Chord/Tab song: Breaks My Back

Jerry Cantrell - 'Breaks My Back'
Eb tuning

A lighter song Jerry made that has some great arpeggios and lead riffs. Lead has
Jerry's tube distortion, Rhythm has chorus effect only, and third track is an
acoustic. During the Bridge and Ending, a second distorted guitar plays.

Please rate or comment.

Intro -

Lead C# B F# E

eb-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|
Bb--10----------10-|-10\8--8------8-|-8/12--12--12-12br13-|-12br13-10-10--8-10-|
Gb-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|
Db-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|
Ab-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|
Eb-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|

|
|Rhythm

eb-----------------|----------------|---------3-----3-3---|-----1------------1-|
Bb--7----7---7---7-|-7\5---5----5---|-3---------------3---|---1-------1------1-|
Gb-----7---9---7---|-----5----5---5-|-------4-----4-------|-2-------------2----|
Db-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|
Ab-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|
Eb-----------------|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|

Lead B

Eb---------------------|----------------------|
Bb--10br12-8-----------|----------------------|
Gb-----------9~~-------|----------------------|
Db---------------------|----------------------|
Ab---------------------|----------------------|
Eb---------------------|----------------------|

|
| Rhythm 6 beats (Acoustic Melody part)

eb-----------0---------|---------------------------|
Bb-----------1---------|---------------------------|
Gb-----------0---------|---------------------------|
Db-----------2---------|---------------------------|
Ab------3----3---------|-3-5-5b7---5-3---------3---|
Eb---------------------|---------------0-3~--0---0-|

Verse Riff 1 (half as fast as intro)

Lead

Eb-------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------|
Bb-------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------|
Gb-------------------------|------------------------4-|-5p4---5--7--5--5-4~|
Db-5/7---------------------|--------------------5-7---|-----5-5--7--5------|
Ab-------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------|
Eb-------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------|

|
| Acoustic

Eb-------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
Bb-------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
Gb-------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
Db-------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
Ab---------------------3---|-----3-5-/7-----------3---|-------3-3-----3------|
Eb-3-5-------3-5-----3---5-|-3-5--------3-5--5--3---5-|-3-5-------3-5---5-3-5|

|
| Rhythm

Eb--------0-----------0--3-|
Bb-----3-----3-----3-------| play 3x
Gb-0h2---------0h2---------|
Db-------------------------|
Ab-------------------------|
Eb-------------------------|

Verse Riff 1 Ending

Lead

|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
|-(4~)----------------------|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|

|
| Acoustic

|-------------------------------|
|-----5br6----------------------|
|----------7-/9-7-5---------5-7-|
|-------------------5---5-7-----|
|---------------------7---------|
|-3-5---------------------------|

|
| Rhythm

|--------0-------------0--3-----|
|-----3-----3-------3-----------|
|-0h2----------0h2--------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

Verse Riff 2 (play 2x, with 2 endings)

Lead

Eb--------13~------13p12---12-----|---12p10---10--------10----15---15-|
Bb-----/10-------10------10-------|-10------10--------10---/15---15---|
Gb--------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Db--------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Ab--------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Eb--------------------------------|-----------------------------------|

|
| Acoustic

Eb--------------------------------|------------------------------------|
Bb--------6--6------6p5---5---5---|-5----------------------------------|
Gb-7br8-7---------7-----7---------|---7p5-7---7----------5-4----4-5----|
Db--------------------------------|------------------------------------|
Ab--------------------------------|------------------------------------|
Eb--------------------------------|------------------------------------|

|
| Rhythm

Eb------10---10--------9-----9----|-------5-------5---------7-----7----|
Bb----10---10--10----10---10--10\-|-----3-------3---------8-----8---8--|
Gb--------------------------------|-----------5------------------------|
Db--------------------------------|------------------------------------|
Ab--------------------------------|------------------------------------|
Eb--------------------------------|------------------------------------|

1 "Through windows by my bed, miles away I"
2 "No coldness in my eye, cut the skin and"


Verse Riff 2 Continued: Ending 1 Ending 2 (add 1 bar)

3 beats 4 beats again

Eb-15\13----13-----------|--------------------| |------------------|----|
Bb-----------------------|--------------------| |------------------|----|
Gb-------14___-----------|-12b14_________r12--| |--------9br10-7---|----|
Db-----------------------|--------------------| |---------------10-|-9~-|
Ab-----------------------|--------------------| |------------------|----|
Eb-----------------------|--------------------| |------------------|----|

|
| Acoustic (varies on 2nd time)

Eb-----------------------|-------------------3-----| |----0-------------|
Bb------6----------------|-------------------0-----| |----0-------------|
Gb----5------------------|-------------------0-----| |----0-------------|
Db-----------------------|-------------------0-----| |----2-------------|
Ab-----------------------|-----5-7h8p7-------2-----| |----2-------------|
Eb-----------------------|-5-----------------3-----| |-0--0-------------|

|
| Rhythm

Eb------8------------5---|-------------------3-----| |----0-------------|
Bb---10----------------5-|-------------------0-----| |----0-------------|
Gb---------------4/5-----|-------------------0-5-7-| |----0-------------|
Db-----------------------|-------------------0-----| |----2-------------|
Ab-----------------------|-------------------x-----| |----2-------------|
Eb-----------------------|-5-5--------5------3-----| |-0--0-------------|

1."rest my weary head next to you"
2."take my sorry hide cover you make love with you"



(1:11) Chorus - Play Verse Riff 1 Again

Lyrics:

"It bleeds upon my back
Strapped with silver tacks
Wish I'd loved you more
And never shut that door"

Change in Lead Part (1:20, During 3rd line of these lyrics)

|----------------------|
|----------------------|
|---4-5---5-7-4~~------|
|-7-----5--------------|
|----------------------|
|----------------------|

Play Verse Riff 2 Again, with Acoustic Change

Lyrics:
"The waves that run the shore
Wash away the stones of pain we bore"

Acoustic (1:41)

|------------------------------------|--------10-10--12-12b-|
|------------------------------------|----------------------|
|------------------------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------5-/7-----------|----------------------|
|---------- 7-7h8p7-8-------8\7--8\7-|-7\5------------------|
|------------------------------------|----------------------|

"I tortured you" "I tried to drown my

|-------------------------|------10--------------|
|-------------------------|-13b15--13b15-10------| <- This bar
|-------------------------|----------------------| is 3 beats
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|

"hate Underneath an ocean I still wait"

|---------------------|--------------------------------|
|---------------------|-10-10~-------------------------|
|-12b14r12-10-9-------|----------9-9b10-9---9-9-9~-----|
|---------------------|--------------------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------------------|

"Remembering you, always true"



Play Chorus Again - Same Lyrics


Lead Electric Part (2:15, Added to 3rd line in Chorus)

|---------------13---/15----------|
|----13pbr12---------------13~----|
|-14---------14-------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|

"Wish I'd loved you more and never shut that door"



(2:24) Bridge

Rhythm Gtr: bars 1-2

Eb--------------------------|-------------------------|
Bb--------------------------|-------------------------|
Gb----13-14--15---13-14--15-|---13-14--15---13-14--15-|
Db--------------------------|-------------------------|
Ab--------------------------|-------------------------|
Eb--------------------------|-------------------------|

Rhythm bars 3-4

|----15-----------15--------|----15-----------15--------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|----13h14--15----13h14--15-|----13h14--15----13h14--15-|
|-12------------------------|-12------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|

Acoustic/ Clean Guitar

|-----------------------|
|-12-12--15~-12-12--15~-|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|

|
| Rhythm Guitar (Distorted for bars 5-6)

|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|-9---------9---------|-7---------------------------------------------|
|-9---------9---------|-7--hold-for 8 beats---------------------------|
|-7---------7---------|-5---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------|

|
| Lead (Solo Lick)

|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-12~-------12--------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-14b16~----14b16~----|-16pbr14--12-14-15-14h15p14--14----------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------------15--15-14-12-14-15-14tr15-|
|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|

Lead (Rhythm holds C#5 chord from above)

|-------------------------------------------------13------|
|---------------------------------------------------13-15~|
|-----------------------------------12/15-12-14~~---------|
|---------------------------------12----------------------|
|---------------10h12--------10h12------------------------|
|-10~~--10h12h13-----10h12h13-----------------------------|

(2:54) Bridge Ending - Rhythm Guitar
[C#] [B] [F#] [E]

|--------------------------|----------------------------------|
|-----7-7---7------5-5---5-|---12----------10------------10---|
|---7-----7----5-------5---|-------------------------10----10-|
|--------------------------|-12-----9-9--9---10---10-10----10-|
|--------------------------|------10---10-------12-----12-----|
|--------------------------|----------------------------------|

"Oh, restitution day, all I have I give away to"


Rhythm

|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-10-10-------------|
|-10-10-------------|
|-8--8--------------|

|
| Lead

|-22--20--20h22~~~~--|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|

"Be with you"

Bridge ends with Acoustic melody lick part from the beginning



Play Verse Riff 1 and 2 again as he sings:

"If it breaks my back... breaks my back"



(3:26) Play Verse Riff 2 Again, Same Lyrics


Play Chorus Again

(4:10) Lead Adds to Chorus:

|-------------------------|----------------------|-----|
|-------------------------|----------------------|-----|
|-------------------------|-----5-------5-4~-----|-7---|
|----------------------5--|---5---5~--5----------|-7---|
|-----7----------5--7-----|-7--------------------|-5---|
|-5-8--8~-----8-----------|----------------------|-----|

(4:19) Play Bridge Again (note that bar 5 from before is repeated 1x)

Lead Solo Lick (slightly different than previous Break)

|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|-16pbr14--12-14-15-14h15p14--14----------------------------|
|---------------------------15--15-14-12-14-15tr14----------|
|-------------------------------------------------15-14-12--|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------15-12h14-14---14b17~~~~~--|
|--------------10h12/14--------------------------|
|---------10h12----------------------------------|
|-10h12h13---------------------------------------|

Play Bridge Ending, but Acoustic Part is played by the Distorted Electric

Lead Plays (Second Guitar plays this an octave lower)

|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|-5-7-7b9---7-5---------------|
|-----------------5~-----5----|
|---------------7------7---7--|
|-----------------------------|

Song Ending:

Rhythm - hold out chord for 8 beats each time, repeat til fade

|-------------|--------------|
|-------------|--------------|
|-------------|--------------|
|-5/7---------|-(7)----------|
|-5/7---------|-(7)----------|
|-3/5---------|-(5)----------|

Lead (5:22)

|-20b22~~~~r20---17-20-17-20pb22-b22-------------|---------|
|--------------------------------------17-20~~~--|-20b22~--|
|------------------------------------------------|---------|
|------------------------------------------------|---------|
|------------------------------------------------|---------|
|------------------------------------------------|---------|

(5:39)

|-----------------------------------------------|--------|
|-----------------------------------------------|--------|
|-------------5-7b9-7---5p4~--------------------|--------|
|---5---7-5-7-----------------5-----------------|-5/7----|
|-7-----------------------------7~--------------|-5/7----|
|-----------------------------------8-7~--3-0---|-3/5----|

(5:57)

|--------------------------------|----------------|
|-------8~---8-------8--8--------|----------------|
|-7b9--b9~--b9-----7b9-b9r___--5-|----------------|
|--------------------------------|-5h7~~~---------|
|--------------------------------|----------------|
|--------------------------------|----------------|

(6:18)

|-----------------------------------|----------------|-------------------|
|-----------------------------------|----------------|-------------------|
|------------------7~--0------------|-7b9~~~~~~~~----|-7b9--7-0-7-5~~~---|
|-------------9-10-------10-9~~-----|----------------|-------------------|
|-7~~~------7------------------10-7-|----------------|-------------------|
|-----------------------------------|----------------|-------------------|

Fade Continues


Key

b bend
r release bend
pbr pre-bend and release
~ vibrato
/ slide up
\ slide down
p pull off
h hammer on
tr trill (hammer on, pull off a few times quick)