Mean Street Tab

Van Halen - Mean Streets
 
Tune down 1/2 step
 
    t l  t l  t l  t  t l  t l  t l  t  t  t     (the t is for tapping, Ed uses his thumb for the low
e|--12--------12-----------12--------12--------|  E string and his index
B|--12--------12-----------12--------12--------|  finger for the high E and B
G|---------------------------------------------|  strings, the l is for a
D|-----*----*----*-------*----*----*-----------|  left hand slap against the
A|-----*----*----*-------*----*----*-----------|  strings)
E|-----*-12-*----*-12-12-*----*-12-*----12-12--|
{this intro is repeated about 6 times in a crecendo}
 
    t p  t p  t p  t p   t  t   t  t p   h
e|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|-------12^5---------------------------^7--|
A|--12^5------10^5-12^5---------------------|
E|----------------------12-12--12--12^5-----|
 
    t p  t p p  #   p  #  #h  t#   t#  t p  h
e|----------------------------------------------|   (# are natural harmonics
B|----------------------------------------------|    created at approximately
G|-----------------4^0(4)(5)--------------------|    the fret(), t# are
D|-------12^5^0(5)--------5^7(12)7(11)------^7--|    harmonics tapped at the
A|--12^5----------------------------------------|    fret () )
E|-------------------------------------12^5-----|
{repeat all of last two bars}
 
    t p  t p  t p  t p   t  t   t  t p  h
e|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|-------12^5---------------------------^7--|
A|--12^5------10^5-12^5---------------------|
E|----------------------12-12--12--12^5-----|
 
    t p  t p p     h p  # h h   t#   t#   t#   t#   t#  p
e|----------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------^4^0(4)^5--------------------------------|
D|-------12^5^0(5)---------5^7 (12)-(11)-(10)-(11)-(12)-^0--|
A|--12^5----------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
 
    h    t#    t#    t#    t#    t#   h p
e|-----------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------^5^--|
G|------------------------------------^5^--|
D|-----------------------------------------|
A|--^7--(10)--(11)--(12)--(12)--(14)-------|
E|-----------------------------------------|
 
    h   t#  p   t#  h   t#  p   t#  h   t#  p   t#  h   t#
e|-------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)----|
G|--^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|
 
    p h p sl     feedback !!tremelo dives!!!!
e|----------------------------------------------|
B|--^5^7^5~4------------4--(4)------------------|
G|--^5^7^5~4------4-----------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|
 
    (palm mute lightly)      h p
e|---------------------------------|----------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|-------------0--------------|
G|--5----------5-------------------|--5----------0--------------|
D|--5-7---7--5---7---7------5^7^5--|--5-7--7-----0--------------|
A|-----------------------7---------|----------7-----------------|
E|---------------------------------|----------------------------|
 
                            h p                   #  #  #  #  #   #   #   #
e|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|-----------------(5)-------------(12)-----|
G|--5----------5------------------|--5-----------------(5)---(7)--------(12)-|
D|--5-7--7---5---7---7-----5^7^5--|--5-7--7----5-(5)------(7)---(12)---------|
A|----------------------7---------|----------7-------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
 
                                                 palm mute.....
e|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|--5--------------------------|--5---------5--------------------|
D|--5-7--7--5-5-7--7----5^7^5--|--5-7--7--5---7-7-5-5-5-5--------|
A|--------------------7--------|--------------------------7-7-7--|
E|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|
 
                               (Ed uses an MXR Phase 90 and rubs
                               the palm of his hand against the
                               strings above the bridge pickup)    At night
e|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|--5-----------------------|--*-*-*-*-*-*-*--5-----------------|
D|--5-7--7--5-5-7--7-----5--|--*-*-*-*-*-*-*--5-----------------|
A|--------------------7-----|--*-*-*-*-*-*-*--------------------|
E|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
 
 I walk this stinkin' street,past the crazies on my block and I
                                A.H.                      palm mute....
e|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
A|--3^0--0---------3^0---0----------|--3^0--0-----3^0--0-----------------|
E|------------3--------------0---3--|----------3----------3-3-3-3^0-0-0--|
{this is similar for the rest of this and the other verses}
 
see the same old faces and I hear the same old talk.
And I'm searching for the latest thing, a break in this routine
I'm talkin some new kicks, one's like you ain't never seen.
 
 this is
   home___                                                 this is
     p                      p    sl.      p                p    sl.
e|------------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|-------------5----------------------|------------7-----------------|
D|-------------5----------------------|------------7-----------------|
A|--3^0-0-0-0--------------3^0-0-3~5--|--3^0-0-0-0--------3^0-0-3~5--|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------|
 
   Mean      street                                      Yes, ah,
     p                                 p              pick slide
e|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B|------------6--------------------|------------10-----------------|
G|------------5------------10--12--|-------------9-----*~----------|
D|-------------------------10--12--|-------------------*~----------|
A|--3^0-0-0-0----------0-0--8--10--|--3^0-0-0-0--------*~----------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------12~----|
 
   Home                                       the only one I
     p                p    sl.      p                     slide
e|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G|------------5-----------------|------------7-------7-7--------|
D|------------5-----------------|------------7-------7-7--------|
A|--3^0-0-0-0--------3^0-0-3~5--|--3^0-0-0-0--------------------|
E|------------------------------|-------------------------~15~--|
 
   know______________                       And we don't
 
e|--------------------|-------------------------------|
B|-----------3--------|-------------------------------|
G|-----------2--------|-------------------------------|
D|--2--------0--------|-------------------------------|
A|--0-----------------|----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2----------|
E|--------------------|----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0----------|
 
worry 'bout tomorrow, 'cause we're sick of these four walls
Now what you think is nothin' might be something after all
Now you know this ain't no through street the end is dead ahead
The poor folks play for keeps down here, they're the living dead
 
{back to the chorus}-{play all but last bar}
 
     (again use MXR Phase 90  -  by the way a flanger is a close sound)
     sl             sl             p   p          sl         sl        sl
e|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|--8~10--10--------~10---7--7----------|------8~10-10-------------12~13-----|
G|--------11--11-*--~-9---7--7--7^5-----|-----------11-*-11~12-----11~12-----|
D|---------------*------------------7^5-|--------------*--9~10-----------0-0-|
A|-10~12--------------------------------|--0-0-----------------0-0-----------|
E|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
{this is played a total of four times with some improvization}
 
(solo begins on last bar and to save me a couple of hours, I would suggest
that you just improvize this in the A pentatonic minor scale)
 
       See, a gun is real easy
       < volume swell
e|----------------------|---------------------------|
B|----------------------|---------------------------|
G|--5-------------------|--(5)----------------------|
D|--5-------------------|--(5)----------------------|
A|----------------------|---------------------------|
E|----------------------|---------------------------|
 
       in this desperate part of town
       < volume swell
e|----------------------|---------------------------|
B|----------------------|---------------------------|   {simulate these
G|--7-------------------|--(7)----------------------|    four bars for the
D|--7-------------------|--(7)----------------------|    rest of the
A|----------------------|---------------------------|    interlude}
E|----------------------|---------------------------|
 
turns you from hunted into hunter
You go an' hunt somebody down
Wait a minute, Somebody said fair warning
Lord strike that poor boy down!
 
                                                        sl
e|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|-----------------------~7----|
G|--5----------------------------|--(5)---------------5--~7----|
D|--5----------------------------|--(5)---------------5--~7----|
A|--0------0-------0----0---0-0--|------0--0---0--0-0----------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
 
                                                   sl
e|------------------------------|--------------------------|
B|--(7)-------------------------|--(7)---------------------|
G|--(7)-------------------------|--(7)-------------7~5-----|
D|--(7)-------------------------|--(7)-------------7~5-----|
A|-------0----0---0----0---0-0--|-------0---0---0----------|
E|------------------------------|--------------------------|
 
e|----------------------------|-------------------------|
B|----------------------------|-------------------------|
G|--(5)-----------------------|--(5)--------------------|
D|--(5)-----------------------|--(5)--------------------|
A|-------0---0---0---0---0-0--|------0---0----0----0----|
E|----------------------------|-------------------------|
 
{again this is simulated through the outro with improvised leads on top in A pentatonic minor}
X