DESERTED CITIES OF THE HEART (Bassline)
As recorded by Cream
(From the 1968 Album WHEELS OF FIRE)
Words and Music by Jack Bruce & Pete Brown
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Jack Bruce - Bass'
[1st & 2nd Verses]
Q=125
4/4 3/4
Gtr I
W Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E
G|----------||-----------------|----------------|-------------|
D|----------||o----------------|------3---3---3-|------3---3--|
A|----------||o-5----5---5-5-5-|-5--------------|-5-----------|
E|----------||-----------------|----------------|-------------|
4/4 3/4
Q E E +E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E
G|------------------|----------------|----------------|-------------|
D|------------------|----------3---3-|----------3---3-|------3---3--|
A|-5----5-(5)---3-4-|-5----5---------|-5----5---------|-5-----------|
E|------------5-----|----------------|----------------|-------------|
4/4
Q E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E +E Q E E E E E E E E E E Q E
G|------------------|-----------------|------------------|---0-1-2-3------|
D|------------------|-5---------5-4-3-|-(3)----------3-2-|-1--------------|
A|-5----5-(5)---3-5-|---2-3-4-5-------|-----0--1-2-3-----|-----------6--5-|
E|------------5-----|-----------------|------------------|----------------|
1.
+E E E E +E E E E E Q E +E Q E E Q E +E Q E E E E E E E E E
G|---------------------|---9-------------|---8-------------|------------------|
D|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-(5)---3-5-(5)---5-6-|-7----7-(7)-7--7-|-6----6-(6)-6--6-|-5---------3-4-5--|
E|-----5---------5-----|-----------------|-----------------|---2-3-4-5--------|
2.
+E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
G|--------------------||-----------------|-------------------||
D|-------------------o||-----------------|-------------------||
A|-(5)---------3-4-5-o||-5---------3-4-5-|-(5)---------3-4-5-||
E|-----2-3-4-5--------||---2-3-4-5-------|-----2-3-4-5-------||
[Interlude]
Segno $
12/8
Q. Q. Q. Q. Q. Q. Q. Q.
G|---------------------|---------------------|
D|-3----3----5----5----|---------------------|
A|---------------------|-6----6----6----6----|
E|---------------------|---------------------|
Q. Q. Q. Q. Q. Q. Q. Q.
G|---------------------|----------------------|
D|-3----3----5----5----|----------------------|
A|---------------------|-6----6----6----6-----|
E|---------------------|----------------------|
[3rd & 4th Verses]
4/4
Q Q E E E E Q E. S E E E E Q E. S E E E E Q Q E E E E
G|---------------|-----------------||-----------------|---------------|
D|-------------3-|-----------------||-----------3-3-3-|---------3---3-|
A|-5--5----3-5---|-5--5------3-5-3-||-5--5--5-5-------|-5--5--5-------|
E|-------5-------|-------3-5-------||-----------------|---------------|
3/4 4/4
Q E E E E E Q E +E E +S S E Q E. S E E E E
G|------------|---7--7-(7)-7-(7)-----|-----------------|
D|------3---3-|----------------------|-----------------|
A|-5----------|-5------------------5-|-5--5------3-5-3-|
E|------------|------------------5---|-------3-5-------|
3/4 4/4
E Q E E S S E E E E E E E E Q E. S E E E S S
G|------------------|-------------|--------------------|
D|---3--3-----------|-3---3---3-3-|---------------3-4--|
A|-5------5-----3-5-|-------------|-5--5------3-5------|
E|----------5-5-----|-------------|-------3-5----------|
E E E E E Q S S E E E E E E E E Q. E +E Q E Q. E +E E E E
G|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-5---------5--5---|-3-------3-----3-|------8-(8)-8----|------7-(7)-7-----|
A|---2-3-4-5------5-|-----3-5---5-3---|-6-------------6-|-5------------5-6-|
E|------------------|---5-------------|-----------------|------------------|
Q E E +E E E S S E Q E +E E E S S
G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|
A|-7--7-7-(7)-7-7-7-5-|-6-6--6-(6)-6-6-6-4-|
E|--------------------|--------------------|
To Coda
E Q E +E E E E +E Q E +E E E E
G|---7--7-(7)-------|-----7--7-(7)---7----|
D|------------------|---------------------|
A|-5------------3-4-|-(4)----------5---5--|
E|------------5-----|---------------------|
E Q E +E E E S S E Q E +E E E S S
G|---9--9-(9)---9-----|---8--8-(8)---8-----|
D|--------------------|--------------------|
A|-7----------7---7-5-|-6----------6-------|
E|--------------------|----------------8-5-|
E Q E +E E E E +E Q E +E E E E
G|------------------|-----7--7-(7)--------||
D|---7--7-(7)-------|---------------------||
A|-5------------3-5-|-(5)------------3-5--||
E|------------5-----|--------------5------||
[Guitar Solo]
E Q E +E E E E E E E E E Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|---7--7-(7)---7---|---7-5-7--------|---7-5-7-5-------|------------------|
D|------------------|----------------|-----------7-5-3-|-------3----------|
A|-5----------5---5-|-5-------5-5--5-|-5---------------|-5-3-5---5-3-3-5--|
E|------------------|----------------|-----------------|------------------|
E Q E +E E E E E Q E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E
G|---7--7-(7)---7---|---7--7-(7)---7---|---7-5-7-5-------|--------------------|
D|------------------|------------------|-----------7-5-3-|--------------------|
A|-5----------5---5-|-5----------5---5-|-5---------------|-5---3-5-(5)---3-4--|
E|------------------|------------------|-----------------|---5---------5------|
E Q E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E Q E E E +S S E +E E E E E E Q
G|---7--7-(7)---7---|---7-5-7-5---5-7-|---7--7---7-(7)---7-|-(7)--------------|
D|------------------|-----------7-----|--------------------|---------------3--|
A|-5----------5---5-|-5---------------|-5------5-------5---|-----5-3---3-5----|
E|------------------|-----------------|--------------------|---------5--------|
E Q E +E E E E E Q E +E E E E
G|---7--7-(7)---7---|---7--7-(7)---7---|
D|------------------|------------------|
A|-5----------5---5-|-5----------5---5-|
E|------------------|------------------|
E E E E E +E Q E. S E E E +E E E
G|--------------------|-----------------------|
D|---------5b6-(5)-3--|----------5b6-(5)-3----|
A|-5---3-5------------|-5----3-5-----------5--|
E|---5----------------|----5------------------|
E E E E +S S E E E E E E E +S S E E E
G|---7-5-7-(7)-5-------|---7-5-7-(7)-5-------|
D|---------------7-5---|---------------7-5---|
A|-5-----------------8-|-5-----------------8-|
E|---------------------|---------------------|
E E E E +S S E E E E E E E +E E E E
G|---7-5-7-(7)-5-------|-------------------|
D|---------------7-5---|-------3-(3)-------|
A|-5-----------------8-|-5-3-5-------5-3-5-|
E|---------------------|-------------------|
E E E E +S S E E E E E E E S S E E E
G|---7-5-7-(7)-5-------|-------------------|
D|---------------7-5---|-------3-----------|
A|-5-----------------8-|-5-3-5---5-3---3-5-|
E|---------------------|-------------5-----|
Dal Segno al Coda
+E E E E +E E E E +E E E E E E E E
G|---------------------|--------------------||
D|---------------------|---------3---3---3--||
A|-(5)---3-5-(5)---3-5-|-(5)---3------------||
E|-----5---------5-----|-----5--------------||
[Outro]
Coda &
E Q E +E E E S S E Q E +E E E S S E Q E +E E E E
G|---9--9-(9)---9-----|---8--8-(8)---8-----|---7--7-(7)-------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|
A|-7----------7---7-5-|-6----------6---6---|-5------------3-5-|
E|--------------------|------------------5-|------------5-----|
+E Q E +E E E E E Q E +E Q S S E Q E +E E E. S
G|-----7--7-(7)-------|---9--9-(9)-9------|---8--8-(8)-8-8----|
D|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|-(5)------------3-5-|-7-------------7-5-|-6-----------------|
E|--------------5-----|-------------------|-----------------8-|
W +W E E Q H
G|----------|------------|-7-----------*|
D|----------|------------|-------------*|
A|-5--------|-(5)--------|-------------*|
E|----------|------------|-------------*|
[Lyrics]
Upon this street where time has died.
The golden treat you never tried.
In times of old, in days gone by.
If I could catch your dancing eye.
It was on the way,
On the road to dreams, yeah.
Now my heart's drowned in no love streams, yeah.
The street is cold, its trees are gone.
The story's told the dark has won.
Once we set sail to catch a star.
We had to fail, it was too far.
It was on the way,
On the road to dreams, yeah.
Now my heart's drowned in no love streams, yeah.
I felt the wind shout like a drum.
You said, "My friend, love's end has come."
It couldn't last, had to stop.
You drained it all to the last drop.
It was on the way,
On the road to dreams, yeah.
Now my heart's drowned in no love streams, yeah.
Now my heart's drowned in no love streams, yeah.
On this dark street the sun is black.
The winter life is coming back.
On this dark street it's cold inside.
There's no retreat from time that's died.
It was on the way,
On the road to dreams.
Now my heart's drowned in no love streams, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Now my heart's drowned in no love streams, yeah.
Now my heart's drowned in no love.
************************************
Duration Legend
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; a - acciaccatura;
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted;
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration).
| (n) - note tied to previous
| b - bend
************************************
Bass Tabs | |
Title | Deserted Cities Of The Heart |
Artist | Cream |
Tablature Type | ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID | Ho-teZSjgZY |
Interactive Bass Tab Guide
Interactive bass tabs provide a better experience than ASCII tabs. With playback, loop, print features and a responsive display that follows the screen of your device.
Use these buttons to control the digital tab player.
Symbol | Function |
| Move cursor to the first bar |
| Play interactive tabs |
| Pause playback |
| Loop |
| Print the tab |
| Zoom |
Page | Switch between page and horizontal view mode |
How to Read Bass Tab: A Beginner's Guide
1. Understanding the Basics
a. Strings:
Bass tab consists of horizontal lines representing the strings of the bass guitar. The lowest-pitched string (usually the E string) is at the bottom, and the highest-pitched string (usually the G string) is at the top.
b. Numbers:
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to play on a specific string. For example, if you see "3" on the E string, it means you should press down the third fret on the lowest string.
2. Reading Bass Tab Example
In this tab:
- Play the note on the 1st fret of the E string.
- Play the open E string.
- Play the 3rd fret on the A string.
- Play the 1st fret on the A string.
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|---------3-------|
E|---1-1---1---3---|
3. Playing Techniques
a. Hammer-ons and Pull-offs:
Hammer-ons are represented by an "h" (e.g., 5h7 means play the 5th fret and hammer onto the 7th fret). Pull-offs are represented by a "p" (e.g., 7p5 means play the 7th fret and pull off to the 5th fret).
b. Slides:
Slides are often indicated by an "/" or "\\" between two numbers (e.g., 5/7 means slide from the 5th fret to the 7th fret).