--------------------------------------------------------------
THE BEATLES - IT'S ONLY A NORTHERN SONG (Harrison) From YELLOW
SUBMARINE album. Released in the USA on January,
13th and in the UK on January, 17th, 1969.
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Bass tab by:PJVillanueva
Recorded between FIXING A HOLE and BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR
KITE, during SGT PEPPER'S sessions on February 1967, this song
was put in a can until YELLOW SUBMARINE was signed with UA. So
it had been rejected for the ALBUM and George was feeling he
played a minor rol and was disappointed with his situation as
a Beatle and the royalties he got from Northern Songs, on which
he was actually complaining in the song. Its structure is odd
and he uses some odd harmonies too in his organ chords. Paul's
bass is great on the whole track and he also plays trumpet).
John plays piano and tambourine and Ringo drums and percussion,
including glockenspiel. There are lots of tape loops, speeded
up bits and some foolish singing too in the coda.
If you're listening to this song,
You may think the chords are going wrong.
But they're not
We just wrote it like that
When you're listening late at night,
You may think the band are not quite right,
But they are,
They just play it like that
It doesn't really matter what chords I play,
What words I say,
Or time of day it is
As it's only a Northern song
It doesn't really matter what clothes I wear,
Or how I pur
Or if my hair is brown
When it's only a Northern song
If you think the harmony
Is a little dark and out of key,
You're correct,
There's nobody there
And it told you there's no one there
4/4
INTRO
e|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
B|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|4-------4-------4-------------0H
D|------------------------3---5--|2-------0-------2--------------|
A|-------------------------------|3---------------2--------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
e|------- ------- ------- -------|7------ ------- ------- -------|
B|-------------------------------|5------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|4------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
x x . . X x x X x X
e|----2-- 2------ --0-0-- 0---4--|------- ------- ------- -------|
B|----3---3---------2-2---2---5--|-------------------------------|
G|2-------------0H2-----------4--|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A|0---------------0--------------|-------------------------------|
E|----------------------------0--|-------------------------------|
e|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
B|3---------------2-----------0--|-------------------------------|
G|2---------------2-----------1--|-------------------------------|
D|0---------------2-----------2--|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
VERSE
00:08
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7-------7-------5-------5------|7---x---7---x---5-------5------|
A|------------7-------7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
If you're to this song,
listening
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7-------7---x---5-------5------|7-------7-------5-------5------|
A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
You may think the chords are going wrong.
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|9-------9-------5-------5------|9-------9-------5-------5------|
A|----7-------7-------7-------7--|----7-------7-------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
But they're
not
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|----------------5-------4------|-------------------12-\-9---9--|
A|--------------------7-------7--|----7---7---5------------------|
E|0---0---0---0------------------|0------------------------------|
We just wrote it like that
2/2
G|------- ------- 7------ -------|4------ -------|
D|7---7-------7-----------4---7--|----7---4------|
A|--------9-----------5----------|------------5--|
E|-------------------------------|---------------|
4/4
VERSE
00:32
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7---7-----------5-------5------|7---7-----------5-------5------|
A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
When listening late at night,
you're
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- x------ ------- -------|
D|7---7-----------5-------5------|7---7---x-------5-------5------|
A|--------------------7-------7--|--------x-----------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|--------x----------------------|
You may think the band are not quite
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|9---9-----------5-------5------|9---9-----------5-------5------|
A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7----------|
E|-------------------------------|----------------------------0--|
right, But they
are,
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----7-- ----7-- -------|
D|-------------------------------|----6---9---------------9---9--|
A|------------7------------------/7------------------------------|
E|0---0---0-------0---0---0---0--|-------------------------------|
They play it like
just that
2/2
G|------- ------- ------- -------|4------ -------|
D|7---7-------7---0---0---4---7--|----7---4------|
A|--------9----------------------|------------5-/|
E|-------------------------------|---------------|
It
4/4
CHORUS
00:54
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/beatles/only_a_northern_song_btab.html ]
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----4-- 6---6-- 6------|
D|--------6---9---9-------9-\----|5---5---5-------------------6--|
A|7---7---------------9----------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
doesn't really matter what chords I play, what
G|------- ------- ------- -------|4---4-- ------- 4------ ----4--|
D|4-------4-------4-------4------|------------4-----------4------|
A|----4-------4-------4-------4--|--------5-----------5----------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
words I say, or time of day it
REFRAIN
3/4
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ----6--|
D|4---4---4---4---4---4---4---7--|----4---7---7-------7--|
A|-------------------------------|5----------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------|
is As it's a Northern
only
x x X x x X x x x x x
G|9------ ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|9------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A|7------------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
song
VERSE (INSTRUMENTAL)
01:12
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7---7---7-------5-------5------|7-------7-------5-------5------|
A|--------------7-----7-------7--|------------7-------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7-------7-------5-------5------|7-------7-------5-------5------|
A|----7-------7-------7-------7--|----7-------7-------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|9-------9-------5-------5------|9-------9-------5-------5------|
A|----7-------7-------7-------7--|----7-------7-------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----7--|
D|-------------------------------|----6---9------|
A|------------7-------7---7------|7--------------|
E|0---0---0-------0-----------0--|---------------|
G|----7-- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|--------9---9---7---7-------7--|----7---9---7---------------7--|
A|------------------------9------|9---------------9-------9------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------10----------|
It
CHORUS
01:33
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----4-- 6---6-- 6------|
D|--------6---9---9-------9-\----|5---5---5-------------------6--|
A|7---7---------------9----------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
doesn't really matter what clothes I wear, or
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|4-------4-------4-------4------|9\--9\--9\--9\--9\--9\--9---7--|
A|----4-------4-4-----4-------4--|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
how I pur or If my hair is
REFRAIN
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----6-- -------|
D|----------------------------7--|----4---7---7-------7--|
A|9---9---9-----9-9-------9------|5-----------7----------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------|
brown When only a Northern
it's
xxx X x x X X X X x x
G|9------ ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|9------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A|7------------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
song
VERSE
01:50
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7---7-----------5-------5------|7---7-------7---5-------5------|
A|--------------7-----7-------7--|--------------------7-------7--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
If you think the harmony
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7---7---7-----7-5-------5------|7---7---7-----7-5---5-5-----5-5|
A|--------------------7-------7--|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
Is a little dark and out of key,
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|7---7---7-----7-5-------5------|7---7---7-----7-5-------5------|
A|--------------------7-------7--|--------------------7----------|
E|-------------------------------|----------------------------0--|
You're
correct,
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- -------|
D|----------------5-------5------|--------6---7--|
A|--/-7---7---7-------7-------7--|----7----------|
E|0------------------------------|0--------------|
There's there
nobody
G|------- 7---7-- 7---7-- 7------|------- 4------ ------- -------|
D|----7--------------------------|4---7-------7---4-------4------|
A|----------------------------5--|--------------------5-------5--|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
CHORUS (INSTRUMENTAL)
02:12
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----4-- 6---6-- 6------|
D|--------6---9---9-------9-\---4|5---5---5---------------------2|
A|7---7---------------9----------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|4-----2-4-------4---4---4-2----|------------4---------------4--|
A|----------------------------4--|2---2---5-------5---2---5------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
REFRAIN
G|------- ------- ------- -------|------- ----6-- -------|
D|4---4---4---4-4-4---4---4------|----4---7---7-------7--|
A|-------------------------------|5-----------7----------|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------------|
And told you there's one
it no
X xxxx x X x x X x X x x
G|9------ ------- ------- -------|------- ------- ------- -------|
D|9------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A|7------------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
there.
INSTRUMENTAL CODA (VERSE, CHORUS, VERSE)
02:29 ....
B Bend
R Release
/ slide up
\ slide down
H hammer-on
P pull-off
~ vibrato
+ harmonic
x Mute note
. - play note like a dot in standard notation
^ - ties two notes together
(. Pause
