In the End

Background and Commentary

“A coming home (from the road) song. Neil’s original lyric sheet had the title written on a tombstone, which suggests a more serious meaning for the song.”—Robert Telleria, Merely Players

“‘In the End’ opens quietly, much like ‘Rivendell,’ but then Alex kicks in with a killer guitar riff, followed by Neil and Geddy before a classic Rush tempo change.”—Bill Banasiewicz, Rush Visions

Lyrics

Well, I can see what you mean 
It just takes me longer 
And I can feel what you feel 
It just makes you stronger

I know, I know, I know 
Oh, the feeling grows 
I see, I see, I see 
It’s got to be

You can take me for a little while 
You can take me, you can make me smile in the end

Well, I can do what you do 
You just do it better 
And I can cry like you cry 
It just makes me sadder

Well, I can shine like you shine 
It doesn’t make me brighter 
But if I think like you think 
It don’t make my load much lighter

Tablature

By Tony Zimmerman

Excerpted from Ultimate Guitar.

This song opens with an acoustic 12 string playing in D. However,
there is some sort of electronic detuning which makes it appear to be in C.
I will tab out the intro in C but be aware that it is played with the same
fingering as Riff 2. Also, Riff 1 is played in the same position as Riff 4,
but with the same electronic detuning. There is phaser almost throughout
this song, but I will try to notate specifically where it appears.

| = not a standard bar line; just used to separate music
~ = vibrato or held note
x = percussive note with no pitch; muted note
h = hammer on
p = pull off
s = slide
b = bend string up to indicated pitch/fret
r = release bend to indicated string/fret
/ = slide up from infinity
\ = slide down into infinity
[5] = artificial harmonic (use thumb to follow through the pick attack)
o \_
o / repeat sign (always look for these!)

[Intro] – strum freely (notes in ()’s are not played on every repeat)

C F Eb Bb C F
e:–0-0—1-1–1———1-1—1——0-0—1-1–1————————|
B:–1–1–1–1–1—4-4–3—3–3—3-1—1-1–1–1———————–|
G:–0—–2———3-3–3——–3—0—–2—————————–|
D:–2—–3——-3-5-5–3————2—–3——-3—–0-3-(0)—-3—-|
A:–3—–3———6-6–1————3—–3———–1———0-3—3-|
E:——–1———————————1——–(3)—————3–|

[Riff 1] – strum freely
Am F Am F G
e:–0-0—–0-0—–0–1-1–1-1——0-0—–0-0—–1———–|
B:–1-1—–1-1—–1–1–1-1–1—–1-1—–1-1—–1–3——–|
G:–2-2—–2-2—–2–2—-2——–2-2—–2-2—–2–4——–|
D:–2-2-0h2-2-2-0h2-2–3—-3—-0h3-2-2-0h2-2-2-0h2-3–5——–|
A:–0-0—–0-0—–0–3—-3——–0-0—–0-0—–3–5——–|
E:—————————————————————|

[Riff 2] – I can usually hear a higher riff or single note run over this
riff; it could be another guitar playing the octave or notes
related the chord

D G F C D G (with phaser)
e:–2–2–3~———0~—-2–2–3–3——————————–|
B:–3–3–3~—1–1–1~—-3–3–3–3——————————–|
G:–2–2–0~—2–2–0~—-2–2–0–0———-0——0————–|
D:–0–0–0~—3–3–2~—-0–0–0–0——–2——0—–(0)——–|
A:——–2~—3–3–3~———-2–2—0–3——2——0———–|
E:——–3~—1–1————–3–3——————————–|

[Riff 3] – The last note of Riff 2 is not played when this riff follows it
_________________________
F A F |1. G |2. G D |
e:—|———————|———–|———–|
B:—|—1–1——-1–1—|—-3-3~—|—3–7~—|
G:—|o–2–2—6—2–2—|—-4-4~–o|—4–7~—|
D:—|o–3–3—7—3–3—|—-5-5~–o|—5–7~—|
A:—|—3–3—7—3–3—|—-5-5~—|—5–5~—|
E:-0-|—1–1—5—1–1—|—-3-3~—|—3——-|

[Riff 4]
Bm G Bm G A
e:–2–2–2-2——————–2-2–2–2—————————|
B:–3–3–3-3—–3–3—3—3—3-3–3–3–3–3–5–5—————|
G:–4–4–4-4—–4–4—4—4—4-4–4–4–4–4–6–6—————|
D:–4–4–4-4—–5–5—5—5—4-4–4–4–5–5–7–7—————|
A:–2–2–2-2—–5–5—5—5—2-2–2–2–5–5–7–7—————|
E:—————-3–3—3—3————–3–3–5–5—————|

For complete tab, go to Ultimate Guitar.