Boys Keep Swinging - David Bowie
Version 2 of 2
- Boys Keep Swinging (Bass Tabs) (v1)Rating: 4.34 / 5.00
Tuning: Standard, E A D G
From David Bowie's 1979 album, Lodger. Bass part credited to Dennis Davis and Tony Visconti.
[Verse 1]
(Drums) "1 2
G|--------|---
D|--------|---
A|--------|---
E|--------|---
3"q e e e e
-----|--------
-----|--------
---9\|5-5-5-5-
-----|--------
Heaven loves y
e e e e e e e
--------|-----
--------|-----
5-5-5-5-|5-5-5
--------|-----
a
e e e e e e
-----------|--
-----------|--
-5-5-------|7-
-----5-7-5-|--
The clouds
e e e e e e e
--------------
--------------
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-
--------------
part for ya
e e e e e e e
|-------------
|-------------
|7-7-7-7-7----
|----------7-9
e
---|
---|
---|
-7-|
Nothing stan
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|------------
E|6-6-6-6-6-6-
ds in your way
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|---------
----|---------
6-6-|6-6-6-6-6
when you're a
e q e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-------|5-5-5-
-6-8---|------
boy
e e e e e e e
----------|---
----------|---
5-5-------|5-5
----5-7-5-|---
e e e e e e
-------------|
-------------|
-5-5-5-------|
-------5-7-5-|
Clothe
e e e e e e e
--------------
--------------
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-
--------------
s always fit y
e e e e e e e
--|-----------
--|-----------
7-|7-7-7-7-7--
--|----------7
a
e e
-----|
-----|
-----|
-9-7-|
Life is a po
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|------------
E|6-6-6-6-6-6-
p of the cherr
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|---------
----|---------
6-6-|6-6-6-6-6
y when you're
e e e e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-------|5-5-5-
-6-8-8-|------
a boy
e e e e e e e
----------|---
----------|---
5-5-------|5-5
----5-7-5-|---
(When you're a boy)
e e e e e e
-------------|
-----4-4-5-6-|
-5-5---------|
-------------|
[Pre-Chorus 1]
you can wear
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|7-----------
A|----4-4-7-7-
E|--5---------
a uniform {Whe
e e e e e e e
----|---------
5-4-|----4-4-7
----|5-5------
----|---------
n you're a boy
e e e e e e
---5-4-|------
-7-----|------
-------|----4-
-------|5-5---
} other boys c
e e e e e e e
----------|---
------5-4-|---
4-7-7-----|5-5
----------|---
heck you out Y
e e e e e e
--------------
-4-4-7-7-10-9-
--------------
--------------
ou get a girl
|
|
|
|
these are you
e e e e e
G|------------
D|------9-9-12
A|10-10-------
E|------------
r favorite thi
e e e e
---------|----
-12-9----|----
------12-|10-1
---------|----
ngs When yo
e e e e e
--------------
--------------
0-10-10-10-10-
--------------
u're a boy
e e e e
------|-------
------|-------
10-10-|12-12-1
------|-------
e e e e e
--------------
--------------
2-12-10-10-10-
--------------
e e e e e e
---|----------
---|----------
10-|9-9-9-9-7-
---|----------
e e e
------|
------|
7-7-7-|
------|
[Chorus]
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|--------7-8-
E|5-5-8-9-----
e q e e q
-----|--------
---7-|--------
9----|--9-8-7-
-----|--------
Boys
e e e e e e
--------|-----
--------|-----
------7-|-----
--8-9---|5-5-8
e e e e q
------------|-
----------7-|-
---7-8-9----|-
-9----------|-
e e q e e e
--------------
--------------
-9-8-7-------7
---------8-9--
Boys
e e e e e e
-|------------
-|------------
-|--------7-8-
-|5-5-8-9-----
e q e e q
-----|--------
---7-|--------
9----|--9-8-7-
-----|--------
e e e
--------|
--------|
------7-|
--8-9---|
Boys keep swi
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|--------7-8-
E|5-5-8-9-----
nging, Boys al
e Q. q
-----|--------
---7-|----7\--
9----|--------
-----|--------
ways work it o
q q *
--------| *not
--------| as i
9\------| thre
----9\--| on e
ut
e, this measur
t's buried in
e beats of sli
ach beat.
e is approxima
the harmonies,
des with an at
te slides,
but it is
tack
[Verse 2]
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|5-5-5-5-5-5-
E|------------
Uncage the co
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|---------
5-5-|5-5-5-5-5
----|---------
lors,
e e e e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-------|7-7-7-
-5-7-5-|------
Unfurl
e e e e e e e
----------|---
----------|---
7-7-7-7-7-|7-7
----------|---
the flag
e e e e e e
-------------|
-------------|
-7-7-7-------|
-------7-9-7-|
Luck just ki
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|------------
E|6-6-6-6-6-6-
ssed you hello
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|---------
----|---------
6-6-|6-6-6-6-6
, When you're
e e e e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-------|5-5-5-
-6-8-8-|------
a boy
e e e e e e e
----------|---
----------|---
5-5-------|5-5
----5-7-5-|---
e e e e e e
-------------|
-------------|
-5-5-5-------|
-------5-7-5-|
They
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|7-7-7-7-7-7-
E|------------
'll never clon
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|---------
7-7-|7-7-7-7-7
----|---------
e you, you ar
e e e e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-------|------
-7-9-7-|6-6-6-
e always first
e e e e e e e
----------|---
----------|---
----------|---
6-6-6-6-6-|6-6
on the line,
e e e e e e
-------------|
-------------|
-------------|
-6-6-6-6-8-8-|
When you're a
e e e e e e e
--------------
--------------
5-5-5-5-5-----
----------5-7-
boy (When you'
e e e e e e e
--|-----------
--|--------4-4
--|5-5-5-5----
5-|-----------
re a boy)
e e
-----|
-5-7-|
-----|
-----|
[Pre-Chorus 2]
you can buy a
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|7-----------
A|----4-4-7-7-
E|--5---------
home of your
e e e e e e e
----|---------
5-4-|----4-4-7
----|5-5------
----|---------
own (When you'
e q e e e
---7---|------
-7-----|------
-------|----4-
-------|5-5---
re a boy) lear
e e e q e e
----------|---
------7---|---
4-7-7-----|5-5
----------|---
n to drive and
e e e e q
--------------
-4-4-7-7-12---
--------------
--------------
everything
|
|
|
|
You'll get you
q q q
G|------------
D|------------
A|10----------
E|-----7---10-
r share W
q q q
-------|------
-------|------
--10---|------
-------|3---7-
hen you're a b
q e e
-------------|
-------------|
-------------|
--10---12-10-|
oy
e e e e e
--------------
--------------
12-12-12-12-10
--------------
e e e e e
----------|---
----------|---
-10-10-10-|9-9
----------|---
e e e e e e
-------------|
-------------|
-9-9-7-7-7-7-|
-------------|
[Chorus]
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|--------7-8-
E|5-5-8-9-----
e q e e q
-----|--------
---7-|--------
9----|--9-8-7-
-----|--------
Boys
e e e e e e
--------|-----
--------|-----
------7-|-----
--8-9---|5-5-8
e e e e q
------------|-
----------7-|-
---7-8-9----|-
-9----------|-
e e q e e e
--------------
--------------
-9-8-7-------7
---------8-9--
-|
-|
-|
-|
Boys
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|--------7-8-
E|5-5-8-9-----
e q e e q
-----|--------
---7-|--------
9----|--9-8-7-
-----|--------
Boys
e e e e e e
--------|-----
--------|-----
------7-|-----
--8-9---|5-5-8
keep swinging
e e e e Q.
------------|-
----------7-|-
---7-8-9----|-
-9----------|-
Boys always wo
e e e e e e
--------------
--------------
---2-2-3-3-4--
-------------5
rk it out
-|
-|
-|
-|
[Instrumental
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|5-5-5-5-5---
E|----------5-
Bridge/Outro]
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|---------
----|5-5-5-5-5
7-5-|---------
e e e e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-----5-|7-7-7-
-5-7---|------
e e e e e e e
----------|---
----------|---
7-7-7-7-7-|7-7
----------|---
e e e e e e
--------------
-----6-6-10---
-7-7----------
------------8-
e e e e e e e
|-------------
|-------------
|--------5-5-5
|6-6-6-6------
e e e e e e
---|----------
---|--------8s
-5-|8-8-8-8---
---|----------
e e* e
-------|
8s8-10-|
-------|
-------|
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|5-5-5-5-5---
E|----------5-
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|---------
----|5-5-5-5-5
7-5-|---------
e e e e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-----5-|7-7-7-
-5-7---|------
e e e e q e
----------|---
----------|---
7-7-----7-|---
----7-9---|--7
*the "
e q e e e
-------------|
------------/|
-9-7-------7-|
-------7-9---|
s'es are shake
e e e e e e e
--------------
8-8-8-8-------
--------8-8-8-
--------------
s down to the
e e e e e e e
--|-----------
--|-----------
8-|5-5-5-5----
--|--------6-6
7th fret
e e
-----|
-----|
-----|
-6-6-|
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|5-5-5-5-9-9-
E|------------
e e e e e
-----|10-10-9-
7-12-|--------
-----|--------
-----|--------
e e e e e e e
9-7-7-----|---
------7---|---
--------9-|7-7
----------|---
e e e e e q
-------------|
-------------|
-----7-----7-|
-7-9---7-9---|
e e e e e
--------------
--------------
------7-10-10-
--7-9---------
e e e e e e e
----|---------
----|8-8---8-8
9-9-|----8----
----|---------
e e e e e e
-------|------
---8---|8---8-
-8---8-|--8---
-------|------
e e e e e
----------|
--8---8-8-|
8---8-----|
----------|
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|5-5-5-5-5---
E|----------5-
e q e e q
----|---------
----|---------
--5-|--5---5--
7---|----5----
e e e e e e
-------|------
-------|------
-5---5-|----4-
---5---|5-5---
e e e e e e e
----------|---
------7-7-|---
4-7-7-----|5-5
----------|---
e e e e e e
-5-5-4-4-----|
---------7-7-|
-------------|
-------------|
e e e e e e e
--------------
------------7-
----4-4-7-7---
5-5-----------
e e e e e e e
--|----5-5-4-4
7-|-----------
--|5-5--------
--|-----------
e e
-----|
-7-7-|
-----|
-----|
e e e q
G|------------
D|------9-11--
A|10-10-------
E|------------
*these are sta
Q. e e*
------|-----9\
-12---|-------
------|--10---
------|-------
ccato and slid
e* e* e* e* e
11\12\14\16\11
--------------
--------------
--------------
very quickly
* e* e e e
\12\|14-14-14-
----|14-14-14-
----|---------
----|---------
back +this mea
e e e e e
14-14-14-14-14
14-14-14-14-14
--------------
--------------
sure is all st
+ 1s e s 2e s e 3 s e 4s e s
-|14-14---12-12---11-11---9-9---7-6----|
-|14-14---12-12---11-11---9-9---7-6----|
-|------------------------------------0|
-|-------------------------------------|
accato attacks
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|5-5-8-8-7-8-
E|------------
e e e e e e e
----|---------
7-7-|7-7-9-9-9
----|---------
----|---------
e e e e e e
-------|--r---
-9-9-9-|--e---
-------|5-s-5-
-------|--t---
e e e e e e e
----------|---
------4-7-|---
5-5-7-----|5-5
----------|---
e e e e e e
-----------r-|
-----------e-|
-5-5-----5-s-|
-----5-7---t-|
e e e e e e e
--------------
--------------
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-
--------------
e e e e e e e
--|-----------
--|-----------
7-|7-7-5-5----
--|--------9-9
e e
-----|
-----|
-----|
-7-7-|
e e e e e e
G|------------
D|------------
A|----5-5-8-8-
E|6-6---------
e e e e e e e
----|---------
7-8-|8-8-8-8-8
----|---------
----|---------
e e e e e e
-------|------
-8-8-8-|7-7---
-------|----9-
-------|------
e e e e e
--------10-9-|
-------------|
9------------|
--10-10------|
e e e e e e e
7-10-9-7-10-9-
--------------
--------------
--------------
q (fade takes over audibility here)
7---||
----||
----||
----||
************************************
| \ Slide down
| / Slide up
| s sixteenth
| e eighth
| q quarter
|Q. dotted-quarter
************************************