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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
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!
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!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.
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