Helter Skelter(U2 Version!!)
Transcribed by Richard Zangoli.
Well, I saw a transcription to this song on the U2 archive but it seemed to
me that it came straight out of a Beatles songbook or something. So this is
the U2 version from the Rattle and Hum CD. I think it's pretty close.
Remember to tune down half a step and palm mute the intro, although not too
heavily.
When I get......
E----------------------------------------------------------
B---5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5
G---7--7--7--7--7--7--7--6--6--6--6--6--6--5--5--5--5
D----------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------
G E
....see me again yeah, yeah, yeah
E
Do you, don't you want me to love you, yeah
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you,
G A
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer, you may be a lover, but you ain't no
E A
dancer
Then play this riff-
E----------------------------------0--0----------------------------------------
B----------------------------------0--0-----------------------------------2--2
G---2------------------------------1--1-----------------------------------2--2
D-------4--2--0--------------------2--2-----2-----------------------------2--2
A-------------------4--2--0--------2--2----------4---2--0-----------------0--0
E----------------------------------0--0-----------------------4--2--0---------
E--------------------------------------0-
B--------------------------------------0-
G----2---------------------------------1- then keep on playing the E
chord ---------4--2--0-----------------------2- 2nd verse as you did
for the
A----------------------4--2--0---------2- first
E--------------------------------------0-
The only thing left is the solo which goes some thing like this-
E-0--0-------------15--------15----------------------------------10-----------10
B-0--0---15b(17)------15b(17)--------15b(17)---2--2----10b(12)-------10b(12)---
G-1--1-----------------------------------------2--2---------------------------
D-2--2-----------------------------------------2--2---------------------------
A-2--2-----------------------------------------0--0-----------------------------
E-0--0------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------
B----10b(12)--
G-------------- Play this twice and then finish on an E.
D--------------
A---------------
E---------------
That should have all the guitar parts to the song. Quite simple really.
Richard Zangoli (ahowden@magna.com.au)
"Helter Skelter" [Lennon/McCartney]
Intro:
-|-----0--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------
-|--123--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the
-|-----0--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------
-|-----2--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
slide, where I stop and I turn and I go for a
G
-|-----0--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------
-|-----1--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------5--5--6--6--------
-|------------------------------------------------3--3--3--3--------
ride, till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
E
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|--5--5--6---------6------2--2--2--2--32--2--2--2-----------------
-|--3--3--3---------3------0--0--0--0--1 --0--0--0-----------------
Yeah yeah yeah!
Verse:
E
Well do you don't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
G
Tell me tell me tell me come on tell me the answer
A E
Well you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Chorus:
A
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|----------2---2---4---4--5--4--2----------------------------------
-|----------0---0---0---0-----------5--4--2--0----------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, Helter Skelter
E
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|---2---2---4---4--5--4--2-----------------------------------------
-|---0---0---0---0-----------5--4--2--0-----------------------------
Helter skelter
A E
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|--------------------------------------------5b(7)--3--5-----------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|---2---2---4---4--5--4--2-----------------------------------------
-|---0---0---0---0-----------5--4--2--0-----------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
Helter skelter Yeah
So much for verses and choruses. The rest are pretty much the same,
except that the rest of the verses hit the G chord a little sooner
(at the beginning of the third line of the verse).
Here's the guitar solo in the middle:
E A E
-|----------------------7--7--15b(17)--15b(17)--b(17)15-------------
-|----------------------0--0----------------------------------------
-|----------------------9--9----------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
-|------------------------------------------------------------------
'Cos here she comes
A E
-|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-|--b(17)15b(17)15---------------13b(14)------------------b(17)15-----------
-|------------------b(14)12---------------b(14)12b(14)12-----------12-------
-|---------------------------14----------------------------------------14~--
-|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later, there's a neat riff in one of the last verses. I think it
comes right after "will you won't you want me to make you" or something
like that. This is a cool riff with that looonnnng slide.
-|--12--15b(17)--b(17)15--12------12----------------------------------------
-|----------------------------15------1510-----10b(12)--b(12)10--8---------
-|-------------------------------------------9-----------------------7--9---
-|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the song fades into the first ending, there are some nice bend releases,
while the lyrics repeat "coming down fast":
-|--b(17)15------------------------------------------------------------
-|-----------b(17)15---------------------------------------------------
-|--------------------b(16)14------------------------------------------
-|-----------------------------b(14)12---------------------------------
-|--------------------------------------b(14)12------------------------
-|---------------------------------------------------------------------
Later, there's a whole lot of Hendrix-like guitar noise.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tab Special Notations:
----0---- play the open string ('fret zero')
----5---- play fret five
----5~--- play fret five with vibrato
---5/7--- play fret five, slide up to fret seven
---75--- play fret seven, slide down to fret five
--75/7-- play fret seven, slide down to fret five, slide back up
--8b(9)-- play fret eight, bend the string (at fret eight) to reach
the pitch of fret nine
--b(9)8-- play fret eight already bent to the pitch of fret nine,
unbending until it reaches the normal pitch of fret eight
----h7--- hammer-on to fret seven
----p5--- pull-off to fret five
---/7---- slide up to fret 7 (the starting fret of the slide is
undefined, judge by ear)
---15--- play fret 15, slide down (the ending fret of the slide is
undefined, judge by ear)
---0h3--- play the open string and immediately hammer-on to fret
three
---7p5--- play fret seven and immediately pull-off to fret five
"This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles.
We're stealing it back."
When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you stop and you turn
And you go for a ride
Till you get to the bottom
Then you see me again
Do you, don't you want me to love you?
I'm coming down fast, but I'm miles above you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Do you, don't you want me to make you?
Coming down fast I don't want me to break you
Tell me , tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
When you get to the bottom
you go back to the top of the slide
Where you stop and you turn
And you go for a ride
Till you get to the bottom
And I see you again
Do you, don't you want me to love you ?
Coming down fast I'm right above you
Tell me , tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter