Guitar lesson for

Lola

by The Kinks • Lesson #165

Video lesson

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Editor’s notes

Lola, by The Kinks, is one of the many fantastic covers that lawyer-turned-guitarist Mike Masse covers on his excellent YouTube channel. After hearing his version so many times, I decided to work out what he is playing in the intro to the song. Here is the video of Mike’s version.

While this riff I came up with isn’t 100% what he plays, it’s still a super fun sequence to have fun with. So, I wanted to share! I hope you dig it.

Mike Masse’s cover version

Lyrics w/ chords

INTRO
    | C . . . | C . D . | E . . . | E . . . |

VERSE
    E
    I met her in a club down in old Soho
              A                      D
    Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like
         E               A
    Coca-cola... C-O-L-A cola

        E
    She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
      A                       D
    I asked her name and in a dark-brown voice she said
    E               A       D               C        C  D  E
    Lola... L-O-L-A Lola....... la-la-la-la Lola

    (short break, stay on the E chord)

    Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy
    But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
    Oh my Lola... lo-lo-lo-lo Lola

    Well, I'm not dumb but I can't understand
    Why she walked like a woman but talked like a man
    Oh, my Lola... la-la-la-la Lola... la-la-la-la Lola

    (short break, stay on the E chord)

CHORUS
                B
        Well, we drank champagne and danced all night
        F#
        Under electric candlelight
            A
        She picked me up and sat me on her knee
            Am
        And said, "Little boy, won't you come home with me"

    Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy
    But when I looked in her eyes well I almost fell
    For my Lola... La-la-la-la Lola... la-la-la-la Lola

    Lola... la-la-la-la Lola... la-la-la-la Lola

    (short break, stay on the E chord)

BRIDGE
              A      C#m  B
            I pushed her away
              A      C#m    B
            I walked to the door
              A    C#m    B
            I fell to the floor
                  E    G#m   C#m
            I got down on my knees
                  B
            Well, I looked at her and she at me

    That's the way that I want it to stay
    And I'll always want it to be that way
    For my Lola... La-la-la-la Lola

    Girls will be boys and boys will be girls
    It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world
    Except for Lola... La-la-la-la Lola

        Well, I'd left home just a week before
        And I'd never ever kissed a woman before
        But Lola smiled and took me by the hand
        And said, "Little boy, I'm gonna make you a man"

    Well, I'm not the world's most masculine man
    But I know what I am and I’m glad I'm a man
    And so is Lola... La-la-la-la Lola... la-la-la-la Lola

    Lola... la-la-la-la Lola... la-la-la-la Lola
                                        (repeat & jam)

Chords needed

Here’s how to play the guitar chords used in this song. The chorus and bridge get a bit tricker with barre chords, but you can get away with simple open chords for the intro and verse sections.

e-|---0----0----2----0----0-----0----------2-----4-----4----
B-|---0----1----3----2----3-----1-----4----2-----5-----4----
G-|---1----0----2----2----2-----2-----4----3-----6-----4----
D-|---2----2----0----2----2-----2-----4----4-----6-----6----
A-|---2----3---------0----0-----0-----2----4-----4-----6----
E-|---0-------------------------------2----------------4----
      E    C    D    A  Asus4   Am    B    F#   C#m   G#m

Extended instrumental intro riff

While this riff I came up with isn’t 100% what he plays, it’s still a super fun sequence to have fun with. So, I wanted to share!

Part 1 of 6:

E ––0––––0––––0–0–0–0–––––2–2–2–––0–––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––––––––
B ––1––––1––––1–1–1–1–––––3–3–3–––0–––––0–––––0–––––0––––––––0–––0––
G ––0––––0––––0–0–0–0–––––2–2–2–––1–––––––1–––––1–––––1––––––––1––––
D ––2––––2––––2–2–2–2–––––0–0–0–––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––3––––3––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––3––––3––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    C                     D       E

Part 2 of 6:

   "Met her in a club...         drink...      taste just like..."

E –/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––0–0––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –/5––5–5–5–––0–0–––0–0––0––––––/5–––5–5–5––––7–7–7–7–––––5––5–––––
G –/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––1–1––1––––––/6–––6–6–6––––7–7–7–7–––––7––7–––––
D –––––––––––––––––––2–2––2––––––/7–––7–7–7––––7–7–7–7–––––7––7–––––
A –––––––––––––––––––2–2––2––––––/7–––7–7–7––––0–0–0–0–––––0––0–––––
E –––––––––––––––––––0–0––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    E                             A            D           Dsus2  

Part 3 of 6:

   "Cola...      C - O - L - A    cola..."

E ––0–––0–0–0–––/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––0–––0–0–0––––0–0–0–––––0––0––0––––
B ––0–––0–0–0–––/5––5–5–5–––0–0–––2–––2–2–2––––2–2–2–––––3––3––2––––
G ––1–––1–1–1–––/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––2–––2–2–2––––2–2–2–––––2––2––2––––
D ––2–––2–2–2–––––––––––––––––––––2–––2–2–2––––2–2–2–––––2––2––2––––
A ––2–––2–2–2–––––––––––––––––––––0–––0–0–0––––0–0–0–––––0––0––0––––
E ––0–––0–0–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    E                             A                     Asus4  A

Part 4 of 6:

   "She walked up to me...       I asked...    deep brown voice..."

E –/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––0–0––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –/5––5–5–5–––0–0–––0–0––0––––––/5–––5–5–5––––7–7–7–7–––––5––5–––––
G –/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––1–1––1––––––/6–––6–6–6––––7–7–7–7–––––7––7–––––
D –––––––––––––––––––2–2––2––––––/7–––7–7–7––––7–7–7–7–––––7––7–––––
A –––––––––––––––––––2–2––2––––––/7–––7–7–7––––0–0–0–0–––––0––0–––––
E –––––––––––––––––––0–0––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    E                             A            D           Dsus2  

Part 5 of 6

   "Lola...      L - O - L - A    Lola...      La-la-la, la..."

E ––0–––––––––––/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––0–––0–0–0––––2–2–2–2––––0––0––
B ––0–––––––––––/5––5–5–5–––0–0–––2–––2–2–2––––3–3–3–3––––3––3––
G ––1–––––––––––/4––4–4–4–––2–2–––2–––2–2–2––––2–2–2–2––––2––2––
D ––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2–––2–2–2––––0–0–0–0––––0––0––
A ––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––––––––––––––––
E ––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    E                             A            D          Dsus2

Part 6 of 6:

  "Lola..."

E ––0––––0––––0–0–0–0–––––2–2–2–––0–––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––––––––
B ––1––––1––––1–1–1–1–––––3–3–3–––0–––––0–––––0–––––0––––––––0–––0––
G ––0––––0––––0–0–0–0–––––2–2–2–––1–––––––1–––––1–––––1––––––––1––––
D ––2––––2––––2–2–2–2–––––0–0–0–––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––3––––3––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––3––––3––––3–3–3–3–––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    C                     D       E

Good luck!

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