Other Voices

(words by Robert Smith, music by Laurence Tolhurst, Simon Gallup, and

Robert Smith)

After waiting such a long time for some one to transcribe this song, I just

decided to figure it out by myself. I tried doing that months ago and

failed. But this time around it was not as hard as I thought it was.

Basically (maybe skipping notes), but basically this is how I play it:

The strange intro is something like this:

E -------------0--0------------

B -0--0--7-----5--5--------0---

G -4--4--4-----------6-----4---

D -----------------------------

A -----------------------------

E -----------------------------

The bass riff starts out as:

Riff 1:

G ------||-----------------|---------------------||

D -4----||----------0------|---------------------||

A ----0-||-2--2-2-2--------|-------------------0-||

E ------||---------------0-|-2--2-2-2-3--2--0----||

The double lines means that you must repeat the riff ending and starting at

the double lines (you are not supposed to play those first two intro notes

again). This riff (within the double lines) is repeated seven times, then

you play:

G -----------------|---------------------|-----------------|

D ----------0------|-------------------0-|-2--2-2-2--------|

A -2--2-2-2--------|---------------------|---------------2-|

E ---------------0-|-2--2-2-2-3--2--0----|----------3------|

G ---------------------|-----------------|---------------------|

D -------------------0-|-2--2-2-2--------|---------------------|

A -4--4-4-4-5--4--2----|---------------2-|-4--4-4-4-5--4--2--0-|

E ---------------------|----------3------|---------------------|

You play Riff 1 again throughout the verse. Now, this is the part that may

not be accurate: the guitar tablature. I am sure I am pretty close, this is

how I play the guitar part during the verse:

E ----------------------|---------------------|

B ----------------------|-2--2-2-2/3--3--3--3-|

G -4--4-4-4/7--6-6--6-x-|-3--3-3-3/4--4--4--4-|

D -4--4-4-4/7--7-7--7-x-|-4--4-4-4/5--5--5--5-|

A ----------------------|---------------------|

E ----------------------|---------------------|

If you listen to how the guitar is played, you will get the idea. Now, this

song, believe it or not, has two choruses. The first chorus comes after the

first verse (obviously). The bass for it (and I am not perfect on this) is:

Chorus 1 Bass Riff:

G ||--------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------||

D ||--------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------||

A ||--------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------||

E ||-2----2--2--2-|-0--0---0--0-|-2--2-2-2-3------|-2--2-2-2-3------||

This is played four times. It is good to slip that A note for the last time

when going back into Riff 1 for the second verse. The guitar part for Riff 2

is:

Guitar Riff 1A:

E ||--------------|-------------|---------------------|-------------------||

B ||-2--2--2--2---|-0-0-0--0--0-|-7--7-7-7-8\7-7-7--7-|-7--7-7-7-8\7-7-7--||

G ||-3--3--3--3---|-0---0--0--0-|-6--6-6-6-7\6-6-6--6-|-6--6-6-6-7\6-6-6--||

D ||-4--4---------|-2------2----|---------------------|-------------------||

A ||--------------|-------------|---------------------|-------------------||

E ||--------------|-------------|---------------------|-------------------||

Guitar Riff 1B:

E --------------|-------------|----------------------|----------------------|

B -2--2--2--2---|-0---0--0--0-|-7--7-7-7-8/10-10--10-|-7--7-7-7-8/10-10--10-|

G -3--3--3--3---|-0---0--0--0-|-6--6-6-6-7/-9--9---9-|-6--6-6-6-7/-9--9---9-|

D -4--4-----4---|-2------2----|----------------------|----------------------|

A --------------|-------------|----------------------|----------------------|

E --------------|-------------|----------------------|----------------------|

You play Guitar Riff 1A three times, then you play Guitar Riff 2B once. You

can play around a bit, especially at the F# to Em part. The second chorus

goes something like this:

G ||--------------|-------------|-----------------|------------------------||

D ||--------------|-------------|-----------------|------------------------||

A ||-4----4--4--4-|-5--5---5--5-|-----------------|------------------------||

E ||--------------|-------------|-7--7-7-7-5------|-2--2-2-2-3-----0--2--5-||

You play this three times, and on the fourth time, you play only half of it.

Listen to the tape or CD and you will know what I mean. Anyway, the guitar

for that part is:

E ||-----------|------------|--------------------------|-------------------||

B ||-----------|------------|-12--12-12-12\10-10-10-10-|-7--7-7-7/10-10-10-||

G ||-6--6-6--6-|-7-7--7-7-7-|-11--11-11-11\-9--9--9--9-|-6--6-6-6/-9--9--9-||

D ||-6--6-6--6-|-7-7--7-7-7-|--------------------------|-------------------||

A ||-----------|------------|--------------------------|-------------------||

E ||-----------|------------|--------------------------|-------------------||

Like the bass, repeat this three times and then play half of it. The song

ends with Riff 1 repeating and there are inaudible sounds of the intro going.

I hope this has helped. It may not be perfect and maybe you can formulate

your own transcription of it or whatever. By the way, here are the lyrics:

whisper your name in an empty room

you brush past my skin

as soft as fur

taking hold

i taste your scent

distant noises

of other voices

pounding in my broken head

commit the sin

commit yourself

and all the other voices said

change your mind

you're always wrong

(always wrong)

come around at christmas

i really have to see you

smile at me slyly

another festive compromise

but i live with desertion

and eight million people

distant noises

other voices

pulsing in my swinging arms

caress the sound, so many dead

and all the other voices sing

change your mind

you're always wrong

(wrong...)