#This file is the author’s own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#——————————————————————————##
From: Winston Campbell
Subject: HOUSE IN THE WOODS by Mr. Tom Petty
House In The Woods
by Tom Petty
This is the complete and official transcription of this song by Tom Petty
done by me. It is the thirteenth song off of -Wildflowers-. This was
probably one of the first songs I grew to love on the album. It took me a
while to figure out this song but after figuring it out, it is interesting
to look at the chord changes which speaks of Tom Petty and his simple yet
grandiose songwriting approach. I have done the bass tab for it because
the bass line walks during the second half of the verse. The basic bassline
(with the chords on top) is:
(BASSLINE 1)
F C Eb Bb Dm Am C G
G ————|————|————|————|————|
D -3———-|-1———-|-0———-|————|————|
A ——-3—-|——-1—-|——-0—-|-3———-|————|
E ————|————|————|——-3—-|-3—–3—-|
(BASSLINE 2)
F C Eb Bb Dm Am C G
G ————|—0-2——|—0-3——|————|————|
D ————|-3——-0-2|-1——-0-3|-0-2-3——|—2-0——|
A ————|——-3—-|——-1—-|——-0-2-3|-3———-|
E -3—–3—-|————|————|————|——-3—-|
G ————|————|
D ————|————|
A ————|————|
E -3—–3—-|-3—–3—-|
The single guitar note that is played is just this:
E -1—–0—-|————|————|————|
B ————|-4—–3—-|-3———-|-1———-|
G ————|————|——-2—-|——-0—-| (all notes are
D ————|————|————|————| vibrato, of course)
A ————|————|————|————|
E ————|————|————|————|
Those are the single guitar and basslines for the verse. The song begins
with bassline number 1 and plays it two times. Then when Petty starts
singing, bassline number 1 is played once then bassline number 2 is
played. Then the chorus follows which is:
C G C G C G Em A C G
G ————|————|————|————|————|
D ————|————|————|————|————|
A -3—2—–2|-3—2—–2|-3—2——|——-0-2-4|-3—2—–2|
E ——-3—-|——-3—-|——-3—2|-0-2-3——|——-3—-|
C G C G Em A D
G ————|————|————|————|
D ————|————|————|-0———-|
A -3—2—–2|-3—2——|——-0-2-4|————|
E ——3—–|——-3—2|-0-2-3——|————|
After that part, the song goes back to another verse and another chorus.
After the second chorus, the guitar and bass plays the riff on the
A and D strings like (I will call this Riff X):
E —————————-|
B —————————-|
G —————————-| (As you may notice, I have no measure lines
D -0————————2-| so just play it like how you hear it)
A —–0-2-3—0-2-3–0-2-3—|
E —————————-|
Play this part repeatedly (I think four times then the song goes into a
slight verse instrumental and back to the chorus and then back into the
verse. These are basically the tabs for the song. The lyrics are:
F C Eb Bb
I~m going down to the house in the woods
Dm Am C G
See my little darling
F C Eb Bb
I~m going down, out in the fields
Dm Am C G
With summertime coming
C G C G
Oh my love, what can I do
C G Em A
What can I do but love you?
C G C G
For the rest of my days, the rest of my nights
C G Em A
What can I do but love you
D
Babe
F C Eb Bb
Summertime falls on the house in the woods
Dm Am C G
Back by the power lines
F C Eb Bb
I ain~t got a neighbor for nine or ten miles
Dm Am C G
Back in the tall pines
C G C G
And hey, now baby, what can I do?
C G Em A
What am I goin~ to do but trust you?
C G C G
The rest of my nights, the rest of my days
C G Em A
What can I do but love you?
D (Riff X)
Babe
(Instrumental Verse)
C G C G
Hey now baby, what can I do?
C G Em A
What am I going to do but love you
C G C G
For the rest of my days, the rest of my nights
C G Em A
What could I do but love you?
D
Babe
(I think the song goes back to Riff X then continues on ad infinitum
into the ever famous verse chords)
The chords, if you are wondering, for this song are:
E A D G B E
———–
F 1 3 3 2 1 1
C x 3 2 0 1 0
Eb x 6 8 8 8 x
Bb x 1 3 3 3 x
Dm x x 0 2 3 1
Am x 0 2 2 1 0
G 3 2 0 0 3 3
Em 0 2 2 0 0 0
A x 0 2 2 2 0
D x x 0 2 3 2
(Comments and email will be greatly appreciated. Until the next time.
Bye!!)
