QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - YOU'RE SO VAGUE
A Rated R era B-side that needs to be played much more often live, to those who aren't
familiar with this tune (which would make me question why you're bothing to look at a tab
for a song you've never listened to, but whatever)
In C standard tuning (C-F-A#-D#-G-C).
INTRO
This is preferably done with a volume pedal. If you're lacking one, just strum each of
these notes twice. There's probably notes played on the G string, but I'm not entirely
sure. Play whatever sounds best to you.
e|--19---20---17---15---|
B|----------------------|
G|-(16)-(17)-(14)-(12)--|
D|----------------------|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|
There's another guitar doing this in time with the part above. Do it the same way as
above, with a volume pedal or hitting the notes twice if you're lacking one.
e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
D|--14---14---14---14---|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|
After that, slide up the low E string to about 12 or so and kick in to the main riff
VERSE 1
e|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|--9---11---12---15---16-----|
D|--9---11---12---15---16-----|
A|--7---9----10---13---14-----|
E|----0----0----0----0--------|
After you do that, do some kind of muted strumming thing with the occasional lick and
then get back into the main riff.
Here's a few examples of these sections throughout the song.
(0:15-0:17)
e|-----------------------|
B|-14h15p14-12-11-12-11\-|
G|-----------------------|
D|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|
E|-----------------------|
(0:24-0:26)
e|-----------------------|
B|-----------------------|
G|--9~~~-----------------|
D|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|
E|-----------------------|
(1:48-1:50)
e|----------------14b15--|
B|-14h15p14-12-11--------|
G|-----------------------|
D|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|
E|-----------------------|
Or hey, do yourself a favour and come up with your own thing.
CHORUS
Two parts to this.
Part 1: "Baby, you're so vague..."
e|-----14-------14-------14-------14-|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|-----11-------11-------11-------11-|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----|
Part 2: "...that you probably think this song ain't about you"
e|-14--10-10--11-|
B|---------------|
G|-11--7--7---8--|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|
INTERLUDE
Similar to the chorus, only this note is played twice in place of the 14/11, then a
lick. The 11s can be played with a volume pedal without sounding stupid, but I don't think
it's used in the studio recording.
e|-------------------10----------|
B|----------------12----12-------|
G|--11--11---9-12----------12-9--|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|
This is done a few more times, but the last lick is changed slightly to this
e|---------------------|
B|------12-11-------12-|
G|-9-12--------12-9----|
D|---------------------|
A|---------------------|
E|---------------------|
VERSE 2
Same as verse 1, but halfway through, the guitar starts going like this. (This is when
Josh starts singing "setting you up")
e|--12--14---15---18---19-----|
B|----------------------------|
G|--9---11---12---15---16-----|
D|----------------------------|
A|----------------------------|
E|----0----0----0----0--------|
SOLO
*very small part I cannot for the life of me figure
out because of Josh singing*
e|---------------------------------------------|
B|-14h15p14-11-12-11-12-11--11-12-11-----------|
G|--------------------------9------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------0------------------------|
B|-12-14-15-11-12p11---12---------------------|
G|------------------------12-9----------------|
D|-----------------------------9-7-5-7--------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
e|-15--------------------------------|
B|----15-11-------15-----------------|
G|----------12-12----15--------------|
D|----------------------14-14-14\----|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|
e|-------------------15----------------------|
B|----------------------15--15-15-15-12-11---|
G|-13h15-16-15-13-15-------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------16-16-----------------|
B|-14-15-14-14-12-11-12-------15--12-11-------|
G|--------------------------------------12----|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------|
B|---------------------|
G|-12-9h10-------------|
D|---------9-7-5-7-7\--|
A|---------------------|
E|---------------------|
If you need help on making up your own thing, use this as a basis or any Mexicola solo,
as the two songs are quite similar and will fit quite nicely. If you've listened to a
live version of this song, you'll find that they're almost the same.
OUTRO
Mister guitarist numero dos will play this over the end of Josh's solo.
e|-----14--15--18--19--|
B|---------------------|
G|-----11--12--15--16--|
D|---------------------|
A|---------------------|
E|-0-0-----------------|
That's all, folks. Careful now.
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
