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E-|------------3-3-x|5-5-x-----------|
The "x"s are <u>'''muted strums</u>'''. This means to mute the strings by lightly pressing against them with your left-hand fingers and pluck the strings with your right hand. This creates a percussive, (basically) pitch-less sound, which is useful for filling time between notes. Now you are strumming on every half-beat (eighth note), which means there's less need to count and try to time your playing between beats. Now it should be easy to play the tab and discover the song.
Many rock songs are based around a small, repeating part called a <u>'''riff</u>''', like the one above. Riffs may incorporate some chords or intervals, but are generally single notes or power chords. Their function is both melodic and harmonic. They usually have limited melodic movement, and the notes chosen can outline a certain harmony. Also, the interaction of the riff with some other instrument(s) may create a more harmonic effect.
Riffs tend to repeat every 1, 2, or 4 measures. They can take focus as the lead part or serve as accompaniment for a melody or solo. Often they shift in and out of focus with a vocal melody. That's exactly what happens here. That's one of the reasons they are so successful and a primary usage of guitar in rock music - it creates a point-counterpoint interplay between instruments, which also creates harmony that feels less rigid and more subtle than simply strumming chords. And they're quite fun to play.
There's something new in the tab above you may not have initially noticed. The double dots right after the bar that begins the first measure and before the final bar of the last measure. That's a <u>'''repeat symbol</u> ''' and indicates to...repeat. When reading music, you ignore the initial "|:" and play until you hit the ":|". That means go back to the "|:" and repeat that part. Notice the "x4" above the tab. This indicates multiples repeats. The number indicates the total number of times played - so you initially play it once, then repeat 3 more times. If there is no indication of how many times to repeat, it implies a single repeat.
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What really nails the above riff home is the rhythm. Notice the first block of power chords in each measure starts on the 1st beat, but every other set starts in between beats. This is quite difficult to get at first, especially when you are playing with a metronome. Your natural inclination is to hit the strings every or every other time you hear a click. Playing off the beat is called <u>'''off-time</u> ''' or <u>'''off-beat</u>'''. Also, the first beat of each measure is called the <u>'''down beat</u> ''' and usually features the strongest accent of a rhythmic cycle. We clearly see that hear, more particularly in the first measure than the second. Beats that lead up to the down beat are called <u>'''up beats</u> ''' (which is the 4th beat in 4/4 time).
Note: "off-beat" has a couple different meanings. In 4/4, typically the 1st and 3rd beats carry the strongest accents and are called the "on beats". This makes the 2nd and 4th beats "off beats". Only playing on or accenting the 2nd and 4th beats can also be called playing "off-time" such as in ska or raggae. The riff above is not "off-beat" as a whole. It has strong accents on the down beats. But it also incorporates some off-beat elements, and makes strong use the up beat on the 4th beat to lead into each down beat.