I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY
Don Henley, Glenn Frey, & Timothy B. Schmit
Eagles
The Long Run
1979
This song is hard to explain. There are only two guitars, plus keyboard and bass.
GUITAR 1 plays the intro and solo, and GUITAR 2 plays the funky sounds behind
the verse. It uses a delay set at 36 ms delay time throughout the entire song.
It may be hard to understand when it plays, but I have tried to make it easier
to read. The + signs indicate the beat, and if there is a . over a chord, that
means to play staccato, or really short, so you get the delay effect. You'll
hear what I mean when you listen to the song. If there isn't a . over a chord,
it means hold it for a while. Also, sometimes I had to put a . over a + so it
looks like this instead +. which means play whatever was under the + as staccato.
You'll get it. GUITAR 1 only plays the intro chords the second time, then
GUITAR 2 comes in right after that. Here it goes:
Intro: Verse 1:
|GUITAR 1:************| |*GUITAR 2: (with delay at 360ms through song)
Look at us ba - by up all night
+ + + . + + + + +
e:------------|------------|-----------------9--------|--------------------|
B:--7--7---5--|--7--7---5--|-10--------------10----10-|--------------------|
G:--7--7---6--|--7--7---6--|-11--------------11----11-|--------------------|
D:--9--9---7--|--9--9---7--|-11--------------12----11-|--------------------|
A:------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------|
E:------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------|
Tearin' our love a - part_________ Aren't we the sa - me two peo -
+ + + . + + + + + + + + . +
e:---------2-------7-----2---|------------|-----------------------9-------|
B:---------3-------7-----3---|------------|-10--------------------10---10-|
G:-----4-----------7-----4---|------------|-11--------------------11---11-|
D:-5---------------------5---|------------|-11--------------------12---11-|
A:---------------------------|------------|-------------------------------|
E:---------------------------|------------|-------------------------------|
ple who lived through years________ in the dark? Oh_________
+ + + + + + + . + + + + +
e:-------------------------------|-----------------7----|-2-------------|
B:-------------------------------|-----------------7----|-5-----5-------|
G:-------------------------------|-----------------7----|-4-----3-------|
D:-------------------------------|----------------------|---------------|
A:-------------------------------|----------------------|---------------|
E:-------------------------------|----------------------|---------------|
Chorus 1:
Everytime I try to walk away____ something makes me turn a -
+ +. + . + + +. + + + +. + . +
e:----7---------7--------|-------7-----------|----2---------------2---------|
B:----7---------7--------|-------5-----------|----3---------------3---------|
G:----7---------7--------|-------6-----------|----4---------------4---------|
D:-----------------------|-------------------|----5---------------5---------|
A:-----------------------|-------------------|------------------------------|
E:-----------------------|-------------------|------------------------------|
|*GUITAR 1:**
round and stay And I_______ can't tell you why__________
+ +. + . + + +. + . + + + +
e:-----------7------6--------|-----7----------7----------|----------------|
B:-----------5------5--------|-----7----------7----------|----------------|
G:-----------6------6--------|-----7----------7----------|----------------|
D:---------------------------|---------------------------|----------------|
A:---------------------------|---------------------------|--------------7-|
E:---------------------------|---------------------------|-------7-9-10---|
**| |*GUITAR 2:***
+ + + +. + + + +
e:---------------|------------|
B:----------3--2-|------------|
G:----------4--2-|------------|
D:----------4--2-|------------|
A:---------------|------------|
E:-7-------------|------------|
All right, that was a verse and a chorus. Now, for the second verse, just
play what you played for the first one. It is a little different, but the effect
will be the same.
Verse 2:
When we get crazy, it just ain't right. (Try to keep your head little girl)
Girl, I get lonely too.
You don't have to worry, just hold on tight. (Don't get caught in your little world)
'Cause I love you.
Chorus 2:
Nothing's wrong as far as I can see____ We make it harder than it
+ +. + . + + +. + + + +. . + +
e:----7---------------7--------|-------7-----------|------2----2-----------------|
B:----7---------------7--------|-------5-----------|------3----3-----------------|
G:----7---------------7--------|-------6-----------|------4----4-----------------|
D:-----------------------------|-------------------|------5----5-----------------|
A:-----------------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------|
E:-----------------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------|
has to be. And I_______ can't tell you why______ no baby
+ +. + . + + +. + . + + +. + +
e:--------7------6--------|-----7----------7----------|----7------------|
B:--------5------5--------|-----7----------7----------|----5------------|
G:--------6------6--------|-----7----------7----------|----6------------|
D:------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------|
A:------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------|
E:------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------|
I can't tell you why______________ I_____ can't tell you why__
+ +. + . + + +. + . + + +. + . +
e:---------------7-------|----7-----6-----|----7----------7-------|
B:----3----------7-------|----5-----5-----|----7----------7-------|
G:----4----------7-------|----6-----6-----|----7----------7-------|
D:----4----------5-------|----------------|----5----------5-------|
A:-----------------------|----------------|-----------------------|
E:-----------------------|----------------|-----------------------|
______
+ + + +
e:-6-----------|
B:-5-----------|
G:-7-----------|
D:-9-----------|
A:-------------|
E:-------------|
Then GUITAR 1 plays this and the intro a couple of times,
and then goes into the solo. During the solo, GUITAR 2
plays the part it did under Verse 1.
e:-----------|------|
B:-----------|------|
G:-----------|------|
D:-----------|------|
A:---------7-|------|
E:--7-9-10---|-7----|
Here's the solo (GUITAR 1):
bends: (1 means full step) 1 1
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:--------------|------------|----------------------|----------------------|
B:--------------|------------|----------------------|----------------------|
G:--------------|------------|----------------------|----------------------|
D:--------------|------------|-7^-7^p4~~~~~~~-4\2---|----------------------|
A:------------7-|-7h9~~~~~~~-|--------------------5-|-7-7\-----------------|
E:-----7-9-10---|------------|----------------------|------3-5/7~~~~~~~-7\-|
1 (hold) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:---------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
B:----------------10^~~|~~~~-10^p7------------|-10^--10^7------------|
G:--------------7------|-----------9^~~~-9^p7-|------------9^~~-9^p7-|
D:----------7-9--------|----------------------|----------------------|
A:------7/9------------|----------------------|----------------------|
E:---------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
1 1 1 1 1 Everytime...
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----10---------------------|--------------|------------------|
B:-10^----10^p7---------------|--------------|------------------|
G:--------------9---7~~---7-9-|-9^7h9-9^9^p7-|-7h9p7------------|
D:----------------9-----9-----|--------------|------------------|
A:----------------------------|--------------|------------------|
E:----------------------------|--------------|------------------|
After the solo, GUITAR 2 goes into this little thing,
and GUITAR 1 takes a break.
Every time I try to walk away_____ Something makes me turn a -
+ +. + . + + +. + . + + +. + . +
e:----7----------7--------|-------7-----7---|----7---------------7---------|
B:----7----------7--------|-------5-----5---|----7---------------7---------|
G:----7----------7--------|-------6-----6---|----7---------------7---------|
D:----9----------9--------|-----------------|----5---------------5---------|
A:------------------------|-----------------|------------------------------|
E:------------------------|-----------------|------------------------------|
round and stay And I_____ can't tell you why____ don't know baby
+ +. + . + + +. + . + + +. + +
e:-----------7------6-------|----7----------7------|----7-------------------|
B:-----------5------5-------|----7----------7------|----5-------------------|
G:-----------6------6-------|----7----------7------|------------------------|
D:--------------------------|----------------------|------------------------|
A:--------------------------|----------------------|------------------------|
E:--------------------------|----------------------|------------------------|
I can't tell you why______________ I_____ can't tell you why__
+ +. + . + + + +. + . + + +. + . +
e:----7----------7----------|----7-----6-----|---------------7-------|
B:----7----------7----------|----5-----5-----|----3----------7-------|
G:----7----------7----------|----6-----6-----|----4------------------|
D:--------------------------|----------------|----4------------------|
A:--------------------------|----------------|-----------------------|
E:--------------------------|----------------|-----------------------|
______ I can't tell you why_______
+. + + + + +. + . + + +. + + + +. + . +
e:--------------|----7----------7-------|----5---------|----2-----7---|
B:-5------------|----7----------7-------|----5---------|----3-----7---|
G:-6------------|----7----------7-------|----6---------|----4---------|
D:-7------------|----5----------5-------|----7---------|----5---------|
A:--------------|-----------------------|--------------|--------------|
E:--------------|-----------------------|--------------|--------------|
(-----repeat this for the end------)
+ +. + + + +. + . + + + . + +
e:----5--------|------10----14---|-12----12-------|
B:----5--------|.-----12----12---|-10----10------.|
G:----6--------|------11---------|-9-----9--------|
D:----7--------|.----------------|-11----11------.|
A:-------------|-----------------|----------------|
E:-------------|-----------------|----------------|
The ending solo is easy to figure out after you know the middle solo, so I
won't tab it out. The ending thing doesn't always repeat like that, but it
does for the most part, and you will get the idea. I hope this helps. If
anything is unclear, feel free to e-mail me. Rock on!