The Cure
Lovesong
Transcribed by: Andrew Tay
Key: Am
Arrangement: guitars, keyboard and bass
Tab source: audio
Accuracy: at least 92%
Tabbed by: Andrew Tay (aka Ant) February 1996
aktay@zeus.uwaterloo.ca
Here is some tab to The Cure's song "Lovesong", from the album
Disintegration. Personally, I think it's one of The Cure's most beautiful
songs. Some people say it's too commercial, but... screw them!
Some others have named the chords for this song (basically Am G F Em and then
F G Am C for the chorus), but that isn't very useful because it's not really
a chord-based song. However, there are a few chords used as accents here and
there. I'll do those first, then tab all the guitar parts, then the keyboard
arranged for guitar, then finally Simon's bass.
I figured this out by listening to the album version, the remix (where the
lines are more seperated), and the live version on the "Paris" album. I
don't have the Disintegration songbook, so I couldn't check for errors.
Hopefully, it's mostly right (I hear the songbook people make lots of
mistakes too!).
OPENING CHORD This chord is used to start the song as the occasional
Amadd9: xx7557 accent during the verses. If you have two guitarists,
have the other one play Am: xx2210 at the same time.
CHORUS CHORDS
F: xx3211
G: xx543x Each chord is strummed only once, and then the sequence
Amadd9: xx7557 is repeated.
C: xxx553
RHYTHM FIGURE 1 - INSTR. BREAK
------------------------------
e|-----------------|-----------------| ...or |-----------------|
b|-----1---3/5---3-|-----5---3\1-----| alternately |-----5---3\1---1-|
g|-----------------|---------------2-| play the 2nd |---------------2-|
d|-----------------|-----------------| measure like |---------------2-|
a|-----------------|-----------------| this: |-----------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
RHYTHM FIGURE 2 - INSTR. BREAK
------------------------------
This is the guitar bit that Robert plays in the Paris version, and that
matches the keyboard in the studio version. I guess Perry already had
enough to worry about on the keyboards :-)
_____________________
3rd time |
e|----7-||-9-9-7----7-7------|--------------------7--||-----------------|----
b|-10---||-------10-----10-8-|-----------------10----||-----------------|----
g|------||:------------------|-9-----9--------------:||-9-----9-----7---|----
d|------||:------------------|----------------------:||-----------------|-10-
a|------||-------------------|-----------------------||-----------------|----
e|------||-------------------|-----------------------||-----------------|----
: . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . : . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1
e|------------------------|--------------------7-|
b|-------10-10-10-10-10-8-|-----------------10---| This variation to figure
2
g|------------------------|-9-----9--------------| is used in the Paris
d|------------------------|----------------------| version, when Robert is
a|------------------------|----------------------| leading into the solo.
e|------------------------|----------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . : .
Figure 2c is identical to 2a, but an octave lower. This is played in the
remix version. You might prefer to play it in a higher position.
_____________________
3rd time |
e|--------||------------------|----------------------||-----------------|----
b|------0-||--1-1-0---0-0-----|-------------------0--||-----------------|----
g|----2---||:-------2-----2-0-|-----------------2---:||-----------------|----
d|--------||:-----------------|-2-----2-------------:||-2-----2-----0---|----
a|--------||------------------|----------------------||-----------------|-3--
e|--------||------------------|----------------------||-----------------|----
4 . : . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . : . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1
RHYTHM FIGURE 3 - CHORUS
------------------------
There are two variations to this. The first variation, <3a>, is played on
the album on a clean guitar. This is somewhat right, but it's almost
impossible to make out all the details.
e|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
b|-------1-0-----3-|---1-------0-----|-1---1-1-0-----3-|---1---0---------|
g|-2---2-----2---0-|-------0-----0---|-2---------2-----|-----------2-0---|
d|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
The second, <3b>, is how Porl plays it live, using some subtle overdrive.
This is one of those rare occurences when Porl actually simplifies the
guitar work, and I think it's the better of the two. Let the strings ring
and make sure you slide to give it that connected feel.
e|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|------------------|
b|-----6-----------|---6-------6-----|-----10----10---12-|-------12-----12--|
g|-5-------5---5/7-|-------7-----7..///9-------9---------|---12------12-----|
d|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|------------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
GUITAR SOLO
-----------
Use just a bit of nice bluesy overdrive on a nice blusey-sounding guitar,
if you can.
let ring! let ring!
e|-----------7-7-7-|-7---------7---7-|-----------7-7-7-|-7---------7---8-|
b|-----------------|-----8-------8---|---8-------------|-----8-------8---|
g|-----------------|---------7-------|-------7---------|---------7-------|
d|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
e|---8/10-10---------|----------------------|-----------------|
b|-------------8-8-8-|-8---8h10-10-10----10-|---------------5-|
g|-------------------|----------------------|---9\7-5---7-----|
d|-------------------|----------------------|-----------------|
a|-------------------|----------------------|-----------------|
e|-------------------|----------------------|-----------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
b|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
g|-7-----5-5-5-5-5-|-5-4-------------|-----------------|
d|-----------------|-------5---7---5-|-7---------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Here are two more ways to start the solo (i.e. they replace the first two
measures). The first comes from the Paris version, while the second is how
I like to play it; I think the chords sound really good with the right
overdrive.
e|-----7-----7---7-|-----------7---7-|--
b|-----------------|-----8-------8---|---
g|-----------------|---------7-------|-- and so on...
d|-----------------|-----------------|---
a|-----------------|-----------------|---
e|-----------------|-----------------|----
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 .
e|-----7-----8---7-|-----------7---7-|--
b|-----8---7-8---8-|-----8-------8---|---
g|-----7-----7---7-|---------7-------|-- and so on...
d|-----------------|-----------------|---
a|-----------------|-----------------|---
e|-----------------|-----------------|----
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 .
KEYBOARD - VERSE
----------------
Am G Fmaj7 Em7
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
b|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
g|-5---------7-5-7-|-----------------|-9---------7-9-7-|------------------|
d|-7-------------5-|-----------------|---------------5-|------------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-8---------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
KEYBOARD - CHORUS
-----------------
F G Am C
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
b|-----------------|-----------------|---------------5-|------------------|
g|-5-------------4-|-----------------|-5-------------5-|------------------|
d|-3-------------5-|-----------------|-7---------------|------------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F G Am Cmaj6
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
b|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
g|-5-------------4-|-----------------|-5-------------5-|------------------|
d|-3-------------5-|-----------------|-7-------------7-|------------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Play the first 4 measures, then the second 4, then the first 4, then the
first 2. Also, the G chord is somtimes played as xx57xx.
BASS - VERSE
------------
G|---------2-4-5-0-|---0-0-0-2-2-4---|---------5-4-2---|---------4---5----|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-3---3-3-------2-|---2-2-2----------|
A|-0---0-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Here's are two alternate endings (replacing the last measure) that Simon
sometimes uses:
G|-----4---5---4---| G|-----4---5---4---|
D|---2---2---2-----| or D|---2---2---------|
A|-----------------| A|-----------------|
E|-----------------| E|-----------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
BASS - CHORUS
-------------
In some parts, he lets the notes ring. You can decide when and where.
G|---------2-------|-------------4---|---------5--------|------------9-9-9---|
D|-3---3-3---3---5-|---5-5-5-7-7-----|-7---7-7---7-7-10-|---10-10-10---------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|--------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|--------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
KEY
---
x/y pick x, slide up to y
x\y pick x, slide down to y
x/y! pick x, slide up to y, pick y immediately
x..\y hold note x for the time indicated before sliding to y
| measure break
|| end of passage
:| repeat preceding measures
_____
1st | end passage this way the first time
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