| Starts out on a synth, but using two guitars: |
| Guitar 1: |
| Finger |
| e x |
| B x |
| G 10 |
| D 10 |
| A 8 |
| E x |
Pick quickly A-A-D-D-G-G-D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-D-D (all sixteenth notes) over and
| over |
| (Technically, this is until the end of the song, when the violin comes in.) |
| Guitar 2: |
| Finger: |
| e 13 |
| B | 13 | |
| G | 10 |
| D x |
| A x |
| E x |
| Pick quickly G-G-B-B-e (The G and B strings are played as sixteenth, the e |
| is picked as an eighth) |
| After 5 repetitions, the piano enters, after four piano and synth parts, |
| the drums and bass enter. The piano and bass play a simple |
| F-C-Bb progression |
| For guitar in place of piano, it is played |
| F | C | Bb | |
| e 5 | 3 | 1 |
| B | 6 | 5 | 3 | G | 5 | 5 | 3 | |
| D | x | x | x |
| A x x x |
| E x x x |
| The first verse is played the same way: |
| F | C | Bb | |
| Out here in the | fields |
| I fight for my meals |
| I get my back into my living |
| I don't need to fight |
| To prove I'm right |
| I don't need to be forgiven |
| (yeah yeah yeah yeah ye-ah!) |
| NOW Townshend throws in the power chords along the same rhythm (F-C-Bb) |
| Play that pattern 5 times, then it softens for the bridge: |
| Play C5 three times, then softly strum a first-position C chord |
| (With the opening F5 synth pattern only:) |
| Don't cry |
| Don't raise your eyes |
| It's only a teenage wasteland |
| The chords ring in again, with bass and drums, the synth still rolling |
| Sally take my hand |
| We'll travel south cross land |
| Put out the fire but don't look past my shoulder |
| The exodus is here |
| The happy won't come near |
| Let's get together before we get much older |
| A soft guitar solo, in the same key, but one I can't figure out yet. |
| Hitting a few F5 chords, the drums and bass ring back in and the bar chords |
| return in the F-C-Bb pattern: |
| Teenage wasteland! |
| Teenage wasteland! |
| Teenage wasteland, oh yeah! |
| Teenage wasteland! |
| They're all wasted! |
F-F-C-C-Bb-Bb-C-C
| Tab: |
| F chord: |
e: -12-13-15--12-13-15-1213-15
| Repeat, over a C then Bb chord, then, over C |
e: -15-13-15-13-15-12--15-13-15-12-13-15-12-----15
| The violin comes in over the synth part, which fades out as the violin |
| plays until the end, when the synth returns for a crescendo up onto yet |
| again the F5 chord. |
| A classic, a masterpiece--only Pete Townshend (although any group doing |
| this without Keith Moon on drums loses something!) |
| Kevin Cherry |
| lancelot@pipeline.com |
| 00cherry@cua.edu |
| "Fletch, this time you goofed big. . .in the story of yours we ran |
| Wednesday, you have recent quotes from a man who's been dead two |
| years. . . ." |
| "At least give me a chance to check my sources." |
| "Like who? Saint Peter? You get him on the line, I want to know." |
| __Gregory Mcdonald, "Fletch and the Widow Bradley" |