Led Zeppelin - That's The Way

I like to use open tunings on my acoustic guitar. This Led Zeppelin song was one of the first ones I learned in an alternative tuning. It uses an open G tuning and is really easy to learn. I have included the Led Zeppelin Tab for That’s the Way below.


Led Zeppelin – That’s the way




Transcribed by Steve Schablitsky





Key: ^ = downstroke
v = upstroke



Open G tuning | D |
| B |
| G |
| D |
| G |
| D |


* (If you want you can play the fifth string also)


Riff 1

^ v ^ v ^ ^ v ^ v ^ ^ v ^ v ^ ^ v ^ ^ v ^ v
|--0-0-0-0--2--4---4---4--4----4-4-4-4--2--0---0---2-2-2-0--|
|--0-0-0-0--1--3---3---0--0----3-3-3-3--1--0---0---1-1-1-0--|
|--0-0-0-0--0--0-------0-------0-0-0-0--0--0-------0-0-0-0--|
|--0-0-0-0--2--4-------0-------4-4-4-4--2--0-------2-2-2-0--|
|--*-------------------0----0--------------0-----0----------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|

Riff 2

^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ v
|--3--3-----3-----3--3--3--3--3-----3----3--3--3--|
|--3--3-----3-----3--3--3--3--3-----3----3--3--3--|
|--3--------3-----3--3--3--3--------3----3--3--3--|
|--3-----3--3--3--3--3--3--3-----3--3--3-3--3--3--|
|--*-----0-----0-----------------0-----0----------|
|-------------------------------------------------|

Riff 3A Riff 3B

^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
|--4--4-----4-----4--4--4--| |--4--4-----4--4--0--2--4--|
|--3--3-----3-----3--3--3--| |--3--3-----3--3--3--3--3--|
|--2--------2-----2--2--2--| |--2--------2--2--2--2--2--|
|--0-----0--0--0--0--0--0--| |--0-----0--0--0--0--0--0--|
|--0-----0--0--0--0--0--0--| |--0-----0--0--0-----------|
|--------------------------| |--------------------------|

Riff 4

^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ v
|--3--3--3--3-----3-----3-----3--3--0--0--0--0-----0-----0-----0--0--|
|--1--1--1--1-----1-----1-----1--1--1--1--1--1-----1-----1-----1--1--|
|--2--2--2--2--2--2-----2-----2--2--0--0--0--0--0--0-----0-----0--0--|
|--3--3--3--3--3--3-----3-----3--3--2--2--2--2--2--2-----2-----2--2--|
|--0--0--0--0--0--0-----0-----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-----0-----0--0--|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|

Riff 5

^ ^ v ^ ^ v ^ ^ v ^ ^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ v ^ v
|--0--0--0----0--0--0----0--0--0----0--0--0----4--4-----4--4---4--4--4--|
|--0--0--0----1--1--1----3--3--3----5--5--5----3--3-----3--3---3--3--3--|
|--0--0--0----0--0--0----0--0--0----0--0--0----2--2-----2--2---2--2--2--|
|--0--0--0----2--2--2----4--4--4----5--5--5----0--0--0--0--0---0--0--0--|
|--0----------0----------0----------0--0--0----0-----0--0--0------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ v ^ v
|--2--4--5--4--0---0--0--0--2--4--5--4--0---0--0--0--2--4--5--4--0---0--0--0-|
|--1--3--3--3--3---3--3--3--1--3--3--3--3---3--3--3--1--3--3--3--3---3--3--3-|
|--0--0--0--0--0---0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0---0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0---0--0--0-|
|--2--4--4--4--4---4--4--4--2--4--4--4--4---4--4--4--2--4--4--4--4---4--4--4-|
|--*-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

^ v ^ ^ ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ v
|--4--4-----4---4---4-4-4--4--4-----4-----4---4--4--|
|--3--3-----3---3---3-3-3--3--3-----3-----3---3--3--|
|--2-----2--2---2---2-2-2--2-----2--2--2--2---2--2--|
|--0-----0--0---0---0-0-0--0-----0--0--0--0---0--0--|
|--0-----0--0---0----------0-----0--0--0--0---------|
|---------------------------------------------------|



Intro: Riff 1 2x


Riff 1
I don't know how I'm going to tell you
Riff 1
I can't play with you no more
Riff 1
I don't know how I'm going to do what mama told me
Riff 1
My friend the boy next door

Riff 1 3x

Riff 1
I can't believe what people saying
Riff 1
You only let your hair down
Riff 1
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long
Riff 1
You're in the darkest side of town

Riff 1 4x

Riff 1
And when I'm out I see you walking
Riff 1
Why don't your eyes see me
Riff 1
Could it be you've found another game to play
Riff 1
What did mama say to me

Riff 2 Riff 1
That's the way Oh that's the way it ought to be
Riff 2 Riff 3A 2x
Mama said that's the way it ought to stay

Riff 4

Riff 1 1x

Riff 1
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
Riff 1
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes
Riff 1
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying
Riff 1
Had they got you hypnotized

Riff 1 4x

Riff 1
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
Riff 1
But all that lives is born to die
Riff 1
And so I say to you that nothing really matters
Riff 1
And all you do is stand and cry

Riff 1 4x

Riff 1
I don't know what to say about it
Riff 1
When all your ears are turned away
Riff 1
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see
Riff 1
Is that the way it ought to stay

Riff 2 Riff 1
That's the way That's the way it ought to be Whoa don't you know now
Riff 2 Riff B 3x
Mama said mama said that's the way it's going to stay Ahh Ahh

Riff 4
Aaaaaaaaaah Ahhh Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

Riff 5 until end