Billy Bragg - Lovers Town Chords & Tabs

#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Date: 25 Jan 1998 23:24:37 Z
From: "Boulton, Nic" 
Subject: TAB:/b/bragg_billy/lovers_town.tab


>From the first Peel session(21/2/84), available on the Strange Fruit CD
(SFCD114).

It sounds like there are two guitar tracks on this, one playing the bass
part and a second one doing the fills up around the ninth fret. I've
tried to tab it out so that you can play both parts at the same time
(that is, you don't have to be at the fourth and ninth position at the
same time).

Frinstance for the fill around "only knew what they taught me", guitar 2
actually plays :

e------------------------11--|
B-------------------9h11-----|
only knew what they taught me


but you can get away with playing:

e-------------------4-/--11--
only knew what they taught me

....and still be playing the bass part/chord at the same time  :)

Everything's played with a barred E shape. It's in Ab.

 E  A  D  G  B  E
 4  6  6  5  4  4 - Ab
11 13 13 12 11 11 - Eb
 9 11 11 10  9  9 - Db
 8 10 10  8  8  8 - Cm
 6  8  8  7  6  6 - Bb
 x  8 10 10  9  8 - Fm


The intro & verses bass part pretty much just follows the progression
 Ab  Eb  Db  Eb....


..sometimes just following the bass notes, with a bit of percussion :

    Ab        Eb        Db        Eb
A----6-x------13-13-x---11---x----13-13--x---|
E----4-x------11-11-x----9---x----11-11--x---|

..sometimes playing a walking bass part :

    Ab        Eb         Db       Eb
E----4------4-11------11-9------9-11---------

..sometimes leaving an open e before each change :

    Ab        Eb         Db       Eb
E----4------0-11-------0-9------0-11---------


Suggest using something like this and messing around with it :

    Ab           Eb             Db              Eb
e-----------------------------------------------------11------|
B---------x-------------------------x--------9-/11----11-11---|
G---------x--5-------------12-\10---x-------10-/12----12-12---|
D---6-----x--6--/13--------13-\11---x-------11-/13-------13---|
A---6---------------------------------------------------------|
E---4---------------------------------------------------------|

For the fills, mostly you can do them around the top few strings of the
barre chords

[intro]:
Ab  Eb  Db   Eb   :|| x4


[verse]:
                                                   e-----------4-|
                                                   B-11-11-11--4-|
                                                   G-12-12-12----|
Ab                     Eb      Db               Eb D-13-13-13----|
    all the lies they told us      in the classroom

                               e------------11--|
                               B--9--9---11-11--|
                               G-10-10---12-----|
Ab                      Eb   Db         Eb
     didn't fit in the outside world

                     e--------11-----                       e-11-11-11--4-|
                     B-4---/11--------                      B-11-11-11--4-|
Ab                              Eb Db                    Eb G-------------|
   they were right & I was wrong     I just had to tag along

                                                           e----11-----|
                   e-4--/-11---                            B----11--11-|
                   B-----------                            G-12-----12-|
Ab                           Eb  Db                     Eb D-13--------|
only knew what they taught me       remember when they caught me


  Db                                            Eb                Ab
e-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B--9--------------------------------------------11------------------|
G-10--------------------------------------------12------------------|
D-11--------------------------------------------13------------------|
A-11--------------------------------------------13------------------|
E--9--------------------------------------------11---11-11--9-8-6-4-|
  not disobeying, just trying to get out of the way

               e-4--/-11--               e--9--9-------------|
               B-4--/-11--               B--9--9--11----11---|
Ab                              Eb    Db G--------12----12---|
   it came to a head one night         two dances two fights

                          e------11-----11---9-9---11--9\8-------4-|
                          B--9/11-----11------9------------11------|
                          G----------------------------------------|
Ab                    Eb  Db    Eb
   all my mates just ran away


                                                               e---11-|
                  e-11-11-                                     B---11-|
                  B-11-11-                                     G-12---|
Ab                    Eb     Db                             Eb D-13---|
   & as I walked home  with blood and the tears on my best shirt
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/billy_bragg/lovers_town_tab.html ]
                                       B--9-----11-11-11--|
                                       G-10-----12-12-12--|
    Ab                             Eb  Db       Eb
and someone said "will they come after you?"


e--------------------------------------------------------------|
B--------------------------------------------------------------|
G-10-------------------------7---------------------------------|
D-11-------------------------8---------------------------------|
A-11-------------------------8---------------------------------|
E--9------------------9--8---6------------------------6---8----|
    I began to wonder        what did I do wrong here


   Db                       Db/Eb
e--------------------------------------------------------------|
B--------------------------------------------------------------|
G-10-----------------------------------------------------------|
D-11------------------------11/13------------------------------|
A-11------------------------11/13------------------------------|
E--9----------------------9--9/11------------------------------|
     I began to wonder        do I belong here ?


[chorus]:  [listen to the CD for the strumming]

Eb                  Db         Cm            Bb
    you think that love only exists in your eyes
           but it exists   in girls'       smiles    x2

[last time]:

Eb          Db       Cm           Fm    Db Db Db Db Db [stop]
    but it exists in girls' smi--iiii---iles

N.C.
in lovers' town


    Ab           Eb             Db         Eb
e-------------------------------9--9-------11-11-11-11------|
B---------x---------------------9--9-------11-11-11-11--12--|
G---------x--5-----------------------------12-12-12-12--12--|
D---6-----x--6--/13-------------------------------------13--|
A---6-------------------------------------------------------|
E---4-------------------------------------------------------|

    Ab           Eb             Db         Eb
e---4---------------------------9--9-----------11-----------|
B---4-----x---------------------9--9-------11--11-----------|
G---5-----x--5-----------------------------12---------------|
D---6-----x--6--/13-----------------------------------------|
A---6-------------------------------------------------------|
E---4-------------------------------------------------------|


[verse2]
Ab                Eb    Db                           Eb
I was lonely then         the whole world had it in for me
how cool I must have been    all metal comb and misery
if ever you go back      there's lessons still to be learned
those same boys are waiting outside the dancehall for when you return

[chorus]


[then play this riff right through until the end]

   Ab          Cm               Db           Eb
e-------44-44--------8-8---8-8------9-9--9-9------11-------11--|
B-------44-44--------8-8---8-8------9-9--9-9------11-------11--|
G-------55-55--------8-8---8-8-----1010-1010------12-------12--|
D-------66-66-------1010--1010-----1111-1111------13-------13--|
A--6-----------10---------------10-----------------------------|
E--4------------8----------------9------------11------(11)-----|


   Ab          Cm               Db           Eb
e-------44-44--------8-8---8-8------9-9--9-9------11-------11--|
B-------44-44--------8-8---8-8------9-9--9-9------11-------11--|
G-------55-55--------8-8---8-8-----1010-1010------12-------12--|
D-------66-66-------1010--1010-----1111-1111------13-------13--|
A--6-----------10---------------10-----------------------------|
E--4------------8----------------9------------11------(11)-----|


   Ab          Cm               Db           Eb
e-------44-44------------88-88---------99-99------11-------11--|
B-------44-44------------88-88---------99-99------11-------11--|
G-------55-55------------88-88--------10-10-------12-------12--|
D-------66-66-----------10-10---------11-11-------13-------13--|
A--6----------10----------------10-----------------------------|
E--4-----------8-----------------9-----------11------(11)------|
     when the carpet's paid for     you can have a party...


Ab              Cm               Db                    Eb
     and your friends  can  all come round
 but they were not my friends,  my friends were in the future
just as well I had the sense to hide                   for this was
   lovers' town,            no other   town      was quite like lovers
   lovers' town,            no other   town      was quite like lovers

lovers town, lovers town whoa, whoa, etc., lovers to----own,


[outro solo, guitar2]:

    Ab          Cm           Db            Eb
e----------------8-----------9-------------11------------------|
B---9----------------------------------------------------------|


    Ab          Cm           Db            Eb
e---------------8------------9-------11b13r11------------------|
B---9----------------------------------------------------------|

    Ab          Cm           Db               Eb
e--(11)pb13-----13r11--------8----9-----11---------------------|
B---------------------------------------------9----------------|
                                             [gtr2 turns into
                                              A saxophone]

carry on with the Ab  Cm  Db   Eb  riff, then end on the Db

/ is slide up
\ is slide down
x is strum, but mute the strings at the neck
b is bend up
r is release a bend
 --(11)pb13-- is fret at 11th, pre-bend to 13, then pick
h is a hammer on

Nic

Nic.Boulton@bn.cwplc.com