Genesis - Driving the last spike
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Tuning: E A D G B E
Genesis’ 10 minute epic from “We Can’t Dance” about the lives of people who built the railways of
Great Britain. “Driving The Last Spike” is a Genesis masterpiece from start to finish. Enjoy!
[Intro]
C/G G C/G G
C/G G C/G G
C/G G C/G G
C/G G C/G G
C/G G C/G D/G
[Verse]
GLeaving my D/F#family Cmaj7/Ebehind me D7
Not Bmknowing what lay aheaEmd
GWaving goodD/F#bye, as I Cmaj7/Eleft them in teaD7rs
ReBmmembering all we'd saCid
I Clooked to the sky, D/CI offered my prayers
I Bm7asked Him for guidance and Cstrength
But the Gsimple belieD/F#fs of a Cmaj7/Esimple manD7
Lay inBm His hands, and on myD head, my head
[Interlude]
G G/B C D G C D Em
e|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
B|------|---------|--------|-------12-|-15-13-12-|----------|------------|
G|-12---|-12--11--|-11--9--|-7--12----|----------|-14-12-11-|-9-----9-12-|
D|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|-----9------|
A|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
E|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
Am7 D Am7 D11 D
e|---------|--------|--------|---------|
B|-12---15-|-12-----|--------|---------|
G|---------|------9-|-12---9-|-12--11--|
D|---------|--------|--------|---------|
A|---------|--------|--------|---------|
E|---------|--------|--------|---------|
[Verse]
I Ggave everyD/F#thing that they Cmaj7/Ewanted D7
But Bmstill they wanted moEmre
We Gsweat and we D/F#toiled
Good Cmaj7/Emen lost their lD7ives
DoBmn't think they knew what forC
I Csold them my heart
I D/Csold them my soul
I Bm7gave everything I Chad
Ah but Gthey couldn't D/F#break my Cmaj7/Espirit D7
My Bmdignity fought Dback
FightCadd9back Dadd9 Cadd9 Dadd9
[Chorus]
ECan A/Eyou G/Ehear A/Eme
ECan A/Eyou G/Esee A/F#
G6Don't A/Gyou G6hear A/Gme
G6/ADon't Ayou G6/Asee A
[Instrumental]
E5 Em7 D/E A/E E5 Em7 A/E G/E
e|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
B|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
G|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
D|-----------------5-----|---------|-----------------5-----|---------|
A|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-5-----|---------|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-5-----|---------|
E|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-------|---------|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-------|---------|
[Bridge]
(Continue guitar riff above)
We E5worked in gangs for D/Eall we were A/Eworth
The E5young boys pulling the A/EwagoG/Ens
We were E5digging the tunnels, D/Eshifting the A/Eearth
E5It was then that it A/EhappeG/Ened
A5No-one knew how the G/Acracks apApeared
But G/Aas it Afell they all G/AdisappAeareD/Ad
G/AStone fell D/Alike Arain
[Chorus]
ECan A/Eyou G/Ehear A/Eme
ECan A/Eyou G/Esee A/F#
G6Don't A/Gyou G6hear A/Gme
G6/ACan yAou G6/AbreathAe
[Instrumental]
let ring
Bm Bm Bm Bm
e|--------------|-----------|---------------|--------------|
B|--------------|-----------|---------------|--------------|
G|--------------|-----------|-------------7-|-7------------|
D|-9----------9-|-9---------|-9-------------|-9------------|
A|-9----------9-|-9---------|-9---------9---|-9------------|
E|-7----------7-|-7---------|-7-------7-----|-7------------|
G G/B C D G C D Em
e|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
B|------|---------|--------|-------12-|-15-14-12-|----------|------------|
G|-12---|-12--11--|-11--9--|-7--12----|----------|-14-12-11-|-9-----9-12-|
D|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|-----9------|
A|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
E|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
Am7 D Am7 D11 D
e|---------|--------|--------|--------|
B|-12---15-|-12-----|--------|--------|
G|---------|------9-|-12---9-|-12--11-|
D|---------|--------|--------|--------|
A|---------|--------|--------|--------|
E|---------|--------|--------|--------|
[Verse]
The Gsmoke cleared, D/F#the dust it Cmaj7/Esettled D7
No one Bmknew how many had dEmied
GAll arD/F#ound there were Cmaj7/Ebroken meD7n
They'd Bmsaid it was safe, and they'd Clied
You could Chear the cries, you could D/Csmell the fear
But good Bm7fortune that day was Cmine
And it oGccurred to me that the D/F#heart of a Cmaj7/Egood man D7
It Bmseems is hard to Dfind
[Chorus]
ECan A/Eyou G/Ehear A/Eme
ECan A/Eyou G/Esee A/F#
G6Don't A/Gyou G6hear A/Gme
G6/ADon't Ayou G6/Asee A
[Instrumental]
D D Dsus4 D D5 D Dsus4
e|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
B|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|
G|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
D|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
A|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
E|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
D D5 D Dsus4 D D
e|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
B|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------|
G|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
D|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
A|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
E|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
D G C
e|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|
G|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|
D|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D G C
e|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|
G|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|
D|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
[Post-Chorus]
We Dworked, how we Gworked like
The Cdevil for our Dpay C G
Through the Dwind, through the Gsnow
CAnd through the DrainC G
DBlasting and Gcutting through Gods Ccountry like a DknifeC G
Sweat Dstinging my eyesG, there hasC to be a Dbetter life C
Ah but GI can hear my Dchildren's cry G
I can Csee the tearsD in their eyes C
MemorGies of those DI've left behind G
Still Cringing in my Dears C
Will GI ever gDo back again G
Will I Cever see her D6face again
C/DI'll always remember thaBm/Dt night
As they C/Dwaved goodG/Dbye to their Dsus2fathers Asus4 A7
[Interlude]
We G/Bcame from the BmNorth
And we Dcame from the A/C#South
With G/Bpicks and with F#m/Aspades
And a Gnew kind of order
A/GShowing no fear of what Glies up Em7ahead
They'll C#m7never see the A7/Elikes of us DagainG C D G C
[Post-Chorus]
DDriving the last spike
GLifting and Claying the tDrackG C
With Dblistering hands
And the Gsun Cburning your DbackC
Oh but GI can hear my Dchildren's cry G
I can Csee the teaDrs in their eyesC
Ah memorGies of those DI've left behind G
Still Cringing in my D6ears
C/DWell I'll always remember thBm/Dat night
As they C/Dwaved goodG/Dbye to their Dsus2fathers Asus4 A7
We G/Bfollowed the Bmrail, we Dslept under the A/C#stars
G/BDigging in F#m/Adarkness and Gliving with danger
A/GShowing no fear of what Glies up aheEm7ad
They'll C#m7never see the liA7/Ekes of us Dagain
[Instrumental]
D Dsus4 D D5 D Dsus4
e|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
B|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|
G|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
D|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
A|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
E|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
D D5 D Dsus4 D D5
e|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
B|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------|
G|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
D|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
A|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
E|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
[Interlude]
G G/B C D G C D Em
e|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
B|------|---------|--------|-------12-|-15-14-12-|----------|------------|
G|-12---|-12--11--|-11--9--|-7--12----|----------|-14-12-11-|-9-----9-12-|
D|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|-----9------|
A|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
E|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
Am7 D Am7 D11 D
e|---------|--------|--------|--------|
B|-12---15-|-12-----|--------|--------|
G|---------|------9-|-12---9-|-12--11-|
D|---------|--------|--------|--------|
A|---------|--------|--------|--------|
E|---------|--------|--------|--------|
[Chorus]
ECan A/Eyou G/Ehear A/Eme
ECan A/Eyou G/Esee A/F#
G6Don't A/Gyou G6hear A/Gme
G6Don't Ayou G6/Asee A
D Dsus4 D D5
e|-----|--------------|------------|
B|-7-8-|----8-7---7---|------------|
G|-7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7--------|
D|-7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7--------|
A|-----|--------------|------------|
E|-----|--------------|------------|