Cry for a Shadow
The Beatles
G Harrison & J Lennon
Recorded on 22nd June 1961 this is a unique Beatles tune in being: the only known
Harrison/Lennon composition, the first Beatles composition to be recorded
professionally and the first one to appear on record (on Tony Sheridan's 1962
German album 'My Bonnie' where they were the backing band). George and John
originally composed the tune when Rory Storm requested they play a recent
Shadows number. Since they were always having a bit of fun with the Shadows sound
and image they made up a Shadows type number on the spot. The working
title of the tune was 'Beatle Bop' but George later changed it to Cry for a
Shadow (a reference to the tune's original inspiration). For an authentic sound
look to a Rickenbacker 325 for lead and a Gibson ES-175 for rhythm. The Gibson
belonged to Sheridan but was used by the Beatles on a number of tracks. Notation
guide included below with chord definitions.
Standard Tuning
Intro
G Fadd9 G Fadd9 G Fadd9 G F*
C Am C Am etc F G*
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13----15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13-----------13--13--13s15-|
G|-------------------------------------------------------14----14--14--14--14s16-|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C Am etc
E|--------17---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-15s17-----17-17---------15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13----15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13|
G|-15s17--------17-17-17---------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
F G* C Am C Am etc E7
E|-------------------------------17----------------------------12--12--12--12--12--|
B|----------13--13--13s15-15s17-----17-17---------17--17--15-----12--12--12--12--12|
G|-14---14--14--14--14s16-15s17--------17-17-17---17--17--15-----------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A7
E|12--12--12--12--12-------12--12--12--12--12-----15-12--------------------------|
B|--12--12--12--12--12-------15--15--15--15--15----------15-12-15-----12---------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------14/----14-12---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------14|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D7 G7
E|--------------------------------------------15-17/-17/-17/-17/r--15------------|
B|-----------------------------13-15-17/-17/r------------------------------------|
G|----------10----10-12--12s14---------------------------------------------------|
D|----10-12----12----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-12----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C Am etc F G*
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13----15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13-----------13--13--13s15-|
G|-------------------------------------------------------14----14--14--14--14s16-|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C Repeat C Am etc
Intro
E|-------17-------------|------|--------------------------------------------------|
B|15s17-----17-17-------|------|15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13---15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r|
G|15s17--------17-17-17-|------|--------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------|------|--------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------|------|--------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------|------|--------------------------------------------------|
F G* C Am etc
E|----------------------------17--------17-------17-------17---------------------|
B|-13----------13--13--13s15------15s17----15s17----15s17------3/--3/-3/-3/-3/r-1|
G|----14---14--14--14--14s16-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C Am etc F G* C Am etc E7
E|------------------------------------5----5----5----12--12--12--12--12----------|
B|-3/--3/-3/-3/-3/r-1--1--1-1-1s3--3h5--3h5--3h5-------12--12--12--12--12--------|
G|---------------------2--2-2-2s4------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A7
E|12--12--12--12--12-----12--12--12--12--12----15-12-----12-15--17/-17/-17/r-15--|
B|--12--12--12--12--12-----15--15--15--15--15---------15-------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D7 G7
E|---------------------------------------------15--17/-17/-17/-17/r-15-----------|
B|---------------------------13-15--17/r-15-17-----------------------------------|
G|---------10----10-12-12s14-----------------------------------------------------|
D|---10-12----12-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|12-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C Am C Am etc F G*
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13----15/---15/-15/-15/-15/r-13-----------13--13--13s15-|
G|-------------------------------------------------------14----14--14--14--14s16-|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat
C Am etc Intro C Am etc
E|------17-----------|------|---------12-----12----------------------------------|
B|15s17----17-17-----|------|-15/-15/----15/----15p13-----15/-15/-15/-15/r-13----|
G|15s17----17-17-17--|------|-------------------------14-------------------------|
D|-------------------|------|----------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------|------|----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------|------|----------------------------------------------------|
F G*
E|-----------------------7s8-------------------------8--||
B|--------13--13--13s15------7s8--------------------8---||
G|14--14--14--14--14s16----------8s9---------------9----||
D|-----------------------------------9s10-s10-----10----||
A|-----------------------------------------------10-----||
E|----------------------------------------------8-------||
Notation
/ = full bend up
r = release bend
s = slide
h = hammer note
p = pull off
G Fadd9 F* C Am F G* E7 A7 D7 G7
E|-3----3-------1------0-----0-----1----3------0-------5------0------3--|
B|-0----1-------1------1-----1-----1----3------5-------8------3------6--|
G|-0----2-------h2-----0-----2-----2----4------7-------6------5------4--|
D|-0----3-------h3-----2-----2-----3----5------6-------5------4------3--|
A|-x----x-------x------3-----0-----3----5------7-------7------5------5--|
E|-x----x-------x------0-----0-----x----x------0-------5------0------3--|
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