Performance notes by Lane:

This song is mainly an acoustic song with a little electric guitar accompaniment. The electric has a 
couple of lead fills, and for the reprise, there is no acoustic, for Scott plays bass on it.  Apart 
from this detail and a couple of electric riffs added for the reprise, these two songs are the same, 
musically.  On the intro, the acoustic doesn’t play the riff until the second time through.  When I’m 
accompanying someone, I just play the riff twice if there’s no piano.  Try and experiment yourself! 

Key of D/C 

Chords:

As some people have requested an easy strum method of transcription for this tune, I have come up with 
a way to oblige them. The whole song is mainly strumming anyway. The intro and outro riffs have no 
chords, but I will write in the appropriate backing chords if you’re not quite up to the finger picking
part yet.

  

            D          DMAJ7              D7          D7SUS4              C          Cm         Cm7          G7       G7(II)
                                                                                   
E         2            2                      2            3                      0            3            6            1            7
B         3            2                      1            1                      1            4            4            0            6
G         2            2                      2            2                      0            5            0            0            7
D         0            0                      0            0                      2            5            5            0            0
A         x            x                      x            x                      3            3            3            2            x
E         x            x                      x            x                      x            x            x            3            x
  

            A

  

E         0

B         2

G         2

D         2

A         0

E         x

  

NOTE:  The G7(II) Chord is played by the electric guitar rhythm track in the background.  
Try strumming it and you’ll see where and how it fits.

  

Intro/Outro Riff (Acoustic)

  

Chords In Parenthases are Implied: 

  

(D)----------------------------DMAJ7--------------D7-----------D7SUS4---------D------------

  

E-----0------7------0-----0-------0------7-----0-----0------0-----3------0---------3---2---0----
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------3-----------------3
G-7-----7-------7------7------6------6-----6-----6-------5-----5-----5----5--------2---2---2---2
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




(D)----------------------------DMAJ7--------------D7-----------D7SUS4---------Cm-------Cm7
  

E-----0------7------0-----0-------0------7-----0-----0------0-----3------0----0------------3-5-3-6
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4------------
G-7-----7-------7------7------6------6-----6-----6-------5-----5-----5----5--------5----5---------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  

Verse 1 (Continue Intro riff/chords) with new ending: 

                   You know, the sun is in your eyes

(D)----------------------------DMAJ7--------------D7-----------D7SUS4---------D------------  

E-----0------7------0-----0-------0------7-----0-----0------0-----3------0---------3---2---0----
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------3-----------------3
G-7-----7-------7------7------6------6-----6-----6-------5-----5-----5----5--------2---2---2---2
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  

                 And Hurricanes and rains                         And black and cloudy skies

(D)----------------------------DMAJ7--------------D7-----------D7SUS4---------D---------------

  

E-----0------7------0-----0-------0------7-----0-----0------0-----3------0----0-----2----------3--5
B--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3-----------
G-7-----7-------7------7------6------6-----6-----6-------5-----5-----5----5--------2------2---2--2
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Now, there are three electric fills underneath this next section: 

Pre Chorus 1:

Electric Rhythm Fill A: 

 

  G7(Acoutic)                                    C

  You’re running up and down that hill

E-----7--7--7--8--7--8SLIDE10SLIDE8SIDE0--------------
B-----6--6--6------------------------------------------------------
G-----7--7--7------------------------------------------------------
D-----0--0--0------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------

  

Electric Rhythm Fill B:

 

  C                                      Cm

  You turn it on and off at will

E-------------------------------10—8SLIDE0----------
B---------------------------8------------------------------
G-----------------------9----------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------
  

Electric Rhythm Fill C: 

    Cm                                    

There’s nothing here to thrill

E------------------------------------10—8SLIDE0----------
B--------------------------------8------------------------------
G----------------------------8----------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------0----------------------- 

     G

Or bring you down

  

Now repeat the above chords and electric rhythm fills with these new lyrics (I’ll write out 
just the chords this time for brevity’s sake) 

G7                                       C

And if you’ve got no other choice 

C                                             Cm

You know you can follow my voice

Through the dark turns and noise 

            G

Of this Wicked Little Town 

Now comes another verse.  The acoustic either plays the finger picked parts outlined above, 
or just plays the chords.  Again, for brevity’s sake, I’ll just write out the chords. 

  

D             DMAJ7       D7  D7SUS4  

Oh Lady, luck has led you here 

D                     DMAJ7

And they’re so twisted up 

D7                               D

They’ll twist you up, I fear 

Another Pre-Chorus- Just play the same music outlined above: 

G7                               C

The pious, hateful and devout 

C                                                           Cm

You’re turning tricks till you’re turned out 

Cm

The wind so cold it burns, 

            G

You’re burning out, and blowing round 

G7                                      C 

And if you’ve got no other choice 

C                                               Cm

You know you can follow my voice

Cm

Through the dark turns and noise 

            G

Of this Wicked Little Town

  

Interlude:

    A(acoustic)                              C

     Ahh ahh ahh ahh…..                 Ahh ahh ahh ahh      

  

E-------5SLIDE7--5---3----------7--5--7--3-----------------------3--5-----
B------------------------------5----------------------5SLIDE3--5-------------
G---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  

Then Back to the Intro Riff (outlined above) for one pass through on its own, then add the the following lyrics: 

  

D                     DMAJ7                D7

The fates are vicious, and they’re cruel  

D                     DMAJ7                   D7

You learn too late you’ve used two wishes 

           D

Like a fool 

Yet another Pre-Chorus: 

G7                                                  C

And then you’re someone you are not 

C                                          Cm

And Junction City ain’t the spot 

Cm

Remember Mrs. Lot 

        G

And when she turned around 

G7                                       C

And if you’ve got no other choice 

C                                             Cm

You know you can follow my voice 

Cm

Through the dark turns and noise 

            G

Of this Wicked Little Town 

The ending, on cue, is just C, then G, cued by conductor (or go by feel if you’re playing along with the record)


Wicked Little Town (Reprise) 

  

As previously stated, for this song, just pick up the electric and strum along with the song, using the G7(II) 
chord where applicable (no acoustic finger picking here!).  There are two differences in this version.  The 
first difference is the interlude chord progression, which is: A----C----Cm---G.  The only other difference 
is the new Electric Guitar Riff towards the end, and here it is (after this riff, guitars tacet-the other instruments finish):

  

E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------0--1--0------0------------------------------------------------------
A----3--3-----3--------------3-------3---1----0---------------0--2--0-----0----------
E-----------------------------------------------------3--3----3-----------3------3-------

  
E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------0--1--0------0---0HAMMER1---0-------
A----3--3-----3--------------3-----------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------