Runnin Down A Dream Tab

by Tom Petty
283,136 views, added to favorites 6,703 times
Difficulty: intermediate
Key: E
Capo: no capo
Author Im a Rattlehead [a] 770.
2 contributors total, last edit on Oct 12, 2017
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Tom Petty - Runnin' Down a Dream
 
 
[Intro]
 
  Gtr I                 (x4)
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
 
 
[Verse 1]
 
  Gtr II
e|---------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------|
G|--1------------------------------------|
D|--2------------------------------------|
A|--2------------------------------------|
E|--0------------------------------------|
“It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down”
 
  Gtr I
e|---------------------------------------|
B|--------15~~~/21hb~~~~~~~~~~~----------|
G|---------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|-2-------------------------------------|
B|-3-------------------------------------|
G|-2------------------------------1------|
D|-0------------------------------2------|
A|--------------------------------2------|
E|--------------------------------0------|
“I had the radio on, I was a-drivin'”
 
  Gtr I
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
  Gtr II
e|---------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------|
G|--1------------------------------------|
D|--2------------------------------------|
A|--2------------------------------------|
E|--0------------------------------------|
“Trees went by, me and Del was singin',”
 
  Gtr I
e|---------------------------------------|
B|-15fb~~~~~~~~~~~~15~~~~~~~~~~~---------|
G|---------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|-2-------------------------------------|
B|-3-------------------------------------|
G|-2------------------------------1------|
D|-0------------------------------2------|
A|--------------------------------2------|
E|--------------------------------0------| End Verse
“Little runaway, I was flyin'”
 
 
[Chorus 1]
 
  Gtr I
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|------------------------|
D|-7--5--2----------------|
A|-7--5--2----------------|
E|-5--3--0----------------|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|----3-------------------|
B|-2--3-------------------|
G|-2--0--1--1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
D|-2--0--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A|-0--2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
E|----3--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
“Yeah I'm runnin' down a dream,”
 
  Gtr I
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|------------------------|
D|-2--5-7-----------------|
A|-2--5-7-----------------|
E|-0--3-5-----------------|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|----3-------------------|
B|----3--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
G|-1--0--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D|-2--0--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A|-2--2--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-0--3-------------------|
“That never would come to me”
  Gtr I
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|------------------------|
D|-7--5--2----------------|
A|-7--5--2----------------|
E|-5--3--0----------------|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|----3-------------------|
B|-2--3-------------------|
G|-2--0--1--1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|
D|-2--0--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A|-0--2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
E|----3--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
“Workin' on a mystery,“
 
  Gtr I
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|------------------------|
D|-2--5-7-----------------|
A|-2--5-7-----------------|
E|-0--3-5-----------------|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|----3-------------------|
B|----3--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
G|-1--0--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D|-2--0--2--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A|-2--2--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-0--3-------------------|
“Goin' wherever it leads”
 
  Gtr I
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|------------------------|
D|-7--5--2----------------|
A|-7--5--2----------------|
E|-5--3--0----------------|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|----3-------------------|
B|-2--3-------------------|
G|-2--0--1----------------|
D|-2--0--2----------------|
A|-0--2—-2----------------|
E|----3--0----------------|
“Runnin' down a dream!”
 
  Gtr I
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--| End Chorus
 
 
[Verse 2]
 
(Play all of what Gtr II plays in Verse I. Do not play any of the vibrato parts that are
by Gtr I in Verse I. Only play the riff in between the lyrics as follows (denoted by a *))
 
* Gtr I
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
 
These are the lyrics used in Verse II:
“I felt so good like anything was possible
I hit cruise control and rubbed my eyes
The last tree days the rain was un-stoppable
It was always cold, no sunshine.”
 
 
[Chorus 2]
(same as chorus 1)
 
 
[Bridge 1]
 
  Gtr I
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|-------------------------|
B|---------------------1---|
G|---------------------0---|
D|---------------------2---|
A|---------------------3---|
E|-------------------------|
“Woo-Woo”
 
  Gtr I
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|---------------------2---|
B|---------------------3---|
G|---------------------2---|
D|---------------------0---|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|
“Woo-Woo”
 
  Gtr I
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
 |
 |Gtr II
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|---------------------1---|
D|---------------------2---|
A|---------------------2---|
E|---------------------0---|
“Woo-Woo”
 
Repeat the Bridge once more (The last note “E” from Gtr II is the first note of Verse III)
 
 
[Verse 3]
(Do it the same way as I’ve said in the notes for Verse II)
 
These are the lyrics used in Verse III:
“I rolled on, the sky grew dark
I put the pedal down, to make some time
There's something good, waitin' down this road
I'm pickin' up whatever is mine.”
 
 
[Chorus 3]
(same as chorus 1)
 
[Chorus 4]
(same as chorus I)
 
 
[Bridge 2]
 
  Gtr I                 (x2)
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
 
Then the same as Bridge I (x1)
 
  Gtr I                 (x2)
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|---------------------2~--|
A|---------------------2~--|
E|--0-7-0-6-0-5-0-3-0—-0~--|
 
 
[Solo]
(keep playing the bridge behind the solo)
 
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-15(17)-15(17)~~~(17)~(17)~(17)~(17)~(17)~(17)~(17)~(17)~(17)~-|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
(pretty much a load of bends & a lot of vibrato)
 
e|--------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-15(17)-x-15(17)-x-15(17)-x-15(17)-x-15(17)-x-15(17)-x-15(17)-|
G|--------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|------------------------------|-17(19)r17------17(19)-17(19)~~-|
B|-15(17)-15(17)-15(17)-15(17)~-|-----------17~~-----------------|
G|------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|------------------------------|--------------------------------|
 
e|-17----17(18)---------|-------------------------------------------|
B|----17--------17~-17~-|-15(16)----15-15(17)~-15-12----12----------|
G|----------------------|--------16------------------14----14-12----|
D|----------------------|----------------------------------------14-|
A|----------------------|-------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------------------------------|
 
             (x12)                    (x12)
e|----|----------|--------|----|----------|
B|-12-|-15----12-|-15(17)-|-12-|-17----12-|
G|----|----14----|--------|----|----14----|
D|----|----------|--------|----|----------|
A|----|----------|--------|----|----------|
E|----|----------|--------|----|----------|
 
e|-------------------------------|-15(17)~~~-15(17)~~~-|
B|-15(17)-15(17)~~~(17)(17)(17)~-|---------------------|
G|-------------------------------|---------------------|
D|-------------------------------|---------------------|
A|-------------------------------|---------------------|
E|-------------------------------|---------------------|
 
e|-15----15-15(17)~--15(17)r15----15(17)-15(17)----|
B|----17-----------------------17---------------15-|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
 
e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-12-15-15(16)r15-15(17)-12~-12-15-15(17)-15(17)-15(17)-12~-|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|------------------------------|-------------------------12-|
B|------------------------------|-12----12----12----12----12-|
G|-14(15)-14(15)-14p12----------|-12----12----12----12-------|
D|---------------------14-12-14-|----14----14----14----14----|
A|------------------------------|----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|----------------------------|
 
                                                              (x2)
e|------------------------------||-------------------------------|
B|----------12-15-15(17)-15(17)-||-------------------------------|
G|----12-14---------------------||-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-|
D|-14---------------------------||-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-21-|
A|------------------------------||-------------------------------|
E|------------------------------||-------------------------------|
 
e|------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|-12---------------------|-15(17)~~~~~\-15(17)-15-15(17)-(17)-|
G|----14-12-12(14)r12-----|------------------------------------|
D|--------------------14~-|------------------------------------|
A|------------------------|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------|------------------------------------|
 
 (x6)                           A second guitar randomly adds this:
e|-----------------------------------------|  |-15p12-15p12-15p12-|
B|-15(16)p12-15(16)p12-15(16)p12-15(16)p12-|  |-------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------|  |-------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------|  |-------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------|  |-------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------|  |-------------------|
 
e|------------------------------------------------|
B|-15(17)~~-(17)~~--15-12-----15--12--------------|
G|------------------------14----------14--12------|
D|--------------------------------------------14--|
A|------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------|
 
e|-----------------------------------------15-17----15-17-|
B|----12-15----12-15----12--15----12-15/17-------17-------|
G|-14-------14-------14--------14-------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|
 
Fade away!                     (x2)
e|---1517--1517--1517--1517--1517-| |-15(17)~-15----15----------|
B|-17----17----17----17----17-----| |------------17----17-17----|
G|--------------------------------| |---------------------------|
D|--------------------------------| |---------------------------|
A|--------------------------------| |---------------------------|
E|--------------------------------| |-------------------------0-|
 
 
*************************************************************
 
“~”      – Vibrato (mostly) or also to let the note ring
“/”      – slide up
“\”      – slide down
“hb”     – half bend
“fb”     – full bend
“?(?)”   - bend the note to whatever is in the bracket
“?(?)r?” – bend to whatever is in the bracket & release it to
           whatever is after the “r”
“x”      - Muted note
“p”      - pull off
“h”      - hammer on
 
*************************************************************
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Runnin Down A Dream – Tom Petty
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"Runnin Down A Dream"
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25 comments
madness44
HEy grat tab dude...im glad someone make justice to this song...
+8
badkirk
Finally someone who under stands what tab is. Very complete and accurate. I can actually look at this tab and learn this song.
+8
whotheledbeatle
Perfect!
+5