The Boys Of Summer Tab

The Boys Of Summer
 by Don Henley
 
Transcribed by Larry Whittaker
 
Updated May 7th, 2016
Fixed quite a few things to clear up any confusion and to adjust a few notes so it's easier to play and
more correct.
 
I believe this is now the most correct version available.
 
 
******************************************
***** TUNE TO E FLAT (1/2 step down) *****
******************************************
 
 
Key:    H - Hammer-On   P - Pull-Off
        ^F - Full Bend  ^H - Half Bend
        / - Slide up    \ - Slide down
        ~ - Vibrato
 
Use a clean standard tone with chorus effect for chord richness and
make good use of neck and bridge pickup switching. A few leads use the
bridge pickup with distortion. I have loved this song ever since it
was release and since none of the tabs I found were exactly accurate,
I decided to give it a go.
 
Please comment if you find anything that needs changing.  Thanks.
 
Intro
 
KEYBOARDS ARRANGED FOR GUITAR -- Dsus4
 
We'll call this triplet K (plays 16 times over intro before vocals).
 
e--------------|        e--3--2--------|
B--------------|        B-------3------|
G--12-11-------|   OR   G--------------|
D--------12----|        D--------------|
A--------------|        A--------------|
E--------------|        E--------------| 
 
***** USE NECK PICKUP *****
                       (K4)              (K4)              (K4)                       (K4)
e----------------------|--|--------------|--|--------------|--|-----------------------|--|-------------|
B----------------------|--|--------------|--|---P----------|--|----P------P-----------|--|----P--------|
G----------------------|--|--------------|--|-12-11--H-----|--|--14-12--12-11----H----|--|--16-14~~~---|
D-12/14~----H----12----|--|---H----12----|--|------12-14~--|--|----------------12-14~-|--|-------------|
A---------12-14----14~-|--|-12-14----14~-|--|--------------|--|-----------------------|--|-------------|
E----------------------|--|--------------|--|--------------|--|-----------------------|--|-------------|
 
 
 
 
Verse A
The rhythm played underneath the verse is simply an easy A7 arpeggio
(Once each per line - 8x total)
 
 |---------PM----------|
e------------------------------|
B-----0-0----------0--0--------|
G---------2-2--------2---------|
D-2-2----------2-2-------------|
A------------------------------|
E------------------------------|
Conversely it can be played even easier if you wish (I play this)
 |---------PM-----------|
e------------------------------|
B------------------------------|
G------------------------------|
D-----9-9-7-7------9-7-9-------|
A-7-7----------7-7-------------|
E------------------------------|
 
Play Verse A over vocals
 
Em
Nobody on the road Nobody on the beach
C
I feel it in the air the summer's out of reach
D
Empty lake, empty streets the sun goes down alone
C
I'm drivin' by your house though I know you're not at home
 
 
Chorus
Play 2x
***** Switch to BRIDGE PICKUP *****
            Dsus4
  G       D   | D   D       C(add9)
e-3-3-----2---3-2---2-0-----0-0------------------------|
B-3--3----3---3-3---3--3----3--3-----------------------|
G-0---0---2---2-2---2---2---0---0----------------------|
D-0-------0---0-0---0-------2--------------------------|
A-X-------------------------3--------------------------|
E-3----------------------------------------------------|
 
G                 D  Dsus4 D
But I can see you,  your brown skin shining in the sun
D                                     C(add9)
You got your hair combed back and your  sunglasses on, baby
G                 D  Dsus4 D
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
D                 C(add9)
After the boys of summer have gone
 
***** Switch to NECK PICKUP *****
                                                 P
e------|---|------------|---|----------|---|-10-7-----|---|--------|
B------|---|------------|---|----------|---|------10--|---|--------|
G-7-9~-|---|--H--7--H---|---|---7-9-7~-|---|----------|---|--------|
D------|---|-7-9---7-9--|---|-/9-------|---|----------|---|--------|
A------|---|------------|---|----------|---|----------|---|--------|
E------|---|------------|---|----------|---|----------|---|--12\---|
 
 
Repeat Verse
 
Em
I never will forget those nights, I wonder if it was a dream
C
Remember how you made me crazy? Remember how I made you scream
D
Now I don't understand what happened to our love
C
But babe, I'm gonna get you back...
 
 
(Distorted fill near end of verse)
 
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of
e--------------------------------12----|
B--------------------------------------|
G-----------12-12^H------12-14^F-------|
D-----------12-12^H--/14---------------|
A--------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------|
 
G                 D  Dsus4 D
But I can see you,  your brown skin shining in the sun
D                                     C(add9)
I see you walkin' real slow and you're smilin' at everyone
G                 D  Dsus4 D
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
D                 C(add9)
After the boys of summer have gone
 
 
Bridge: (played 8x)
 |---------PM---------------------|
e--------------------------------------|
B-----------------P--------------------|
G-9-9--7-7-------9-7---9--7----7-------|
D-----------7-7------7------7----5-----|
A--------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------|
 
Interlude
(May be played as what's comfortable to you but these are the notes sounded)
   P                       P H P                    |------DISTORTION------|
e-10-7------||---P-----||-5-3-5-3---3--P-----H---||------------------------|
B------10~~-||-12-10~~-||---------5---5-3---3-5--||-----8---8-10-10^F------|
G-----------||---------||-----------------4------||/9-9---9-----------9-9~-|
D-----------||---------||------------------------||------------------------|
A-----------||---------||------------------------||------------------------|
E-----------||---------||------------------------||------------------------|
 
Repeat Verse:
(The seagull sounds may be a synth effect but can be created by scraping the pick
against the higher strings with a delay effect. A metal pick works even better, i.e. a dime)
 
Em
Out on the road today, I saw a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac
C
A little voice Inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back."
D
I thought I knew what love was, what did I know?
C
Those days are gone forever, I should just let them go but-
 
Repeat Chorus: (2X)
 
G                 D  Dsus4 D
But I can see you,  your brown skin shining in the sun
D                                     C(add9)
You got that top pulled down and that radio on, baby
G                 D  Dsus4 D
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
D                 C(add9)
After the boys of summer have gone
 
 
G                 D  Dsus4 D
But I can see you,  your brown skin shining in the sun
D                                     C(add9)
You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby
G                 D  Dsus4 D
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
D                 C(add9)
After the boys of summer have gone
 
 
Outro:
 
The outro is played perhaps using two guitars but very easily done with one. Play 2x
 
e-7--7~-----7--7~----7--7~----||-7------------|
B--10--8-8~--10--8-8~-10--8-8~||--10-8~-8-7---|
G-------7---------7--------7--||-----------7~-|
D-----------------------------||--------------|
A-----------------------------||--------------|
E-----------------------------||--------------|
 
e-7--7~-----7--7~----7--7~----||---------------------------7----7-----|
B--10--8-8~--10--8-8~-10--8-8~||--H--8---H--8---H--8----10---10-------|
G-------7---------7--------7--||-7-9----7-9----7-9--------------------|
D-----------------------------||--------------------------------------|
A-----------------------------||--------------------------------------|
E-----------------------------||--------------------------------------|
X