Duran Duran - Sound of Thunder (1981)
Tabbed by: trevgreg
Email: trevgreg1227@hotmail.com
Tuning: Standard
“Sound of Thunder” is the seventh track of Duran Duran’s first self-titled album. Though featuring
its fair share of Andy Taylor on guitar, the parts are pretty simple for even most beginners
to take a decent hold of. For the most part, the song consists of minimal barre chords, along
with some single notes, palm-muting and slides on the choruses and the last part of the song.
Andy has also been known to play a solo during the song's middle eight as well.
The first two verses are pretty straight-forward. Andy plays each barre chord twice with just
a slight palm-mute at the beginning of each of them when he enters them. He also plays them
all along the A string, so that should be easy enough to remember. Let the last D5 echo out
when you’re at the end of each verse as well.
E5 G5 B5 D5
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--x--9---9----x--12---12----x--4---4----x--7---7-------------------|
D|--x--9---9----x--12---12----x--4---4----x--7---7-------------------|
A|--x--7---7----x--10---10----x--2---2----x--5---5-------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Here’s what Andy plays at the end of the first two verses, where Simon begins to sing the
“I gave up asking…” and “and I just lie here…” lines.
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--3(v)----3/5----3----1(h)------------3(v)----3/5----3----1(h)---------|
E|----------------------------3(h)--------------------------------3(h)---|
At the beginning of the middle eight, you can hear Andy echo out the sixth string by itself
at least once. Afterwards, he introduces some sliding or a few notes by themselves and repeats
that four times.
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------2----2/9----9\7----7\3--------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--0(h)-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Before the final verse, Andy starts a new barre chord arrangement, this time only playing
each chord once after the initial palm muting. This part extends all the way to the “… I might
fly off“ line that Simon holds at the end of the verse. Also let the final E5 chord in the verse
echo here too.
F#5 A5 C#5 E5
e|------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--x--11----x--14----x--6----x--9----------------------------|
D|--x--11----x--14----x--6----x--9----------------------------|
A|--x--9-----x--12----x--4----x--7----------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------|
Andy plays a simple palm-muting part over the chords during the “world spins so fast” part
of the final verse too. Go buck wild on them as you play between the chords, as he seems to
do during the live version.
e|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x------------------|
D|--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x------------------|
A|--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
This is Andy’s final lead part in the song, which he plays during the outro. Like the first
lead part in the song, it really just consists of some single notes and sliding too. Play
with it to get the feel for whatever works better for you.
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------4/6----6\2----2/4----4/6----6/8----8\4--------------------------|
E|--2(h)--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Andy also appears to throw in a solo in the middle eight, though honestly, it almost sounds
like a keyboard for me when they do it live. He did a much different one though during the live
shows he played with the band in 2005 and 2006.
E5 G5 B5 D5
I've been in this grass here for the last 10 hours
E5 G5 B5 D5
My clothes are dirty but my mouth isn't dry
E5 G5 B5 D5
How does it happen? Does it fly through the air?
E5 G5 B5 D5
Oh I gave up asking days away
(first lead part 2X)
I gave up asking
(first lead part 2X)
Days away
E5 G5 B5 D5
And now I'm lying here waiting for the Sound of Thunder
E5 G5 B5 D5
Waiting for the Sound of Thunder
E5 G5
Here I am, I'm a dotted line
B5 D5
Cut the corner, stick me to your door
E5 G5 B5 D5
I'm the man who stepped off the path
(first lead part 2X)
and I just lie here
(first lead part 2X)
It's what I was made for
(second lead part 4X)
F#5 A5 C#5 E5
F#5 A5 C#5 E5
And now my eyes are closing, but I still feel the land
F#5 A5 C#5 E5
Leaning out for the touch of my hand
F#5 A5 (with palm muting)
The world spins so fast that I might fly off
C#5 E5 (with palm muting)
The world spins so fast that I might fly off
F#5 A5 C#5 E5 (with palm muting)
The world spins so fast, I might fly off
(Final lead part for the rest of the outro)
Waiting for the Sound of Thunder
I'm waiting for the Sound of Thunder
I'm waiting for the Sound of Thunder
I'm waiting for the Sound of Thunder
I'm waiting for the Sound of Thunder
I'm waiting for the Sound of Thunder
I'm waiting for the Sound of Thunder
Artist: Duran Duran
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