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