Transpose up (k) Transpose down (j) Cycle song versions (v) Toggle lyrics only (z) Toggle modulation (m) Toggle multicolumn Toggle dark mode Find song (f) Find tuning (n) Random song (r)

Warren Zevon : Excitable Boy
1978


  1. Johnny Strikes Up The Band
  2. Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner
  3. Excitable Boy
  4. Werewolves Of London
  5. Accidentally Like A Martyr
    1


  6. Nighttime In The Switching Yard
  7. Veracruz
  8. Tenderness On The Block
  9. Lawyers Guns And Money
    1

Johnny Strikes Up The Band

A
Asus4
x4
E
A
E
D
(
D
A
E
) Dry your eyes my little friend
A
E
D
(
D
A
E
) Let me take you by the hand
E
A
(
D
A
) Freddie get ready, rock steady
A
E
A
D
When Johnny strikes up the band
They'll be rocking in the projects Walking down along the strand Freddie get ready, rock steady When Johnny strikes up the band When Johnny strikes up the band
E
A
E7
When Johnny strikes up the When Johnny strikes up the
E
A
D
A
When Johnny strikes up the band
Break
A
D
A
And Johnny is my main man
E
A
He's the keeper of the keys
E
A
He'll put your mind at ease
D
E
He's guaranteed to please
A
E
Back by popular demand
Look around, my little friend Jubilation in the land Freddie get ready, rock steady When Johnny strikes up the band When Johnny strikes up the band When Johnny strikes up the When Johnny strikes up the When Johnny strikes up the band
A
E
A
D
When Johnny strikes up the band When Johnny strikes up the band
When Johnny strikes up the When Johnny strikes up the When Johnny strikes up the band


Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner

Bm
D
G
Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
G
D
A
With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done
Bm
D
G
The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
G
D
A
Bm
So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray
Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo war With their fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese
G
D
Em
Bm
Roland the Thompson gunner... Roland the Thompson gunner...
His comrades fought beside him, Van Owen and the rest But of all the Thompson gunners Roland was the best So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head
D
A
G
Roland the headless Thompson gunner
D
A
Norway's bravest son
Bm
A
D
A
G
Bm
They can still see his headless body stalking through the night
D
A
Bm
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
D
A
G
G
A
Bm
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
Roland searched the continent for the man who'd done him in He found him in Mombassa in a barroom drinking gin Roland aimed his Thompson gun, he didn't say a word But he blew Van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg
G
D
Em
Bm
Roland the headless Thompson gunner... Roland the headless Thompson gunner... Roland the headless Thompson gunner... (talkin' about the man) Roland the headless Thompson gunner...
The eternal Thompson gunner, still wandering through the night Now it's ten years later but he still keeps up the fight In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
G
G
G
A
Bm
Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun and bought it


Excitable Boy

Instrumental verse
E
A
Well, he went down to dinner in his Sunday best
F#m
E
A
E
Excitable boy, they all said
E
A
And he rubbed the pot roast all over his chest
F#m
E
A
E
Excitable boy, they all said
B7
E
Well he's just an excitable boy
He took in the four a.m. show at the Clark Excitable boy, they all said And he bit the usherette's leg in the dark Excitable boy, they all said Well he's just an excitable boy
E
A
E
F#m
E
Ooh wah ooh, ooh excitable boy Ooh wah ooh, ooh excitable boy
He took little Suzie to the junior prom Excitable boy, they all said (excitable boy) And he raped her and killed her and he took her home Excitable boy, they all said (excitable boy) Well he's just an excitable boy After ten long years, they let him out of the home Excitable boy, they all said (excitable boy) And he dug up her grave and made a cage with her bones Excitable boy, they all said (excitable boy) Well, he's just an excitable boy Ooh wah ooh, ooh excitable boy Ooh wah ooh, ooh excitable boy


Werewolves Of London

|
D6
D
D
C
|
G
G
C/g
G
|
x4
D6
D
C
G
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo! Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo! If you hear him howling around your kitchen door You better not let him in Little old lady got mutilated late last night Werewolves of London again Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo! Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo! |
D6
D
D
C
|
G
G
C/g
G
|
x4
He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair You better stay away from him He'll rip your lungs out, Jim Ha, I'd like to meet his tailor Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo! Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo! Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen Doing the werewolves of London I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walking with the Queen Doing the werewolves of London I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's His hair was perfect Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo! Ah-ooooo! Werewolves of London Ah-ooooo!


Accidentally Like A Martyr

F
C/e
Dm
F
The phone don't ring, no no
Gm7
F/a
Bb
And the sun refused to shine
C
Dm
C
Bb
F/a
Never thought I'd have to pay so dearly
Gm
F/a
Bb
For what was already mine
Dm
G7
C
For such a long, long time
(
Bb
C
)
F
C
We made mad love, shadow love
Bb
F
Random love and abandoned love
F
C
Accidentally like a martyr
Eb
Bb
F
The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder
We made mad love, shadow love Random love and abandoned love Accidentally like a martyr The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder
Piano break, in 7/4 with key change:
|
Dm
F
|
C
F
|
Dm
F
|
C
Fm
| |
Dbmaj7
Eb
|
Ab
Fm
|
Dbmaj7
Eb
| (
F
)
The days slide by Shoulda done, shoulda done, we all sigh Never thought I'd ever be so lonely After such a long, long time Time out of mind We made mad love, shadow love Random love and abandoned love Accidentally like a martyr The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder We made mad love, shadow love Random love and abandoned love Accidentally like a martyr The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder


Nighttime In The Switching Yard

Nighttime in the switching yard Get it out on the mainline Listen to the rhythm of the train go by Listen to the train whistle whine Nighttime in the switching yard See that train... The midnight train runs both ways Do it Doot dat doot dat doot dat doot Listen to the train whistle whine Listen to the train Listen to the track


Veracruz

F
G
Am
/g
F
C
I heard Woodrow Wilson's guns
G
F
I heard Maria crying
Am
/g
F
C
Late last night I heard the news
G
F
That Veracruz was dying
Am
/c
G
F
Veracruz was dying
|
F
C
G
C
|
Am
/g
F
C
Someone called Maria's name
G
F
I swear it was my father's voice
Am
/g
F
C
Saying, "If you stay, you'll all be slain
G
F
You must leave now, you have no choice
Am
/g
F
C
Take the servants and ride west
G
F
Keep the child close to your chest
Am
/g
F
C
When the American troops withdraw
G
F
Let Zapata take the rest"
/f
/e
/d
/c
/a
Am
/g
F
C
I heard Woodrow Wilson's guns
G
F
I heard Maria calling
Am
/c
G
F
Veracruz is dying
F
G
C
And Cuernavaca's falling"
F
G
C
Aquel dia yo jure
F
G
C
Hacia el puerto volvere
G
F
Aunque el destino cambio mi vida
Dm
G
En Veracruz morire
F
G
Aquel dia yo jure
Am
/g
F
C
I heard Woodrow Wilson's guns
G
F
I heard them in the harbor
/f
/e
/d
/c
/a
Am
/c
G
F
Saying Veracruz was dying


Tenderness On The Block

Capo:
IV
C
Mama, where's your pretty little girl tonight? Trying to run before she can walk, that's right
F
C
She's growing up, she has a young man waiting
F
C
She's growing up, she has a young man waiting
F
C
F
C
Wide-eyes, she'll be street-wise
F
C
G
To the lies and the jive talk
F
G
She'll find true love
C
And tenderness on the block
Daddy, don't you ask her when she's coming in And when she's home don't ask her where she's been She's going out, she has a young man waiting She's going out, can't keep her young man waiting She'll be OK, let her have her day 'Cause it's a long way, it's a long walk But she'll find true love And tenderness on the block I know how much it hurts to see her go She has a mind of her own, you know She's all grown up, she has a young man waiting She's all grown up, she has a young man waiting She was wide-eyed, now she's street-wise To the lies and the jive talk But she'll find true love And tenderness on the block She'll find true love And tenderness on the block


Lawyers Guns And Money

D
A
D
E
x3
D
A
E
I went home with a waitress
D
A
D
A
The way I always do
D
E
A
E
How was I to know
D
A
D
A
D
E
x2
She was with the Russians too?
D
A
E
I was gambling in Havana
D
A
D
A
I took a little risk
D
A
E
Send lawyers, guns, and money
D
A
And get me out of this
D
A
D
E
x2
D
A
D
A
E
I'm the innocent bystander
D
A
D
A
E
But somehow I got stuck
D
A
E
Between a rock and a hard place
D
A
D
A
D
E
And I'm down on my luck Yes, I'm down on my luck Yes, I'm down on my luck
D
A
E
I'm hiding in Honduras
D
A
D
A
I'm a desperate man
D
A
E
Send lawyers, guns, and money
D
A
The shit has hit the fan
D
A
D
E
x3
D
A
D
A
D
E
Send lawyers, guns, and money, huh Send lawyers, guns, and money, huh Send lawyers, guns, and money, hey Send lawyers, guns, and money, oh