How Soon Is Now

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  • Hey, Jennifer, I've been playing this song for a good decade now, and I'll be
    damned if what I play matches Johnny Marr note for
    note. The chords, ostensibly, are F#, A, and B in the verse, and C#m, E, and
  • F# in the chorus (the "You shut your mouth" bit).
    Played straight, it sounds horrendously wrong. But with the right rhythm, you
    can approach Johnny-ness.
  •  
    I read in a "Guitar" magazine profile of Johnny five or six years ago that he
    actually played this song with his guitar tuned to an
  • open E (that is, strumming all the open strings would be an E chord; so the
    strings were tuned, from lowest to highest,
    E-B-E-G#-B-E). It's a tuning that Bo Diddley used in many of his songs, and
  • if you listen carefully, you'll notice the "Bo Diddley
    beat" lurking behind this mope-rock anthem (try playing the song to the
    rhythm of "Born to Hand Jive" from "Grease," and you'll get
  • the picture. Anyway, on to the song.
     
    chords (in standard tuning, BTW):
  • verse chorus
    F# A B D A C#m E
    E-2 - - - 5 4 0
  • B-2 2 4 7 5 5 0
    G-3 2 4 7 6 6 1
    D-4 2 4 7 7 6 2
  • A-4 0 2 5 7 4 2
    E-2 - - - 5 - 0
     
  • The opening "riff" is just the F# chord (2nd fret position) with loads of
    reverb, another way to get that "wavy" feeling from just
    playing the one chord is to position your hand to play the F# as I've shown
  • you above, except hammer on the first-finger barre on
    the 2nd fret to begin the riff (^ = downstroke. v = upstroke):
     
  • |F# ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ | do this twice; the second time the lead guitarist (on
    tour, Johnny) plays:
    E-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2 | (4/5\4) just before the rhythm guitarist (on tour,
  • Craig Gannon) plays the next chords
    B-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2 |
    G-3---3-3-3-3-3-4-3 |
  • D-4---4-4-4-4-2-2-2 |
    A-4---4-4-4-4-4-4-4 |
    E-0(h)2-2-2-2-2-2-2 |
  •  
    so the chord sequence for the intro and verse is:
    |F#|F#|F#|A/B/|
  •  
    How Soon Is Now ?
     
  • F#
    I am the son and the heir
    A B F#
  • Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
    I am the son and heir
    A B
  • Of nothing in particular
     
    D A
  • You shut your mouth, how can you say
    C#m E F#
    I go about things the wrong way ?
  • D A
    I am Human and I need to be loved
    C#m E |F#|F#|F#|A/B/|
  • Just like everybody else does
     
    F#
  • I am the son and the heir
    A B F#
    Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
  • I am the son and heir
    A B
    Oh, of nothing in particular
  •  
    D A
    You shut your mouth
  •  
    D A
    You shut your mouth, how can you say
  • C#m E F#
    I go about things the wrong way ?
    D A
  • I am Human and I need to be loved
    C#m E |F#|F#|F#|A/B/|
    Just like everybody else does
  •  
    D A
    There's a club if you'd like to go
  • C#m E F#
    You could meet somebody who really loves you
    D
  • So you go, and you stand on your own
    A
    And you leave on your own
  • C#m E
    And you go home, and you cry
    |F#|F#|F#|A/B/|
  • And you want to die
     
    D A
  • When you say it's gonna happen "now"
    C#m E F#
    Well, when exactly do you mean?
  • D A
    See I've already waited too long
    C#m E F#
  • And all my hope is gone
     
    D A
  • You shut your mouth, how can you say
    C#m E F#
    I go about things the wrong way ?
  • D A
    I am Human and I need to be loved
    C#m E |F#|F#|F#|A/B/|
  • Just like everybody else does
  • PLAY TOO ..
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How Soon Is Now
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