Pretenders - Back On The Chaingang Chords & Tabs

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
>From: norlin@essex.ecn.uoknor.edu (Norman Lin)
>Subject: REQ: Pretenders' "Back on the chain gang"
>
>[Riff]:
>
>e---------0-3------3331---110---00------------------------------------|
>B-1------1------------------------3---331---01------------------------|
>G-------0-------------------------------------------------------------|
>D---------------------------------------------------------------------|
>A---------------------------------------------------------------------|
>E---------------------------------------------------------------------|
>
>

From: julius@alumni.caltech.edu (julius yang)

Well I finally sat down with the Singles CD and bashed this out.  I can
play the riff at the beginning, but now that I don't have my guitar
in hand I forget it.  Agh.  I can't understand two places where Chrissy
is singing either--'crescending' and 'baggle' aren't words that I know
of, but that sounds like what she's saying.  Corrections appreciated.

Back on the Chain Gang, the Pretenders

opening strum: D A G G D A G G

riff x2

D         A            G     G
I found a picture of you   oh
What hijacked my world at nights
To a place in the past we've been passed out of  oh
Now we're back in the fight

Em                A
We're back on the train (ooh, ah)
Ohh
A               D            A   G   G
    Back on the chain gang

The circumstance beyond our control oh
The fool on TV and the news of the world
Got in the house like a pigeon from hell, oh
Crescending our eyes and descended like flies

Put us back on the train, yeah
Oh
Back on the chain gang

D A G G

riff x2

bridge:
Dm A Dm A and so on
The powers that be
That forces us to live like we do
Bring me to my knees
When I see what they've done to you

chord comping

I'll die as I stand here today
Knowing that deep in my heart
A                     Dm
Therefore to ruin one day
A             E
For making us part-----

E         B          A    A
I found a picture of you, oh
Those were the happiest days of my life
Like a brick in the baggle was your part, oh
In the wretched life of a lonely heart

F#m                   B
Now we're back on the train
Ohh
B             E
  Back on the chain gang

E B E B until end
--
					Internet member since 1988

From: Harlan L Thompson 

BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG- The Pretenders

D A Em7 D A Em7 (rpt over riff)

D         A            Em7  Gmaj7/B  G
I found a picture of you   oh
D                 A           Em7  Gmaj7/B G
What hijacked my world that night
D                  A              Em7         Gmaj7/B G
To a place in the past we've been cast out of  oh
D  A                     Em7  Gmaj7/B G
  Now we're back in the fight

Em                A      Em7 A
We're back on the train hey
Em  A                  D     A  D  A
Aaaah, back on the chain gang

Circumstance beyond our control oh
The phone, the TV, and the news of the world
Got in the house like a pigeon from hell, oh
Threw sand our eyes and descended like flies

Put us back on the train, yeah
Aaaaah, back on the chain gang

D A Em7  D A Em7 D

BRIDGE:
Dm    A7         Dm       A7                     Dm
The powers that be that force us to live like we do
 A7             Dm           A7                       Dm A7 Dm A7
Bring me to my knees when I see what they've done to you
Dm         A7                    Dm   A7                      Dm
Well I'll die as I stand here today, knowing that deep in my heart
  A7                     Dm
They'll fall to ruin one day
     A7             E  B  A
For making us part-----

E           B          A   Amaj7/B A/B
I found a picture of you, oh
E                B                  A  Amaj7/B A/B
Those were the happiest days of my life
E                     B               A  Amaj7/B A/B
Like a break in the battle was your part, oh
E                 B                A   Amaj7/B A/B
In the wretched life of a lonely heart
A                   B         A  B
Now we're back on the train, hey
A   A/B             E
Aaaah, back on the chain gang

B E B E (rpt and fade)


Em7:     0 2 2 0 3 0     Gmaj7/B: 3 2 4 0 0 2
Amaj7/B: x 0 6 6 5 4     A/B:     x 7 7 6 5 5


NOTE:  If you find Gmaj/B too hard to finger, try Bm in its place.  Not
as accurate, but a hell of a lot easier.
(from Learning to Crawl, 1983)
(sent by Harlan at harlant@hawaii.edu)


From: schn0170@maroon.tc.umn.edu (Adam Schneider)
Subject: CRD: "Back on the Chain Gang" (The Pretenders)
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/p/pretenders/back_on_the_chaingang_tab.html ]
There are about three versions of this already in the archive, but none of
them is quite right.  This one's a little better; someone sent it to me last
fall, and I recently cleaned it up because I wanted to play it.

Unfortunately, this might still have mistakes; I can't check because I don't
have the album.  I'll have to see if I can get them to play it on the radio...

Adam

BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG (The Pretenders)
---------------------------------------
[All the work on this song was done by nlin@alliant.backbone.uoknor.edu
 (Norman Lin); I just cleaned it up a little for my own use.]

D   A   G   G        D   A   G   G
[intro; slow strum]  [hard strum]
D   A   G   G        D   A   G   G
[with lead guitar]

D           A              G      Bm   -    G
  I found a picture of you,       ohh oh-oh ohh ohhh
D          A                      G        Bm  -  G
  Oh, what hijacked my world that night?
D                   A                    G         Bm   -    G
  To a place in the past we've been cast out of,   ohh oh-oh ohh ohhh
D    A                       G       Bm  -  G
Oh,    now we're back in the fight

Em                   A           Em - Em*   Asus4 - A - Asus2 - A
   We're back on the train, yeah
Em   A                 D        A     G    G
Oh,  oh, back on the chain gang

Circumstance beyond our control, ohh oh-oh ohh ohhh
Oh, the phone, the TV, and the news of the world
Got in our house like a pigeon from hell (??), ohh oh-oh ohh ohhh
Oh, threw sand in our eyes, and descended like flies

Em                    A           Em - Em*   Asus4 - A - Asus2 - A
   Put us back on the train, yeah
Em    A     Em - Em*    Asus4 - A - Asus2 - A
Ohhh, ohhhhh
            D           A    G
Back on the chain gang

D   A   G   G        D   A   G   G [3 beats]
[guitar solo, same as second part of intro]


Dm    A             Dm      A                       (Dm)
  The powers that be   that force us to live like we do
Dm      A                     Dm      A
(..do)    Bring me to my knees when I see what they've done to you
Dm*  AaddF*   Dm*  AaddF*
[no vocals]


Dm           A                      Dm   A                       (Dm)
  And will I die as I stand here today,  knowing that deep in my heart
Dm          A                     Dm          A
(..heart)   They'll fall to ruin one day, for making us part

E    B    A    C#m - A
[no vocals]

E           B              A      C#m   -   A
  I found a picture of you,       ohh oh-oh ohh ohhh
E                    B                   A       C#m  -  A
  Oh, those were the happiest days of my life
E                     B               A       C#m   -   A
  Like a break in the battle was your part,   ohh oh-oh ohh ohhh
E                   B                A       C#m  -  A
Oh, in the wretched life of a lonely heart

F#m                      B           F#m - F#m*   Bsus4 - B - Bsus2 - B
   Now we're back on the train, yeah
F#m   A                 E        B     A    A
Oh,   oh, back on the chain gang
E           B
Chain gang      [repeat and fade]


Funny chords:
Em*: 022003
F#m*: 244225
Dm*: x00231 - x00230 - x00231
AaddF*: x02220 - x02221 - x02220


Intro & Solo:
                D                  A
e -------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
B ----------7--10-7-/|10~------------/10--10--|10~------------/10--10--|
G -------7-----------|------------------------|------------------------|
D (7)-7--------------|------------------------|------------------------|
A -------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E -------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
   ^     ^     ^      ^     ^     ^     ^      ^     ^     ^     ^

e |------------------------|------------------------|-------|
B |10-p8---8---8--s7---7---|7-----------------------|-------|
G |------------------------|----9---9--7b9--7---6--/|7------|
D |------------------------|------------------------|-------|
A |------------------------|------------------------|-------|
E |------------------------|------------------------|-------|
   ^     ^     ^     ^      ^     ^     ^     ^      ^
(/=slide, p=pull off, b=bend, ~=vibrato)


For the ending two chords, arpeggiate as follows:
   E                           B
e----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-----------------0----------------------4-----------------------------|
G--------------1-----1----------------4-----4--------------------------|
D---------2--------------2---------4-----------4-----------------------|
A--------2----------------------2--------------------------------------|
E--0-------------------------------------------------------------------|


==-=--=---=----=-----=-------=---------=---------=-------=-----=----=---=--=-==
Adam Schneider             schn0170@maroon.tc.umn.edu           Minneapolis, MN
       If you want guitar chords for Mary Chapin Carpenter, Indigo Girls,
      Mary Karlzen, Lucinda Williams, etc., mail me or check my home page:
            http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/cgi-bin/hpp/acs.html
==-=--=---=----=-----=-------=---------=---------=-------=-----=----=---=--=-==