I NEED A MAN TO LOVE - Big Brother and the Holding Company, 1967
Each staff represents four beats. There are two guitars in this song. I have tabbed all
Of lead including verses; rhythm guitar repeats a few riffs, which I tabbed as well.
There are many gaps left in lead guitar which you can fill with parts of the rhythmic
Riff if you are playing alone.
pb = Pre-bend; bend to the note and play it, then release to normal position. So pb7r5
means you bend the 5th fret to 7, then you hit the note, then release down to 5 as it is ringing.
db = Dive bomb; If you have a whammy bar, use it to quickly drop the pitch of the note
b = Tonal bend to note indicated eg. 8b10
r = Release bend to normal position
~ = Vibrato (let note ring for double/triple stops)
h = Hammer on
/ = slide up
\ = slide down
() = Ghost note (optional)
Rhythm guitar repeats this riff every four beats for verse, bridge and intro solo:
| e | |
| B | |
| G | 5 5 5 |
| D | 5 5h7 7~ 7 7 7 |
| A | 7 |
| E | 5 8 |
INTRO
0:06
| e | 5 5 5 5 5 |
| B | |
| G | 7b9~~ pb9r7 5~ 7b9~~ r7~ 7b9 7b9 7b9 5 7 7b 7~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
0:18
| e | |
| B | 5 8 10 13 15b17 15 13 15 13~ /13db 13~ 13 15b17~ |
| G | 5 7 14 14~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
0:22
| e | |
| B | pb17r15 13 |
| G | 14 12 12h14 14 12~ 12 14 14p12~db 7 5 7b9~ 5h7 5~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
VERSE
0:42
| e | 10b12~ 8~\ |
| B | (15b17 13 13) |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Whyyy...! I need a maa - an to lo - ove! yeah
CHORUS
e|----------------------------------------------------|
B|- -|
G|- No lead or rhythm guitar during -|
D|- chorus, only bass and drums -|
A|- -|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
I gotta find him, I gotta have him like the air I breathe
One lovin' man, to understand; it can't be do much to need
You know it, can't be now, can't be now, can't be now, can't be now
Can't be now, can't be this loneliness! Baby, surrounding me
VERSE (Lead in background)
1:15
| e | |
| B | |
| G | 7b9 b9 b9 b9r~ 5h7 5~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
No, no it just can't be, (No it just can't be!)
1:20
| e | 10b12 b12 b12 b12r 10p8 |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Got to be some kind of answer! (No it just can't be!)
1:25
| e | |
| B | 11b13~b13~r 11b13r~ |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Everywhere I look there's none around (No it just can't be!)
1:30
| e | 10b12 b12~ 10p8 10b12 pb12r10~ (10p8) |
| B | 10 |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Whoaaa! It can't be... (No it just can't be!) Whoa, whoa, yeah,
BRIDGE
1:39
| e | 5 |
| B | |
| G | 7b9~ pb9r7 5 7 5~ 7b9~ 5h7 5~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
VERSE (Lead in background)
1:49
... hold you...? Honey just close your eyes
1:54
| e | 10b12r~ 10 |
| B | 10b12r10~ 10db |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Whoaa...! won't you let me, hold you dear?
CHORUS
e|----------------------------------------------------|
B|- -|
G|- No lead or rhythm guitar during -|
D|- chorus, only bass and drums -|
A|- -|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
I wanna just put my arms around you, like the circles are goin' round the sun and,
Let me hold you, daddy, at least until the morning comes
Because it, can't be now, can't be now, can't be now, can't be now
Can't be now, can't be this loneliness! Baby, surrounding me
VERSE
2:28
| e | |
| B | |
| G | 7b9 b9 b9 b9r~ 5h7 5~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
No, no, no it just can't be... (No it just can't be!)
2:33
| e | 10b12~ 10b12~ 10p8 |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Oh, baby, baby, just can't be now, (No it just can't be!)
2:39
| e | 10b12~ 8h10 8~ |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Why didn't anyone ever tell me now? (No it just can't be!)
2:44
I wake up one mornin', I realize... (No it just can't be!)
2:49
Waaaah...! It can't be...! (No it just can't be!)
SOLO
For the solo, rhythm and lead do a sort of bluesy call-and-response. Rhythm repeats this
lick every four beats throughout:
| e | |
| B | 10 8 7 8 8~h10~ |
| G | (5) 9 9 9 9 9 9 9~ |
| D | (5 5h7) |
| A | (7) |
| E | (5) (8) |
And lead guitar responds with this:
2:57
| e | 12b13~~r~~~ 8 |
| B | 10 8 8 10 8 |
| G | 9 7 |
| D | 5 5h7~ |
| A | |
| E | |
3:03
| e | |
| B | |
| G | (Wait four beats) |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
3:08
| e | |
| B | 7/8 |
| G | 8/9 7 5 7 5 5 7 5~~~ |
| D | 7 7~~\ |
| A | |
| E | |
3:13
| e | |
| B | |
| G | (Wait four beats) |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
3:19
| e | |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | 5 7 5 7 5 7 5~~ 5h7~ |
| A | 7 |
| E | 0~~~~~ |
3:23
| e | |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | 3 5 3 |
| E | 00 333 0(h3) 5 5 3 5~ |
3:29
| e | |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | 7 |
| E | 3 55 3 5 3 55 3 5 5 5~ |
BRIDGE (Rhythm guitar back to first riff)
3:33
| e | 5 |
| B | |
| G | 7b9~~ pb9r7 5~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
VERSE (Lead in background)
3:43
... to love me, maybe you can help me please
3:49
| e | 10b12~~ 10p8 10b12~r10p8 7b8r\ |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Whyy - y! I need a maa - an to lo - ove!
CHORUS
e|----------------------------------------------------|
B|- -|
G|- No lead or rhythm guitar during -|
D|- chorus, only bass and drums -|
A|- -|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
But I believe that, someday and somehow, said it's bound to come along
Because when all my dreams and all my plans just cannot turn out wrong
You know it, can't be now, can't be now, can't be now, can't be now,
Can't be now, can't be just the loneliness! Baby, surrounding me
VERSE
4:23
| e | |
| B | |
| G | 7b9 b9 b9 b9r~ 5h7 5~ |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
No no, no it just can't be, (No it just can't be!)
4:28
| e | 10b12 b12 b12 b12r~ 10p8 |
| B | |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
Oh baby, baby just can't be, (No it just can't be!)
4:34
| e | |
| B | 10b12r~ 10b12 b12r~ 10~ |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
And who - o! could be foolin' me? (No it just can't be!)
4:38
| e | |
| B | 10b12r 10~ 8 10 8 10~ 8 10~ 8 |
| G | |
| D | |
| A | |
| E | |
I've got all this happiness... (No it just can't be!)
4:44
...come on, come on and help me now (No it just can't be!)
4:49
Please, can't you hear me pray?! (No it just can't be!) Why...