Baba O'Reilly

The Who

 

Starts out on a synth, but using two guitars:

Guitar 1:            Finger  Guitar 2:            Finger

                        e  x                                           e 13

                        B  x                                          B 13

                        G 10                                         G 10

                        D 10                                         D  x

                        A  8                                          A  x

                        E  x                                          E  x

 

Guitar 1 pick quickly A-A-D-D-G-G-D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-D-D

            (all sixteenth notes) over and over (this is until

            the end of the song, when the violin comes in.)

 

Guitar 2 pick quickly G-G-B-B-e (The G and B strings are

            played as sixteenth, the e is picked as an eighth)

 

After 5 repetitions, the piano enters, after four piano and synth parts,

            the drums and bass enter.  The piano and bass play a simple

            F-C-Bb progression

 

For guitar in place of piano, it is played

 

     F                                             C     Bb

e    5                                             3      1

B    6                                             5      3

G    5                                             5      3

D    x                                             x      x

A    x                                             x      x

E    x                                             x      x

 

The first verse is played the same way:

 

F               C     Bb

Out here in the fields

I fight for my meals

I get my back into my living

I don't need to fight

To prove I'm right

I don't need to be forgiven

(yeah yeah yeah yeah ye-ah!)

 

NOW Townshend throws in the power chords along the same rhythm (F-C-Bb)

Play that pattern 5 times, then it softens for the bridge:

Play C5 three times, then softly strum a first-position C chord

(With the opening F5 synth pattern only:)

 

C5 C5 C5 C

 

Don't cry

Don't raise your eyes

It's only a teenage wasteland

 

The chords ring in again, with bass and drums, the synth still rolling

 

Sally take my hand

We'll travel south cross land

Put out the fire but don't look past my shoulder

The exodus is here

The happy won't come near

Let's get together before we get much older

 

A soft guitar solo, in the same key, but one I can't figure out yet.

 

Hitting a few F5 chords, the drums and bass ring back

            in and the bar chords return in the F-C-Bb pattern:

 

Teenage wasteland!

Teenage wasteland!

Teenage wasteland, oh yeah!

Teenage wasteland!

They're all wasted!

 

F  F  C  C  Bb Bb C  C

 

F chord:

e: -12-13-15--12-13-15-1213-15

Repeat, over a C then Bb chord, then, over C

e: -15-13-15-13-15-12--15-13-15-12-13-15-12-----15

 

The violin comes in over the synth part, which fades

            out as the violin plays until the end, when

            the synth returns for a crescendo up onto yet

            again the F5 chord.