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Off He Goes
Pearl Jam
Tabbed by Nick Key (nkey@ionet.net)
Everything should be in order so you can play straight through.
The base is double-tracked, so at the
first chorus I switch to the lower octave.
Intro
2x
|-----------------14-17--| |---------------12--------------|
|--------15-14-14--------| |-15-14-14---14----14-15-12-----|
|-----15-----------------| |---------------------------15--|
|--13--------------------| |-------------------------------|
First Verse:
Fig 1 - 2x
|-----------------------|
|-----17---17--15-15----|
|--15----15----------17-|
|-----------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|----17---17---17----17---17---------------------|
|-15----15---15---15----15--15-12-1212-1212-1212-|
|------------------------------------------------|
2x
|-------------| |---------------------------|
|-15-14-14----| |-15-14---------------------|
|----------15-| |-------12-1212-1212-1212---|
|-------------| |---------------------------|
2x
|-14------------------------| |--------------------------------|
|----17---17---17---17------| |-15----17-----------------------|
|-------15---15---15--------| |----15----15-1515-1515-1515-----|
|---------------------------| |--------------------------------|
Intro riff: 2x
|-----------------14-17--| |-------------------------------------|
|--------15-14-14--------| |--------15-14-15---15----15----15----|
|-----15-----------------| |-----15---------15----15----15----15-|
|--13--------------------| |--13---------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-15-14----------------------15-14-14-17-----17----17--17-----|
|-------12-1212-1212-1212-12-------------1515--1515--15--15--|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
Instrumental bit
Quarter notes (higher bass plays fifths)
6x
|----------| |----------------------|
|----------| |-3-2------------------|
|-3-3-3-3--| |-----0-00-00-00-0-----|
|----------| |----------------------|
Second Verse:
Fig. 2
|----------------|
|-3--------------|
|----33-33-33-33-|
|----------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-33-0------------33-0------33-0------33-2--------------|
|------3-33-33-33------3-33------3-33------0-00-00-00-0-|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat fig. 2 above, then:
Intro riff: 2x
|--------------------| |----------------------------------------|
|------3-2-----------| |-----3-2-3---3---3---3---3-2------------|
|---3------0-00-00-0-| |---3-------3---3---3---3-----0-00-00-00-|
|-1------------------| |-1--------------------------------------|
|-------------------|
|-3-----------------|
|----33-33-33-33-3--|
|-------------------|
Instrumental bit
This time play like this 1* & 3(higher bass plays fifths)
6x
|----------| |----------------------|
|----------| |-3-2------------------|
|-3-33-3---| |-----0-00-00-00-0-----|
|----------| |----------------------|
Third Verse:
Fig. 2
|-------------------|
|-3-----------------|
|----33-33-33-33----|
|-------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|-33-0------------33-0------33-0------33-0-3-2--------------|
|------3-33-33-33------3-33------3-33----------0-00-00-00-0-|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
^play at 'strong'
|---------------------------------------|
|-3---------------33-0---33-0---3-2-----|
|---33----3----3-------3------3-----0---|
|---------------------------------------|
4x
|------| |----------------------|
|-3----| |---3-2----------------|
|---33-| |-3-----0-00-00-00-0---|
|------| |----------------------|
Then:
|---------------------------------------------------|
|-3----------33-0---33-0---33-0--3-2----------------|
|---33------------3------3-----------0-00-00-00-0---|
|---------------------------------------------------|
Play fig. 2, then
fig. 4
|--------------------|
|-33-0---------------|
|------3-33-33-33-3--|
|--------------------|
Play second instrumental part again
Then fig. 2
Then second instrumental, playing the first
part of it only 4x (not 6x)
Then fig. 2
Then fig. 4 four times (4x)
Taken from The BassMasta -- http://www.bassmasta.net
|
No Picture
Austin Average |
#1 by Austin Cook at Mar 29, 1972 at 2:19 PM EST |
| I honestly think that this song is about Eddie himself....This is a wonderful song with a countryish beat... just one of the many gems found on No Code... | |
|
No Picture
Shay Average |
#2 by Shay at Mar 21, 1975 at 1:42 AM EST |
| I've read an article in Rolling Stone where Eddie said "Off He Goes" is about a friend of his leaving town, and they grew apart. His friend came back, and because of their "growing apart," they just couldn't converse like old times. They just couldn't hit it off like best friends can. Anyway, he leaves town again, possibly redoing the process. | |
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No Picture
.-ѕα Average |
#3 by .-ѕαм-. .-gσя∂σи-. at Oct 14, 1976 at 5:07 PM EST |
| To me, it means "the loss" of my best friend. He didn't die, but moved away, and we've gradually lost touch. As far as Eddie goes, the real Eddie, he is talking about himself. I saw a consert once where he said: "This next song is about having an asshole for a friend", and then pointed at himself. | |
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No Picture
Tim Average |
#4 by Tim Curry at Oct 21, 1978 at 12:06 AM EST |
| i always thought this song was a self reflection too like he doesnt know himself anymore,wether he intentionally wrote it about himself is anyones guess.especially the lines 'Ive seen his picture It doesn't look the same up on the rack',which is obviously about fame.as if their are two of him the famous version and the actual person. as if the famous version of himself bares no relation to who he is. | |
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No Picture
CARL Rhythm Player |
#5 by CARL WEBER at May 29, 1984 at 4:28 PM EST |
| I honestly think that this song is about Eddie himself....This is a wonderful song with a countryish beat... just one of the many gems found on No Code... | |
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No Picture
Thijs Wanna Be |
#6 by Thijs Donderwinkel at May 18, 1985 at 11:21 AM EST |
| edd said live on stage that this song is about an asshole maybee about someone whom you care about and they just use you when they want to have somewhere to go but never realy care about youre feelings | |
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No Picture
CoRey Rhythm Player |
#7 by CoRey TayLor at Mar 22, 1987 at 4:40 PM EST |
| It's about Eddie himself I'm fairly sure. It was mentioned in either of the books "None To Fragile" or "Five Against One" The song seems to be an introspective view of himself. As if he were meeting himself. The "shit-friend" idea mentioned before is what it sounds like to me. He's changed so much over the years, though he's still the same old Eddie when he can finally relax. He's got all this stuff going on inside of him tearing him apart, and he's sort of imagining what his old friends must think of him now. Now that they know all about him, and he's a huge star. When he returns home people get to know him again, and they realize he's the same old Eddie. The guy from the Drama club who always did something crazy. But things slowly come back and he has to take off again. He has to be big star again Eddie again. Just my thoughts, and it really is a powerful song when thought of like that for me, so that's all that really counts I guess. | |
|
No Picture
shaepes Wanna Be |
#8 by shaepes caepoo at Aug 28, 1988 at 7:46 PM EST |
| I'd say this song is deffinitly about Layne Staley of alice in chains and how due to his addiction to drugs he seemed to come and go from the music scene quite frequently. the lyrics all fit perfectly to him too: Know a man His face seemed pulled and tense Like he's ridin' on a motorbike In the strongest winds So I approach with tact Suggest that he should relax But he's movin' much too fast - Layne had grown skinny and tense looking after years of drug abuse, and Eddie and others would try and get him clean and to "relax" but he was into the drugs way to deep to be saved Said he'll see me on the flip side On this trip he's taken for a ride He's been takin' too much on There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes There he goes - He's been taking on too much of the heroin and forced alice to stop touring while he dissapeared for a little while... plus the unkept clothes and flip side remark (traditional grunge wear and slang) He's yet to come back But I seen his picture It doesn't look the same up on the rack We go way back I wonder 'bout his insides It's like his thoughts are too big for his size - He is saying that its been a while since he's seen and heard from Layne but it hits him harder than it does fans of his because he sees Layne as a friend unlike the fans who just see him on a cd rack and don't really know how bad its gotten... but him and Eddie go way back (to the days of mookie baylock opening for alice) And now I rub my eyes, for he has returned Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned For he still smiles... And he's still strong Nothing changed but the surroundin' bullshit That has grown - Everyone thought Layne was pretty much finished but he seemed to return a few times, for the Alice unplugged show and for Mad Season with Mike from PJ... the "bullshit that has grown" is the media constantly referring to layne as a hopeless junkie And now he's home and we're laughin' Like we did, my same old, same old friend Until a quarter to ten I saw the strain creep in He seems distracted and I know just what is going to happen next Before his first step, he's off again - even though Layne is back for now they know that it wont be too long before he's off again this theory kind of makes sence because the song came out around '97 i think and the last time most people saw Layne was in '96 after the unplugged. | |
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No Picture
matt Wanna Be |
#9 by matt sims at Jul 17, 1989 at 2:56 PM EST |
| I can't believe how many people miss that this song is obviously about Eddie himself. "It's like his thoughts are too big for his size "--Ed's a little guy with some big opinions and ideas. Basically, he writing about himself from the perspective of an old friend who has seen him get famous and struggle with who he is. | |
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No Picture
Leo Average |
#10 by Leo Jaeggi at Nov 30, 1989 at 3:13 PM EST |
| albowlleysinheaven please elaborate on you're neil young comment...what do you mean "ITS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES WITH NEIL YOUNG GOD DAMN!!"... | |
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No Picture
Dr. Average |
#11 by Dr. Richard Benjamin Vannacutt at Oct 30, 2000 at 6:23 AM EST |
| Says to me that this song is about someone working in a high-powered stressful job, who has lost the able to do the simple things like converse with friends and chill out. The kinda guy who is always on his mobile phone. He listens to the warning to slow done but can't help himself. | |
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No Picture
Eric Average |
#12 by Eric Smith at Jan 2, 2001 at 2:34 PM EST |
| It's about Eddie, when he's leaving for tours. | |
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No Picture
THE AMAZING JOE Wanna Be |
#13 by THE AMAZING JOE KOOL!! at Mar 8, 2002 at 10:57 AM EST |
| Awe...The beautiful South!! dead loved ones. | |
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No Picture
lee Average |
#14 by lee henninger at May 5, 2006 at 10:38 AM EST |
| This song reminds me of a friend who battles with meth addiction. When he's strung out, he literally moves and talks much too fast. He falls into serious psychosis...he has hallucinations/delusions, severe paranoia complete with huge conspiracy theories (his thoughts are too big for his size)...it's like he's not there at all...he's gone and some insane person has taken his place....and then after weeks or months...he'll clean up for awhile and return to near normal...(my same old friend). But over the years, the psychosis has carved a niche in his brain (so his doctor says) and now even when he isn't using, he still goes in and out of psychosis... he can drift in and out of reality several times in one day (before his first step he's off again). Even the flipside is less and less of my friend and more and more of the schizophrenic-like addict. As of now, he is in a mental ward. | |
