Band: The Smiths
Song: Back to the Old House
Album: Hatful of Hollow
Thom Mills [email protected]

This is a transcript I made of "Back to the Old House" by the Smiths.  It's from the acoustic version from "Hatfull of Hollow". The notes on the high e string are heavily emphasized and ring loudly. This should be pretty close to the recording, though there are a few notes different here and there. 


PATTERN A: 
------------------------|-------0---------------- 
-0---1-1----------------|-0---1------------------ 
-----------------0-2---0|-----------------0-2---0 
---2-----------2-----3--|---2-----------2-----3-- 
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-------3-2-0-----3---- 
------------------------|------------------------ 

                                            I would... 
-----------------0------|-------0---------0------ 
-0---1---------1---1---0|-1---3---3-1-3-----1---0 
-------0----------------|------------------------ 
---2-----------2-----3--|---2---------0-------3-- 
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-----------------3---- 
------------------------|------------------------ 

...rather not go back to the old house...I would 
   repeat Pattern A once 

LEAD IN TO PATTERN B: 
rather not go             back to the old house 
------------------------|-------0---------------- 
-0---1-1----------------|-0---1------------------ 
-----------------0-2---0|-----------------0-2---0 
---2-----------2-----3--|---2-----------2-----3-- 
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-------3-2-0-----3---- 
------------------------|------------------------ 

PATTERN B: 
     there's    too many       bad       memories 
-------1---------------0|-------1---------------- 
-1---1-------0---1-3----|-1---1-------0---1-3---0 
-2-2-------2------------|-0-0-------2------------ 
------------------------|------------------------ 
-3-----3----------------|-3-----1---------------- 
-------------3-----3----|-------------3-----3---- 

     there's too many memories  there 
-------1---------------0|-----------0------------ 
-1---1-------0---1-3----|-------3---------------- 
-0-0-------2------------|-----------------0-----0 
------------------------|---------------2-----2-- 
-3-----3----------------|-----2-------2-----3---- 
-------------3-----3----|-0-3---0---------------- 

-----------0------------|-----------0-----------0 
-------3----------------|-------3-----------2---- 
-----------------0-----0|-----------------2------ 
---------------2-----2--|---------------0-------- 
-----2-------2-----3----|-----2-------2---------- 
-0-3---0----------------|-0-3---0---------------- 

------------------------|------------------------|-0---- 
-------3-----3-----3----|-3-----3-----3-----3----|---3-0 
-----0-0-----0-----0----|-0-----2---2-2---2-2---2|------ 
---0-------0-----0-----0|-----0---3-----3-----3--|------ 
-2-------2-----2-----2--|---2--------------------|------ 
------------------------|------------------------|------ 

repeat pattern A twice ("When you cycled by...", "And you never knew...") 
lead in to pattern B ("Are you still there?" 
pattern B ("Or have you..." 

repeat first two bars twice (or so) 
play 
-----------------0------|-------0---------------- 
-0---1---------1---1---0|-1---3------------------ 
-------0----------------|-----------------0-2---0 
---2-----------2-----3--|---2-----------2-----3-- 
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3-------3-2-0-----3---- 
------------------------|------------------------ 

repeat first two bars many times (about four?) 
end on                  slowly 
------------------------|-----------3-3-3-------- 
-0---1------------------|-0---1------------------ 
-------0---------0-2---0|-------0---------------- 
---2-----------2-----3--|---2-------------------- 
-3-------3-2-0-----3----|-3---------------------- 
------------------------|------------------------