Band: Smashing Pumpkins
Song: By Starlight
Album: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Tuning: E flat (I think) D#, G#, C#, F#, A#, d#
Written by: Billy Corgan
Transcribed by: Brian Sullivan/ amachineofgod
This is a very pretty song, one of my favorites. I believe it’s in Eb tuning, but I really have no clue. The song starts with a fade in effect. Bare with me, I’ve never written tab before. If I make a mistake, write me, my screen name’s on my profile.
Opening Line
Dsus2 Dmaj9 Gmaj Am
D# - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - 0 - - - 0 - - - - -|
A# - - 3 - - - - - - - 3 - - - 3 -| 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - 0 - | - - 1 - - - - 1 - - - - - - 1 -|
F# 2 - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2 - 2 - | 2 - 2 - - - - - - - 2 - - - 0 - | 2 - 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - |
C# - - - - - - - - 0 - - - 0 - - - | 0 - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - | 2 - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - |
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Gmaj
D# - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - |
A# - - - - - - 3 - 3 - 0 - 0 - - - |
F# - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
C# - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - |
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
D# 3 - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - |
Verse (relatively close simile)
D Am Gmaj
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A# 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - | 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
F# 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - | 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C# 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - | 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | X - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This part is pretty close to perfect. Listen to the CD for exact rhythms.
Dsus2 Dmaj9 Am Gmaj Dsus2
By starlight I’ll kiss you and promise to be your one and only I’ll make you feel
Dmaj9 Am Gmaj D Dmaj9 Am G
happy And leave you to be lost in mine and where will we go what will we do
Em A Dsus2
soon said I we’ll know
One guitar now plays the Opening line. A second guitar plays this. These are played throughout the chorus.
Dsus2 Dmaj9 Am G
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
F# - - - - 11 - 14 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - 11 - - - 14 - - - - - 14b - | - - 14 - - - 12 - - - 11 - - - - -
C# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 -
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hold the 12 on the 4th string for one more measure (the measure which guitar 1 plays G). Play that pattern 2x. Then switch to this pattern.
Bm A(5) Em
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - 8 - - - 7 - - - 8 -
F# - - - - 11 - 14 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - 11 - - - 14 - - - - - 16 - | - - 14 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gmaj
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
A# 10 - - - - - - - 12 - - - - - 15 - |
F# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
C# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
And now play the first chorus pattern again. It will fit with the words like this.
Dsus2 Dmaj9 Am G Dsus2 Dmaj9 Am
And are you just like me dead eyes dead eyes are you just
G Bm A(5) Em G Dsus2 Dmaj9
Like me her eyes her eyes were as vacant as the seas yeah dead eyes dead eyes
Am G
Are you just like me
Bridge:
Em A D G Em A
And all along we knew we could be wrong just to belong
Dsus2 Dmaj9 Am Gmaj Dsus2 Dmaj9
By starlight I’ll know you as lovely as a wish granted true my life has been empty
Am G Em A D G Em
My life has been true and does she really know who I really am does she know
A Dsus2
Me at last
The chorus is played again. Then the song takes a dreamy fade-out effect. If I did anything wrong, write me. love, peace, empathy, desire, mischief, and gladness
Brian S><.
