Capo: 3 Tuning: E A D G B E

"Why We Build The Wall" Billy Bragg (originally Anais Mitchell) Standard tuning Capo: wherever’s comfortable for your voice; Billy usually has it on 3 This is a deliberate simplification to outline the basic structure and repetition but not a bad place to start I hope? I’ve heard Billy play this several times – live and recorded – and it’s never the same twice. Sometimes he throws in Dsus2 or Dsus4 and sometimes it sounds more like A or E than Am or Em. But because he’s mostly striking individual strings, it’s kinda whatever you want it to be. Play around with it and enjoy. [Intro] Em G Am Em G Am Em [Verse 1]

^EmWhy do we build the wall? ^GMy children, ^Dmy children ^EmWhy do we build the wall? ^G ^Am ^Em ^EmWhy do we build the wall? ^GWe build the wall to ^Dkeep us free ^EmThat's why we build the wall ^EmWe build the ^Gwall, to ^Amkeep us ^Dfree

[Verse 2]

^EmHow does the wall keep us free? ^GMy children, ^Dmy children ^EmHow does the wall keep us free? ^G ^Am ^Em ^EmHow does the wall keep us free? ^GThe wall keeps out ^Dthe enemy ^GAnd we build the wall to ^Dkeep us free ^EmThat's why we build the wall ^EmWe build the ^Gwall to ^Amkeep us ^Emfree

[Verse 3]

^EmWho do we call the enemy? ^GMy children, ^Dmy children ^EmWho do we call the enemy? ^G ^Am ^Em ^EmWho do we call the enemy? ^GThe enemy is ^Dpoverty ^GAnd the wall keeps out ^Dthe enemy ^GAnd we build the wall to ^Dkeep us free ^EmThat's why we build the wall ^EmWe build the ^Gwall to ^Amkeep us ^Emfree

[Verse 4]

^EmBecause we have and they have not ^GMy children, ^Dmy children ^EmBecause they want what we have got ^G ^Am ^Em ^EmBecause we have and they have not ^GThe enemy is ^Dpoverty ^GAnd the wall keeps out ^Dthe enemy ^GAnd we build the wall to ^Dkeep us free ^EmThat's why we build the wall ^EmWe build the ^Gwall to ^Amkeep us ^Emfree

[Verse 5]

^EmWhat do we have that they should want? ^GMy children, ^Dmy children ^EmWhat do we have that they should want? ^G ^Am ^Em ^EmWhat do we have that they should want? ^GWe have a wall to ^Dwork upon ^GWe have work and ^Dthey have none ^GAnd our work is ^Dnever done ^GMy children, ^Dmy children ^GAnd the war is ^Dnever won ^GThe enemy is ^Dpoverty ^GAnd the wall keeps out ^Dthe enemy ^GAnd we build the wall to ^Dkeep us free ^EmThat's why we build the wall ^EmWe build the ^Gwall to ^Amkeep us ^Emfree ^EmWe build the ^Gwall to ^Amkeep us ^Emfree

Billy Bragg - Why we build the wall