If I Had A Rocket Launcher

Words & Music:

Bruce Cockburn

 

The July 2009 issue of Acoustic Guitar has a lesson by Bruce Cockburn in how to play the basics of this song.  I highly recommend reading it (or seeing the video lesson online) and listening to one of his amazing acoustic versions of this song.  I've combined the two versions that were previously here and removed the tabs after reading the article.  There is no current correct fantab out there.  Play it in E, using your thumb to keep time going - open low E string for the E chords and your thumb on the 8th fret for the C.  Am7 & Bm7 are normal barre chords.  You're playing the chords on the lower 4 strings.  I would greatly appreciate tabs of any of the fills & solos from the acoustic version!

 

E5             D5/E  C6      E5     D5/E   C6

Here comes the heli--copter, second time today.

Everybody scatters and hopes it goes away.

How many kids they've murdered

E5   D5/E    C(add2) Bm7

Only God can say

Am7               Bm7       Am7               Bm7

If I had a rocket launcher, if I had a rocket launcher,

Am7               Bm7

If I had a rocket launcher,

Bm7               E5  D5/E  C(add2)     E5  D5/E  C(add2)

I'd make somebody pay.

 

I don't believe in guarded borders and I don't believe in hate.

I don't believe in generals or their stinking torture states.

And when I talk with the survivors of things too sickening to relate.

If I had a rocket launcher, if I had a rocket launcher.

If I had a rocket launcher, I would retaliate.

 

On the Rio Lacuntun one hundred thousand wait.

To fall down from starvation or some less humane fate.

Cry for Guatemala with a corpse in every gate.

If I had a rocket launcher, if I had a rocket launcher.

If I had a rocket launcher, I would not hesitate.

 

INSTRUMENTAL VERSE & CHORUS:

 

I want to raise every voice, at least I've got to try.

Every time I think about it water rises to my eyes.

Situation desperate echoes of the victim's cry.

If I had a rocket launcher, if I had a rocket launcher.

If I had a rocket launcher, some son-of-a-bitch would die.

 

 

CHORDS:

E = 0 7 9 9 x x   D5/E = 0 7 7 7 x x      C6 = 8 7 7 7 x x

Am7 = 5 7 5 5 5 5 Bm7 = 7 9 7 7 7 7

 

alt (easier):

E = 0 7 9 9 0 0   D = 0 5 7 7 0 0   C = 0 3 5 5 0 0

 

 





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