From: «Steven Grogan»
Subject: guitar tab:pumpkins version of BOC’s » Godzilla»
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 1997 00:29:44 PDT
«Godzilla»
Originally by Blue Oyster Cult
Here we have the Smashing Pumpkins version, done live
Venue/location unknown (at least unknown to me)
Tabbed out by Steve Grogan
My own work, started and completed on 10/09/97
This is my first time ever trying to tab out anything, so please
Forgive any mistakes. Just to clarify things, this live version of «
Godzilla» starts out with Billy saying something like, » All right, you
Gotta pretend you didn’t hear this,» being his modest usual self as if
The song is going to suck but it really kicks ass. Some people I know
Like it better than BOC’s version. (The same holds true for me between
The Pumpkins’ » Jackie Blue» and the original by Ozark Mountain
Daredevils).
Anyway, after Billy says that he starts to play the main chord
Progression of the song, which sounds sort of » Teen Spirit»-ish. It is
Hereby designated to be RIFF 1. I am not going to tab out the exact
Number of times they play each chord because I do not hear songs in that
Manner. All I do is follow the rhythm, so just listen close for the
Cahnges and in no time it’ll be yours. These are power chords, of
Course.
RIFF 1 Guitar 1 only
E————————————————————————————————————
B————————————————————————————————————
G——————————5———7——7——————————9——10—-10——
D——5——5——5——5———7——7——8——8——8——9——10——10——
A——5——5——5——3———5——5——8——8——8——7——8——-8——-
E——3——3……3———————————6——6——6———————————
G C D A#
E F
So the chord progression is G-C-D-A#-E-F…and remember to keep it in
Mind that I have not tabbed out the exact number of strums for each
Chord. The one main flaw with guitar tab is that it is impossible to
Discern a song’s rhythm from it, so I am not going to bother attempting
It. Anyway, as I was saying this is what comes. Next we have:
Guitars 1 and 2 RIFF 1 2 times (approximately…once
Again,
Check your recordings)
At the end of the last progression they go back and forth between the E
And F chords like so:
E—————————————- At least
To my memory
B—————————————- that is
What they do.
G————9—-10—-9——10— Whether they do
Or not, it
D————9—-10—-9——10— functions (to
My ear anyway)
A————7—-8——7——8—— as a good
Transition into the E—————————————-
Next section.
After the E-F back and forth part the whole band comes in. Then:
Guitar 1 SOLO
Guitar 2 RIFF 1
Yes, I could put alot of time and effort into rewinding the tape ad
Nauseum and figuring out what Billy (I assume by the speed that it is
Billy) is doing but I see no point in that because he was just jamming
Anyway. HE probably doesnt even know what he did unless he listened to
The tape. So what you need to do is take some blues sclaes and just
Hammer away on them quickly while the other guitarist plays the
Progression. And oh yeah, this song has alot of solos so…do this alot,
After the solo we get lyrics, and under them we have:
Guitars 1 and 2 RIFF 1
With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound
He pulls the splitting high tension wires down.
(Guitar 1 solo, Guitar 2 riff 1)
(both guitars riff 1)
He picks up a bus and throws it back down
As he wades thru the people in the center of town.
(Guitar 1 solo, Guitar 2 riff 1)
(both guitars riff 1)
Helpless people on a subway train
Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them.
(Guitar 1 solo, Guitar 2 riff 1)
Now despite its brevity I guess we could call this Riff 2. The sound on
My recordin is really bad, but I think they just play this:
RIFF 2
E———————————————————————————————————
B———————————————————————————————————
G———————————————————————————————————
D——3——3—————————————————————————————-
A——3——3—————————————————————————————-
E——1——1—————————————————————————————-
Oh no, they say he’s got to go…go,go Godzilla.
(drums, Guitar 1 solo)
E———————————————————————————————————
B———————————————————————————————————
G———————————————————————————————————
D——3——3——————————————————————————————
A——3——3——————————————————————————————
E——1——1—————————————————-1h3p1h3p1h3~————
Oh no, there goes Tokyo…go, go God…zilla.
By the way, that hammer and pull off thing is done for a bit longer and
Kind of fast. After that we have:
Guitar 1 SOLO
Guitar 2 RIFF 1
Then it comes back to this:
(Both guitars Riff 2)
Oh no, they say he’s got to go…go, go Godzilla.
(drums…Guitar 1 solo)
(Both guitars Riff 2)
Oh no, there goes Tokyo…go, go God…zilla. (Do hammer-pull off.)
Then only drums for a while. A bit later, bass line comes in. Further
Down the road Guitar 1 comes in for a solo, at the end of which we get
Both guitars doing something like:
E———————————————————————————————————-
B———————————————————————————————————
G———————————————————————————————————
D——5/7——9———10——-11—-12——13——-and so on
Right up the
A——5/7——9———-10——11—-12——13——-neck…a crazy
Power
E——3/5——7———-8———9——10——11——chord going
All the way
Up
The neck. Then the
Insanity winds down.
Your drummer bursts in
With an explosive roll and
Then you just:
Guitars 1 and 2 RIFF 1 which gets played under these lyrics:
History shows again and again
How nature points out the folly of men…Godzilla! (2 times)
After the second time do that E-F thing again, then:
Guitar 1 SOLO
Guitar 2 RIFF 1
When solo comes to its end you once again switch back and forth between
E and F power chords, then make random insanity going up and down the
Neck much like the ascending power chords. When it all dies down, a
High-pitched voice says:
I love you, Godzirra!
And then end by pounding the G power chord a few times. And there you
Should have yourself a fine version of the Pumpkins version of
» Godzilla.» If you want a copy of this song go to the SP Audio Archive,
Whose address is www.starla.org and that way you can actually
Hear it. It is not the same live version I have, but I am sure they are
Pretty much the same.
Happy jamming!!! [email protected]