appearance):
G C Am7 D Bm Eb Fadd9 Em Dsus4 Am G/B
E-3-|-3-|--3--|-2-|--2--|-----|---3---|--0--|---3---|--0--|-----|
B-3-|-1-|--1--|-3-|--3--|--4--|---1---|--0--|---3---|--1--|--3--|
G-0-|-0-|--2--|-2-|--4--|--0--|---2---|--0--|---2---|--2--|--0--|
D-0-|-2-|--2--|-0-|--4--|--5--|---3---|--2--|---0---|--2--|--0--|
A-2-|-3-|--0--|---|--2--|--6--|-------|--2--|-------|--0--|--2--|
E-3-|---|-----|---|-----|-----|-------|--0--|-------|-----|-----|
--
Marc Hirsh (marc@owlnet.rice.edu)
\ /
^ --"It's easy to be nuts. Try being me."
V (_The_Fisher_King_)
