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When You Were Young - The Killers
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Tabbed By : Wilfridberry
e-mail: wilf@toufol.org.uk
Tuning: 1/2 step down Eb Ab Db Gb
INTRO:
The bass rests for the first two bars, then comes in with the drums on bar three. My tab
begins on bar three, which I shall call bar one to make things easier. The song has a
very easy bass line, and all the intro is in quavers (eighth notes). Always strike the
note before and after any slides, for example in the second bar you strike the 3rd fret
there times then slide up and strike the 5th fret five times, then slide up and play the
eight fret eight times, then slide down and play fret 1 eight times. On the eight bar
simply slide up the neck as you move your hand to fret eight for the verse.
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|
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|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|
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|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1/|
FIRST VERSE
Essentially just the intro but played up an octave, and with an extra couple slides.
Again, it is all quavers.
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|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8/|/10-10-10/12-12-12-12-12/|/15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15\|\8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-|
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|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8/|/10-10-10/12-12-12-12-12/|/15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15\|\8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|
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FIRST CHORUS:
Identical to the intro:
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|
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|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|
|-----------------|-----------------|
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|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1/|
SECOND VERSE
Identical to the first verse:
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|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8/|/10-10-10/12-12-12-12-12/|/15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15\|\8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-|
|---------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
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|---------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8/|/10-10-10/12-12-12-12-12/|/15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15\|\8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|
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SECOND CHORUS:
Identical to the first chorus:
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|
|-----------------|-----------------|
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|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
|-----------------|-----------------|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|
|-----------------|-----------------|
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|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1/|
THIRD VERSE:
Here's were the song structure changes a bit, the third verse builds to an instrumental
interlude, which is followed by a bridge, then another instrumental section. For now
let's focus on the verse - You play the same notes as a normal verse but you hold them
instead of repeating them, and you still slide between some of them, I have included ghost
notes in brackets to show the slides, it is fairly obvious however, you hold the first
fret for four beats, the 3rd fret for one and a half beats, the 5th fret for 2 and a half
and the eight fret for four beats, then play a bar of quavers.
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|-1---------------|-3-----5-----(5)/|/8-----------(8)\|\1---------------|-1-1-1-1-3-3-3-3-|
FIRST INTERLUDE
A small instrumental part leading up to the bridge, it is all in quavers and resembles
the verse, except for an open string in bar 2 and also the final three bars have a
different timing. For these, you play quavers for 3 beats then play a crotchet (quarter
note), then hold down a Gb for eight beats (2 whole bars)
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/k/killers/when_you_were_young_btab_ver_6.html ]
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-0-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1/|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-8-8-8-7-7-7-5-5-|-5-3-3-3-3-2-0---|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|
BRIDGE
This is the 'devil's water' part, and there is no bass for eight bars, then you come in
on bar 9. You come in just as he is halfway through singing the word 'while' ("every
once in a little while") then you play four bars, which resembles the verse but slides
up and octave on bar four. I have written the vocal over the 8 bar rest so you have an
idea of timing:
Devil's water it ain't so sweet. You don't have to drink right now.
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But you can dip your feet------- every once and a little while---|
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|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|
|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1/13-13-13-13\|
SECOND INTERLUDE
This leads to the final verse, and is basically just the verse line.
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
FINAL VERSE
The song is really kicking off now, this verse is the same as the otheres essentially.
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
FINAL CHORUS AND OUTRO
The bass line for this part is a combination of all the ones used so far, with a few new
parts, the only real difficulty is spotting that on bar eight the bass rests for one
quaver, it plays two quavers for beat one then only plays the second one for beat 2. The
final three bars follow the same rhythms as in the first interlude, but it is extremely
obvious what to do.
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|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-7-7-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-3-3-|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1---1-1-1-1-1-|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
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|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3/5-5-5-5-5/|/8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8\|\1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1/|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
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|-8-8-8-7-7-7-5-5-|-5-3-3-3-3-2-0---|-----------------||
|-----------------|-----------------|-3-----------(3)/||
Please email if you have any queries, please rate and comment, thanks! :)
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
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