Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun

Violent Femmes Blister In The Sun Ukulele Tab
Blister In The Sun midi

I’m away from the computer this week, so I thought I’d launch into the next series of posts in the top guitar riffs for ukulele. These aren’t the riffs that work best on the uke but those that are most recognisable, fun and catchy. You probably wouldn’t want to use these to play the full song, but to throw in Taimane style to keep the audience on their toes. For this round of guitar riffs I thought I’d throw in a few less expected ones. I’m even going all out and including a few riffs from the decade that not-being-dreadful forgot, the 80’s.

Blister in the Sun by the Violent Femmes is insanely catchy and has been picked up for use in film (Grosse Point Blank) and TV (Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place>. The riff is chord based which makes it well suited to the uke and – unlike most of the rest of the riffs in the series – suitable to play all the way through relatively unchanged on the uke. So, I’ve tabbed it in the original key of G.

The chords for the chorus are:

Em – C – Em – C – D

Suggested by Edegoly

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17 Comments

  1. LonnaB November 21st, 2007 4:49 pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    I’ve been able to learn so many of the songs you have posted and don’t know what I would do without this website.

    Keep it up- please!

    peace

  2. Woodshed November 25th, 2007 4:42 pm

    Thanks, Lonna. Glad you like it. I’ll try to keep it up :)

  3. Ben Jamer December 3rd, 2007 10:08 pm

    I tend to play mine more like the guitar version, slightly modified…
    Using this as the opening riff, then alternating between G and C for chords (using the chords you say for chorus)
    |–2-3-2-|
    |-3-3—–|
    |———-|
    |———-|

  4. Woodshed December 5th, 2007 8:51 pm

    Thanks for the tab, Ben.

  5. jake & a uke September 30th, 2008 9:27 pm

    didnt actually know the name of this song but i was looking on the site for some random songs i might like and stumbled across this and remembered it from this advert so i may give this a go
    thanks again woodshed :D

  6. Woodshed September 30th, 2008 10:32 pm

    Jake: I remember seeing it in an ad. Can’t remember what for. But I do remember they changed, “High like a kite,” to, “Fly like a kite.”

  7. Vatsal March 3rd, 2011 1:54 am

    Doing the guitar version that Ben suggested followed by Woodshed’s version looks very impressive.

  8. Volvosneverdie July 3rd, 2011 2:10 pm

    Awesome.

    Many thanks, love this site!

  9. jenny April 23rd, 2012 1:49 am

    what is the strum pattern?!

  10. matt August 21st, 2012 6:49 am

    I have no idea how to read. Feel like such a noob.
    I know the strings are reversed, and numbers indicate frets.. but yeah :(
    I just play this E:3 a: 232 e:3 a:2232 e:3 a:232 repeat
    But would really like to learn to play tabs properly.
    All material I’ve looked at online hasn’t been helpful :(

  11. Woodshed August 22nd, 2012 9:24 am

    matt: There’s a guide to reading tab here. That’s the best I can explain it, I’m afraid.

  12. James October 25th, 2012 1:03 am

    How would I strum it?

  13. guglhupf April 21st, 2014 10:29 am

    Hey there,

    thanks for the tabs (and all the other ones you posted)! I’m new to ukulele but have a little guitar experience and I’m really having fun trying out this instrument.

    I was just wondering: are you sure about the G in the chords for the chorus? It doesn’t actually sound wrong, but also not really right (to me) since it’s so similar to the Em, and listening to the actual song, the there used chord sounds more different to the following Em… Still I don’t find any chord that would suit better myself :)

  14. guglhupf April 21st, 2014 11:03 am

    For the strumming in the chorus I suggest down down up up down up by the way

  15. Woodshed April 22nd, 2014 10:47 am

    guglhupf: Thanks! Yeah, that G should be a C.

  16. TT August 15th, 2014 10:03 am

    Thanks so much for this website. I’m a beginner in the Uke and these songs are some of my favourites. Can’t wait to be able to play them :)

  17. Woodshed August 15th, 2014 2:12 pm

    TT: Thanks very much! Glad you’re enjoying it.

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