How Soon Is Now by Smiths #----------------------------------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: 17 Oct 96 00:30:00 EDT From: john dioso To: "Robert \"Robman\" Svihla" Subject: how soon is now Hey, Jennifer, I've been playing this song for a good decade now, and I'll be damned if what I play matches Johnny Marr note for note. The chords, ostensibly, are F#, A, and B in the verse, and C#m, E, and F# in the chorus (the "You shut your mouth" bit). Played straight, it sounds horrendously wrong. But with the right rhythm, you can approach Johnny-ness. I read in a "Guitar" magazine profile of Johnny five or six years ago that he actually played this song with his guitar tuned to an open E (that is, strumming all the open strings would be an E chord; so the strings were tuned, from lowest to highest, E-B-E-G#-B-E). It's a tuning that Bo Diddley used in many of his songs, and if you listen carefully, you'll notice the "Bo Diddley beat" lurking behind this mope-rock anthem (try playing the song to the rhythm of "Born to Hand Jive" from "Grease," and you'll get the picture. Anyway, on to the song. chords (in standard tuning, BTW): verse chorus F# A B D A C#m E E-2 - - - 5 4 0 B-2 2 4 7 5 5 0 G-3 2 4 7 6 6 1 D-4 2 4 7 7 6 2 A-4 0 2 5 7 4 2 E-2 - - - 5 - 0 The opening "riff" is just the F# chord (2nd fret position) with loads of reverb, another way to get that "wavy" feeling from just playing the one chord is to position your hand to play the F# as I've shown you above, except hammer on the first-finger barre on the 2nd fret to begin the riff (^ = downstroke. v = upstroke): |F# ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ | do this twice; the second time the lead guitarist (on tour, Johnny) plays: E-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2 | (4/5\4) just before the rhythm guitarist (on tour, Craig Gannon) plays the next chords B-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2 | G-3---3-3-3-3-3-4-3 | D-4---4-4-4-4-2-2-2 | A-4---4-4-4-4-4-4-4 | E-0(h)2-2-2-2-2-2-2 | so the chord sequence for the intro and verse is: |F#|F#|F#|A/B/| How Soon Is Now ? F# I am the son and the heir A B F# Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar I am the son and heir A B Of nothing in particular D A You shut your mouth, how can you say C#m E F# I go about things the wrong way ? D A I am Human and I need to be loved C#m E |F#|F#|F#|A/B/| Just like everybody else does F# I am the son and the heir A B F# Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar I am the son and heir A B Oh, of nothing in particular D A You shut your mouth D A You shut your mouth, how can you say C#m E F# I go about things the wrong way ? D A I am Human and I need to be loved C#m E |F#|F#|F#|A/B/| Just like everybody else does D A There's a club if you'd like to go C#m E F# You could meet somebody who really loves you D So you go, and you stand on your own A And you leave on your own C#m E And you go home, and you cry |F#|F#|F#|A/B/| And you want to die D A When you say it's gonna happen "now" C#m E F# Well, when exactly do you mean? D A See I've already waited too long C#m E F# And all my hope is gone D A You shut your mouth, how can you say C#m E F# I go about things the wrong way ? D A I am Human and I need to be loved C#m E |F#|F#|F#|A/B/| Just like everybody else does ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.TAB6.com