Badlands

Words & Music:

Bruce Springsteen

 

A full two guitar & bass transcription of this is in the July 2001 issue of Guitar World.

 

E   B   A   E   B [3x]  then, E  A  B

 

E            B A                   E    E

Lights out tonight, trouble in the heartland.

E                 B  A                  E     B

Got a head-on collision, smashin' in my guts, man.

E                         A            B    E

I'm caught in a crossfire that I don't understand.

                 A                B

But, there's one thing I know for sure, girl.

  E                         A                   B

I don't give a damn for the same old played-out scenes.

E                       A             B

I don't give a damn for just the in-betweens.

E                                   A               B          E

Honey, I want the heart, I want the soul, I want control right now.

E          A             B

You better listen to me, baby.

A

Talk about a dream; try to make it real.

    B

You wake up in the night with a fear so real.

    A                                                   B

You spend your life waiting for a moment that just don't come.

B                           A   B

Well, don't waste your time waiting!

 

CHORUS:

E                   A            B

Badlands, you gotta live it everyday.

        E                          A                  B

Let the broken hearts stand as the price you've gotta pay.

           E

We'll keep pushin' 'til it's understood.

          A              B           E   A   B

And these badlands start treating us good.

 

Workin' in the field 'til you get your back burned.

Workin' 'neath the wheels 'til you get your facts learned.

Baby, I got my facts learned real good right now.

You better get it straight darling.

Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings,

And a king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything.

I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got.

Now, I believe in the love that you gave me.

I believe in the faith that could save me.

I believe in the hope and I pray that some day it

Will raise me above these...

 

CHORUS:

 

INSTRUMENTAL OVER VERSE CHORDS:

 

BRIDGE:

E           A         B

Mmmmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm.  [4x]

        E                        A             B

For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside

        E                  A            B

That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive.

        E                  A             B

I wanna find one face that ain't looking through me.

        E                       A           B

I wanna find one place, I wanna spit in the face of these...

 

CHORUS:

 

OUTRO:

E          A         B

Badlands.  Whoa, oh, oh.  [repeat & out]