Song: 18 Miles to Memphis
Band: Stray Cats
Album: Rant 'n Rave With The Stray Cats
Alright kids. Long time, no tab. Back with another Cats tab
to start off the new year.My doctor said I'm healthy enough
to deal with the stresses of transcribing tabs like this =).
Joke's aside This was a very rewarding experience since
I think (or, at least I would like to think) that I improved my Travis picking.
I included the bass notes in the song but if they don't make sense
don't play them. Or, if you have a better idea on what the bass notes are,
please don't hesitate to let me know.
The speed of this song, especially the opening riff, is friggin
insane with regards to WHAT he's playing. Quick pull off riff
followed by some quick travis picking to lead on into the chord
progression. Now, this is a typical I,IV,V progression in the
key of A. He plays the progression differently live than in the recording.
Brian's got a pedal steel in the background which masks the guitar a little.
Strums are not exact, listed for the changes. Let's go!!
INTRO:
(OPENING LICK) A E9
e|----------------------------5-5-|----------------------------------|
B|-5po----5p0----5p0----5p0---5-5-|--5p0---5p0----5p0----5p0---7-7---|
G|-5p0----5p0----5p0----5p0---6-6-|--5p0---5p0----5p0----5p0---7-7---|
D|-----7------7------7--------7-7-|------7-----7------7--------6-6---|
A|----------------------------7-7-|----------------------------7-7---|
E|----------------------------5-5-|----------------------------------|
(if the bass notes are hard to follow, ignore and focus on the g,b,e strings)
*****fingerpick*********************************************************
A
e|-----5---------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|------------5----7-----5---------|----------------------5--7-7--7/9--|
G|---------------------------6-----|--6-6--6--66--6-------5--7-7--7/9--|
D|-----7--------7-----7---------7--|--7-7--7--77--7--------------------|
A|---------7---------------7-------|-----------------------------------|
E|--5--------------5---------------|-----------------------------------|
VERSE 1: (You can play the regular chords if you want.)
"We've been driving all night long...."
A D A
e|-----5------------------------------10-|-5-5--------------------|
B|------------5----7-----5------------10-|--------5---7--5---5----|
G|---------------------------6--------11-|-----------------6------| X2
D|-----7--------7-----7---------7--------|---7------7----7---7----|
A|---------7---------------7-------------|------7----------7------|
E|--5--------------5---------------------|-5----------5-----------|
"We go 500 miles, everyone's asleep..."
A D A
e|-5------------10------|-5-5----------------------|
B|-5------------10------|---------5---7--5-----5---|
G|-6------------11------|-------------------6------| X2
D|----------------------|---7-------7----7-----7---|
A|----------------------|-------7-----------7------|
E|----------------------|-5-----------5------------|
"Oh, 18 wheels a'rollin'. 18 wheels rollin round and round"
E D A E Eb D
e|-12----------------------10---------5-5------------|-1212--11--10--|
B|-12----------------------10--------------5-7-5-----|-1212--11--10--|
G|-13----------------------11---------------------6--|-1313--12--11--|
D|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
"Please Mr. Driver won't you pull over..."
E D A
e|-12------------10-----------------|-5-5--------------------|
B|-12------------10-----------------|--------5---7--5---5----|
G|-13------------11-----------------|-----------------6------| X2
D|----------------------------------|---7------7----7---7----|
A|----------------------------------|------7----------7------|
E|----------------------------------|-5----------5-----------|
"We'll have 14 steak and eggs....."
D
e|-10------------------|--17--17---12--14--12----12-----|
B|-10------------------|----------------------14--------|
G|-11------------------|--------------------------------| X2
D|---------------------|--------------------------------|
A|---------------------|--------------------------------|
E|---------------------|--------------------------------|
"Let's get back on the bus..........."
E D A E Eb D
e|-12----------------------10---------5-5------------|-1212--11--10--|
B|-12----------------------10--------------5-7-5-----|-1212--11--10--|
G|-13----------------------11---------------------6--|-1313--12--11--|
D|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
CHORUS
"Yea we're 18 miles to Memphis..."
e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------| X4
D|-----------44--77--44----------|
A|----44--77------------77--55---|
E|-55----------------------------|
"Got a rocket in my pocket and I, lit the fuse.."
D A
e|--/10~--/10~----------/5~-/5--|
B|--/10~--/10~----------/5~-/5--|
G|--/11~--/11~----------/6~-/6--|
D|------------------------------|
A|------------------------------|
E|------------------------------|
"Well, we're 18 miles to Memphis, and I won't be till I rock you out..."
E D A E Eb D
e|-12----------------------10---------5-5------------|-1212--11--10--|
B|-12----------------------10--------------5-7-5-----|-1212--11--10--|
G|-13----------------------11---------------------6--|-1313--12--11--|
D|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|---------------|
SOLO: "YEE-HAW!""
e|-5-5--8^--5--8^-5-8^-5--------5--|-5--8^--5--8^--5-8^-5-----5-|
B|-5-5--7^--5--7^-5-7^-5------5----|-5--7^--5--7^--5-7^-5----5--|
G|-------------------------7^------|-----------------------7^---|
D|---------------------------------|----------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|----------------------------|
x2
e|----------------5--|-2/9--2/9--2/9-2/9--|-----7-------------|
B|----------------5--|-1/8--1/8--1/8-1/8--|------7--10p7---10-|
G|-7^-7^--7--5-------|--------------------|-/7----7------7----|
D|--------------7----|--------------------|-------------------|
A|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
e|------------------5-2---------2--------------|
B|----------------------5-2---2----------------|
G|-4^p2---2-2~--------------4^-------2---------|
D|------4-------------------------4^-----------|
A|--------------------------------------3^0----|
E|---------------------------------------------|
e|-7^-7^----------7--|-------------------------5-5--|
B|-8^-8^---7------7--|-5p0---5p0---5p0---5p0---5-5--|
G|-----------9p7-----|-5p0---5p0---5p0---5p0---6-6--|
D|-------------------|-----7-----7-----7-------7-7--|
A|-------------------|-------------------------7-7--|
E|-------------------|-------------------------5-5--|
He then plays the A, to the D which leads into...
PEDAL STEEL SECTION
A
e|-/17-17--12--14--12----------|----------------------12--14/-|-17-17~----|
B|--------------------14-------|--14---14---14---14---12--14/-|-----------|
G|-----------------------14----|-----14---14--14---14---------|-----------|
D|--------------------------X2-|------------------------------|-----------|
A|-----------------------------|------------------------------|-----------|
E|-----------------------------|------------------------------|-----------|
D A
e|-10~----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
B|-10~--10--12--10----|-10-10~----------|-10-10~------------------|
G|-----------------11-|-11-11~-9--12-9--|-9--9-~--9-11-9----9-9-9-|
D|--------------------|-----------------|----------------12-------|
A|--------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
E|--------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
E D A
e|-12-12~---12\10~-----17--17--12-14-12-------------------------12~-|
B|-12-12~---12\10~----------------------14-------12--12~------------|
G|-13-13~---13\11~-------------------------14------------13-13------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat VERSE
Repeat CHORUS:
Repeat OPENING LICK
ENDING LICK:
e|-5-2---------2------------|
B|-----5-2---2--------------|
G|---------4^------2--------|
D|---------------4^---------|
A|-------------------3^0----|
E|--------------------------|
And down goes another Cats tab folks. Let me know what you think.
I'll try to check my work to hopefully improve the tab. I'll
be spending some time trying to learn this so I don't know
when the next tab will be. But if nobody beats me to it, it will
be Machine Gun Blues by Social Distortion. Thanks for all those who
have rated my tab. Have fun!!
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| ^ Bend
************************************
Artist: Stray Cats
Click to get the code!