Goin' Out West Chords
by Tom Waits
Goin' Out West by Tom Waits is a beginner-friendly guitar song played in the key of D. It uses the chords D. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
Verse/Intro Variation
e|------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------|
D|-5----------4-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------6------------------------|
C|--0-3-0-0-----3-0-3-0----3-0-3-0-0--0-3-0-0-3-0-|
then
E|------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------|
D|-5----------4-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------6--3---------------------|
C|--0-3-0-0-----3-0-3-0-------0-3-0---------------|
The timing of the "C" string notes is awkaward to tab out, but you'll get it by
listening, it's actually pretty easy.
The "Distorted" Riff comes up a few times, and varies off of these chords.
e|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|
D|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|
A|-1/3-3-3-3----1/3-3-3-3-----|
C|----------------------------|
The timing is sort of weird, and sometimes he throws in mutes/odd harmonics based around
those chords.
And occasionally, he does this this tiny riff back into the other riffs, it looks like
this. it's most profound at 1:07ish
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5----------|
D|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5----------|
A|-1/3-3-3-3----1/3-3-3-3----------|
C|------------------------h6h5h4h0-|
The chorus is similar to the distorted riff, but starts higher.
e|-----------------|
B|-----------------|
G|-8/10-10-10-10---|
D|-8/10-10-10-10---|
A|-6/8--8--8--8----|
C|-----------------| x 2
Then
e|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|
D|-3/5-5-5-5----3/5-5-5-5-----|
A|-1/3-3-3-3----1/3-3-3-3-----|
C|----------------------------|
Then back to
e|-----------------|
B|-----------------|
G|-8/10-10-10-10---|
D|-8/10-10-10-10---|
A|-6/8--8--8--8----|
C|-----------------|
And he goes up to a D, strums it a few times during the end of the chorus, and goes back
intro the verse.
e|-------------------|
B|-------------------|
G|-10/12-12-12-12-12-|
D|-10/12-12-12-12-12-|
A|-8-/10-10-10-10-10-|
C|-------------------|