Only A Northern Song bass

Only A Northern Song

     --------------------------------------------------------------

     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.

     --------------------------------------------------------------

     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

   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

x

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