Starts out on a synth, but using two guitars: 

 

Guitar 1: 

 

Finger  

e  x 

B  x 

G 10 

D 10 

A   8  

E  x 

 

Pick quickly A-A-D-D-G-G-D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-D-D (all sixteenth notes) over and

over  

(Technically, this is until the end of the song, when the violin comes in.)



 

Guitar 2: 

 

Finger: 

e  13 

B 13 

G 10 

D  x 

A  x 

E  x 

 

Pick quickly G-G-B-B-e (The G and B strings are played as sixteenth, the e

is picked as an eighth) 

 

After 5 repetitions, the piano enters, after four piano and synth parts,

the drums and bass enter.  The piano and bass play a simple 

F-C-Bb progression 

 

For guitar in place of piano, it is played 

 

      F                                            C     Bb 

e    5                                             3      1 

B    6                                             5      3 

G    5                                             5      3 

D    x                                             x      x   

A    x                                             x      x 

E    x                                             x      x 

 

The first verse is played the same way: 

 

F               C     Bb 

Out here in the fields 

I fight for my meals  

I get my back into my living 

I don't need to fight  

To prove I'm right 

I don't need to be forgiven 

(yeah yeah yeah yeah ye-ah!) 

NOW Townshend throws in the power chords along the same rhythm (F-C-Bb) 

Play that pattern 5 times, then it softens for the bridge: 

Play C5 three times, then softly strum a first-position C chord 

(With the opening F5 synth pattern only:) 

Don't cry 

Don't raise your eyes 

It's only a teenage wasteland 

 

The chords ring in again, with bass and drums, the synth still rolling 

Sally take my hand 

We'll travel south cross land 

Put out the fire but don't look past my shoulder 

The exodus is here 

The happy won't come near 

Let's get together before we get much older 

 

A soft guitar solo, in the same key, but one I can't figure out yet. 

 

Hitting a few F5 chords, the drums and bass ring back in and the bar chords

return in the F-C-Bb pattern: 

Teenage wasteland! 

Teenage wasteland! 

Teenage wasteland, oh yeah! 

Teenage wasteland! 

They're all wasted! 

 

F-F-C-C-Bb-Bb-C-C 

 

Tab: 

F chord: 

e: -12-13-15--12-13-15-1213-15 

Repeat, over a C then Bb chord, then, over C 

e: -15-13-15-13-15-12--15-13-15-12-13-15-12-----15 

 

The violin comes in over the synth part, which fades out as the violin

plays until the end, when the synth returns for a crescendo up onto yet

again the F5 chord. 

 

A classic, a masterpiece--only Pete Townshend (although any group doing

this without Keith Moon on drums loses something!) 

 

Kevin Cherry