David Bowie - Boys keep swinging
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Tuning: E A D G
From David Bowie's 1979 album, Lodger. Bass part credited to Dennis Davis and Tony Visconti.
[Verse 1] Heaven loves ya The clouds part for ya
(Drums) "1 2 3"q e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|--------|--------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|--------|--------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--------|------9\|5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|5-5-5-5-5-------|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|7-7-7-7-7-------|
E|--------|--------|----------------|----------5-7-5-|----------------|----------7-9-7-|
Nothing stands in your way when you're a boy Clothes always fit ya
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|5-5-5-5-5-------|5-5-5-5-5-------|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|7-7-7-7-7-------|
E|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|6-6-6-6-6-6-8---|----------5-7-5-|----------5-7-5-|----------------|----------7-9-7-|
Life is a pop of the cherry when you're a boy (When you're a boy)
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|--------4-4-5-6-|
A|----------------|----------------|5-5-5-5-5-------|5-5-5-5---------|
E|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|6-6-6-6-6-6-8-8-|----------5-7-5-|----------------|
[Pre-Chorus 1]
you can wear a uniform
these are your favorite things When you're a boy
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|---------------------|------------------------|------------------------|----------------|
D|------9-9-12-12-9----|------------------------|------------------------|----------------|
A|10-10-------------12-|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-|12-12-12-12-10-10-10-10-|9-9-9-9-7-7-7-7-|
E|---------------------|------------------------|------------------------|----------------|
[Chorus] Boys Boys
e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e q e e q e e e
G|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
D|---------------7-|----------------|---------------7-|----------------|---------------7-|----------------|
A|--------7-8-9----|--9-8-7-------7-|--------7-8-9----|--9-8-7-------7-|--------7-8-9----|--9-8-7-------7-|
E|5-5-8-9----------|----------8-9---|5-5-8-9----------|----------8-9---|5-5-8-9----------|----------8-9---|
Boys keep swinging, Boys always work it out
e e e e e e e Q. q q q *
G|-----------------|----------------| *note, this measure is approximate slides,
D|---------------7-|----7\----------| as it's buried in the harmonies, but it is
A|--------7-8-9----|--------9\------| three beats of slides with an attack
E|5-5-8-9----------|------------9\--| on each beat.
[Verse 2]
Uncage the colors, Unfurl the flag
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|5-5-5-5-5-------|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|7-7-7-7-7-------|
E|----------------|----------5-7-5-|----------------|----------7-9-7-|
Luck just kissed you hello, When you're a boy
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|5-5-5-5-5-------|5-5-5-5-5-------|
E|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|6-6-6-6-6-6-8-8-|----------5-7-5-|----------5-7-5-|
They'll never clone you, you are always first on the line, When you're a boy (When you're a boy)
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|--------4-4-5-7-|
A|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|7-7-7-7-7-------|----------------|----------------|5-5-5-5-5-------|5-5-5-5---------|
E|----------------|----------7-9-7-|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-|6-6-6-6-6-6-8-8-|----------5-7-5-|----------------|
[Pre-Chorus 2]
you can buy a home of your own (When you're a boy) learn to drive and everything
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q e e e e e e q e e e e e e q
G|----------------|------------7---|----------------|-----------------|
D|7-----------5-4-|----4-4-7-7-----|------------7---|----4-4-7-7-12---|
A|----4-4-7-7-----|5-5-------------|----4-4-7-7-----|5-5--------------|
E|--5-------------|----------------|5-5-------------|-----------------|
You'll get your share When you're a boy
q q q q q q q e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|-------------------|-------------------|------------------------|----------------|
D|-------------------|-------------------|------------------------|----------------|
A|10------------10---|-------------------|12-12-12-12-10-10-10-10-|9-9-9-9-7-7-7-7-|
E|-----7---10--------|3---7---10---12-10-|------------------------|----------------|
[Chorus]
Boys
e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e q e e q e e e
G|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
D|---------------7-|----------------|---------------7-|----------------|
A|--------7-8-9----|--9-8-7-------7-|--------7-8-9----|--9-8-7-------7-|
E|5-5-8-9----------|----------8-9---|5-5-8-9----------|----------8-9---|
Boys Boys keep swinging Boys always work it out
e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e Q. e e e e e e
G|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
D|---------------7-|----------------|---------------7-|----------------|
A|--------7-8-9----|--9-8-7-------7-|--------7-8-9----|----2-2-3-3-4---|
E|5-5-8-9----------|----------8-9---|5-5-8-9----------|--------------5-|
[Instrumental Bridge/Outro]
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e* e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|--------6-6-10---|----------------|--------8s8s8-10-|
A|5-5-5-5-5-------|5-5-5-5-5-----5-|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|7-7-7-7----------|--------5-5-5-5-|8-8-8-8----------|
E|----------5-7-5-|----------5-7---|----------------|---------------8-|6-6-6-6---------|-----------------|
*the "s'es are shakes down to the 7th fret
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------/|8-8-8-8---------|----------------|
A|5-5-5-5-5-------|5-5-5-5-5-----5-|7-7-7-7-7-----7-|----9-7-------7-|--------8-8-8-8-|5-5-5-5---------|
E|----------5-7-5-|----------5-7---|----------7-9---|--7-------7-9---|----------------|--------6-6-6-6-|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|-----------------|10-10-9-9-7-7-----|----------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
D|------------7-12-|--------------7---|----------------|------------------|8-8---8-8---8---|8---8---8---8-8-|
A|5-5-5-5-9-9------|----------------9-|7-7-----7-----7-|------7-10-10-9-9-|----8-----8---8-|--8---8---8-----|
E|-----------------|------------------|----7-9---7-9---|--7-9-------------|----------------|----------------|
e e e e e e e q e e q e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----5-5-4-4-----|----------------|----5-5-4-4-----|
D|----------------|----------------|------------7-7-|------------7-7-|------------7-7-|------------7-7-|
A|5-5-5-5-5-----5-|--5---5---5---5-|----4-4-7-7-----|5-5-------------|----4-4-7-7-----|5-5-------------|
E|----------5-7---|----5-------5---|5-5-------------|----------------|5-5-------------|----------------|
e e e q Q. e e* e* e* e* e* e* e* e e e e e e e e+ 1s e s 2e s e 3 s e 4s e s
G|------------------|-----9\11\12\14\16\11\12\|14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-|14-14---12-12---11-11---9-9---7-6----|
D|------9-11---12---|-------------------------|14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-|14-14---12-12---11-11---9-9---7-6----|
A|10-10-------------|--10---------------------|------------------------|------------------------------------0|
E|------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------------------|
*these are staccato and slid very quickly back +this measure is all staccato attacks
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
G|----------------|----------------|--r-------------|--------------r-|----------------|----------------|
D|------------7-7-|7-7-9-9-9-9-9-9-|--e---------4-7-|--------------e-|----------------|----------------|
A|5-5-8-8-7-8-----|----------------|5-s-5-5-5-7-----|5-5-5-5-----5-s-|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|7-7-5-5---------|
E|----------------|----------------|--t-------------|--------5-7---t-|----------------|--------9-9-7-7-|
e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q (fade takes over audibility here)
G|----------------|----------------|--------------10-9-|7-10-9-7-10-9-7---||
D|------------7-8-|8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-|7-7----------------|------------------||
A|----5-5-8-8-----|----------------|----9-9------------|------------------||
E|6-6-------------|----------------|--------10-10------|------------------||
************************************
| \ Slide down
| / Slide up
| s sixteenth
| e eighth
| q quarter
|Q. dotted-quarter
************************************
When you're a boy
other boys check you out You get a girl e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e G|----------------|------------5-4-|----------------|-----------------| D|7-----------5-4-|----4-4-7-7-----|------------5-4-|----4-4-7-7-10-9-| A|----4-4-7-7-----|5-5-------------|----4-4-7-7-----|5-5--------------| E|--5-------------|----------------|5-5-------------|-----------------|