Band: Smashing Pumpkins 
Song: By Starlight
Album: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Tuning: E flat (I think) D#, G#, C#, F#, A#, d#
Written by: Billy Corgan
Transcribed by: Brian Sullivan/ amachineofgod






	This is a very pretty song, one of my favorites.  I believe it’s in Eb tuning, but I really have no clue.  The song starts with a fade in effect.  Bare with me, I’ve never written tab before. If I make a mistake, write me, my screen name’s on my profile.

      Opening Line
      Dsus2                             Dmaj9                  Gmaj Am                                
D# - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - 0 - - - 0 - - - - -| 
A# - - 3 - - - - - - - 3 - - - 3 -| 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - 0 - | - - 1 - - - - 1 - - - - - - 1 -| 
F# 2 - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2 - 2 - | 2 - 2 - - - - - - - 2 - - - 0 - | 2 - 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - | 
C# - - - - - - - - 0 - - - 0 - - - | 0 - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - | 2 - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - |
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
    Gmaj 
D# - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - |
A# - - - - - - 3 - 3 - 0 - 0 - - - |
F# - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
C# - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - | 
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
D# 3 - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - |


Verse (relatively close simile)
     D                                                                                                          Am    Gmaj
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A# 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - | 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
F# 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - | 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C# 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - | 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | X - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

	This part is pretty close to perfect.  Listen to the CD for exact rhythms.

        Dsus2             Dmaj9                Am                Gmaj                                             Dsus2
By   starlight   I’ll   kiss   you   and   promise   to   be   your   one   and   only   I’ll   make   you   feel 
Dmaj9            Am                    Gmaj                        D                                   Dmaj9  Am                     G 
happy   And   leave   you   to   be   lost   in   mine   and   where   will   we   go        what   will   we   do
  Em              A                 Dsus2
  soon   said   I   we’ll   know 


One guitar now plays the Opening line. A second guitar plays this. These are played throughout the chorus.
      Dsus2                              Dmaj9                           Am                                                        G
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
F# - - - - 11 - 14 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - 11 - - - 14 - - - - - 14b - | - - 14 - - - 12 - - - 11 - - - - -
C# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |                       - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 -
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hold the 12 on the 4th string for one more measure (the measure which guitar 1 plays G). Play that pattern 2x.  Then switch to this pattern.
     Bm                                 A(5)                                            Em
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |             - - - - - - 8 - - - 7 - - - 8 -
F# - - - - 11 - 14 - - - - - - - - - | - - - - 11 - - - 14 - - - - - 16 - | - - 14 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

      Gmaj
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
A# 10 - - - - - - - 12 - - - - - 15 - | 
F# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
C# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
G# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |

And now play the first chorus pattern again. It will fit with the words like this.


  Dsus2                    Dmaj9                         Am                     G    Dsus2           Dmaj9         Am
                                                 And   are   you   just   like   me   dead   eyes   dead   eyes   are   you   just   
          G     Bm            A(5)                                Em                    G                 Dsus2          Dmaj9
Like   me   her   eyes   her   eyes   were   as   vacant   as   the   seas   yeah   dead   eyes   dead   eyes   
Am                             G
Are   you   just   like   me    


Bridge:
Em                 A                D                                   G           Em        A
     And   all   along   we   knew   we   could   be   wrong   just   to   belong


       Dsus2                 Dmaj9              Am                   Gmaj                                  Dsus2                Dmaj9
By   starlight   I’ll   know   you   as   lovely   as   a   wish   granted   true   my   life   has   been   empty
         Am                     G      Em                      A         D                                    G      Em      
My   life   has   been   true   and   does   she   really   know   who   I   really   am   does   she   know   
A              Dsus2
Me   at   last


The chorus is played again.  Then the song takes a dreamy fade-out effect.  If I did anything wrong, write me.                                                 love, peace, empathy, desire, mischief, and gladness
                                                                   Brian S><.