• Song:

    This Charming Man

  • Artist:

    The Smiths

  • Album:

    1984-04-21: Vinyl Party...

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The Smiths: This Charming Man

Andy Rourke often tuned his bass up a whole step (Gb B E A, low to high). This website
is a good resource but doesn't give any sources: 
http://www.smithsonguitar.com/2012/01/andy-rourkes-gear.html.

Besides this general info, there's some evidence that Andy Rourke played This Charming
Man in an unusual tuning in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PV4eiDi12w&t=1m37s (live on Top Of The Pops). Starting 
at about 1:37, you can see Andy Rourke playing pretty clearly. His hand is usually right 
at the head stock (around frets 2 and 3), and you
can tell by the way his hand is moving that several notes are played on open strings 
(that couldn't be played on open strings in standard tuning).

At any rate, here is how to play This Charming Man with your bass tuned Gb B E A:


INTRO

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------2---0---|
B |-0---0---0-----0---0---0-0---2---3---3---3-----2---2---2---2-----|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------5---5---0-2---0-----------------0-----------------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-3---3---3-----------------------3---3---3-----------------------|



VERSE 1

Punctured bicycle...

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------2---0---|
B |-0---0---0-----0---0---0-0---2---3---3---3-----2---2---2---2-----|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------------------------------------2---4---|
E |---------------5---5---0-2---0-----------------0---0---0---------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-3---3---3-----------------------3---3---3-----------------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------2---4---------------------------2---0---|
B |-0---0---0-----0---0---0---------3---3---3-----2---2---2---2-----|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------------|


When in this charming car...

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------------------------------------2---4---|
E |---------------5---5---0-2---0-----------------0---0---0---------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-3---3---3-----------------------3---3---3-----------------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------2---0---|
B |-0---0---0-----0---0---0-0---2---3---3---3-----2---2---2---2-----|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------------|


Why pamper life's complexity...

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------------------------------------2---4---|
E |---------------5---5---0-2---0-----------------0---0---0---------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-3---3---3-----------------------3---3---3-----------------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------2---4---------------------------2---0---|
B |-0---0---0-----0---0---0---------3---3---3-----2---2---2---2-----|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------------|


I would go out tonight...

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------------------------------------2---4---|
E |---------------5---5---0-2---0-----------------0---0---0---------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-3---3---3-----------------------3---3---3-----------------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------2---4---------------------------2---0---|
B |-0---0---0-----0---0---0---------3---3---3-----2---2---2---2-----|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------------|


This man said...

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------------------------------------2---4---|
E |---------------5---5---0-2---0-----------------0---0---0---------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-3---3---3-----------------------3---3---3-----------------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------2---4---------------------------2---0---|
B |-0---0---0-----0---0---0---------3---3---3-----2---2---2---2-----|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------------|



CHORUS 1

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------0---2---4---2-----------------------------------|
B |-3---2---0-----------------------------------2---0---------------|
Gb|-------------3-------------------0-------------------3---2---0---|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------5h6-----------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------2---2---2-----------0---0---|
B |-3---2---0-------0-----5h7-----------------------------2---2-----|
Gb|-------------3-------------------0-----0---0---0---0-------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------0---2---4---2-----------------------------------|
B |-3---2---0-----------------------------------2---0---------------|
Gb|-------------3-------------------0-------------------3---2---0---|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------5h6-----------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------2---2---2-----------0---0---|
B |-3---2---0-------0-----5h7-----------------------------2---2-----|
Gb|-------------3-------------------0-----0---0---0---0-------------|

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------------------------|
E |-----2---2---2-------------------|
B |---------------------------------|
Gb|-0-----0---0---0-----------------|



VERSE 2

Essentially the same as Verse 1



CHORUS 2

Essentially the same as Chorus 1, except the last bar:

    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
A |---------------7-----------------|
E |-----2---2---2-------------------|
B |---------------------------------|
Gb|-0-----0---0---------------------|
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