Island of No Return Billy Bragg
The song's pretty rough (especially live) so there's a little improvising and
stuff going on each time he plays it; the riff below is right bit to be honest the
harder and rougher you play this song the better it sounds so go nuts, I guess.
Main Riff
[Em] [G]
E|--------------------------------3-----------------------------| B|--------------------------------3-----------------------------| G|--------------------------4--4--4-----------------------------| D|--2--2--7--7--7--7--7--5--5--5-----10--10--9------------------| A|--2--2--------------------5--5----------------10--12--12--10--| E|--0--0--------------------3--3--------------------------------|
To sound right it relies a lot on really hitting the low E when you strike the Em
and the G; when you play the G for a third time you want to hit the higher strings
as shown above to make it really sound like the record. With regards to the little
riff bit you can play pretty fast and loose with these notes and it sounds 'right'
if you throw in bits of palm muting or hammer on pretty much at random as long as
the chords and the basic riff notes stay tight.
Main Riff x 4
Verse 1
Digg[D]ing all day and d[C]igging all night
To k[Em]eep my foxhole out of sight
Digg[D]ing into dinner on[C] a plate on my knees
The [Em]smell of damp webbing in the morning breeze
Fear[D] in my stomach, fe[C]ar in the sky
I ea[Em]t my dinner with a weary eye
Afte[D]r all this it won'[C]t be the same
Mess[Em]ing around on Salisbury Plain
Break: G D C D x 2
Prechorus:
Pick [Em]up your feet, [D]fall in, move out
We're[C] going to a party way [D]down South
Me an[Em]d the Corporal out on [D]a spree
Damne[C]d from here to [D]eternity
Chorus:
Em Bm D C (Play the chorus chords twice
I can already taste the blood in my mouth without vocals and then
twice with them)
[Em]We're going to a party [Bm]way down [D]south[C]
Main riff x 4
Verse 2
[D]I hate this flat land, [C]there's no cover
[Em]for sons and fathers and brothers and lovers
[D]I can take the killing, [C]I can take the slaughter
[Em]But I don't talk to Sun reporters
[D]I never thought that [C]I would be
[Em]Fighting fascists in the Southern Sea
[D]I saw one today and [C]in his hand
[Em]Was a weapon that was made in Birmingham
Break
Prechorus
Chorus
Main Riff x4
Bridge:
I wish [Em]Kipling and the Captain were [G]here
To reco[D]rd our pursuits for p[C]osterity
[Em]Me and the Corporal [G]out on a spree
[D]Damned from here [C]to eternity
Main Riff x 8
End with Em/D/C/G/strum Em.
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