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White Crosses Album

Against Me

Text File

1. White Crosses

Intro C, F, C, G, C

Verse

C
I wake up in the morning and I drink from the fountain.
I wake up in the morning with the same unanswered questions.
          F                   G                  C
I don't know what's going to cure my unsettled stomach.
 
Street kids collect spare change in a conch shell on the side walk;
their teeth are yellow, their hair is tangled.
       F                         G                    C                
Their minds are vapid and they laugh wild in their depravity.
 
Dm            G                  C                    F
I'll make my way back home to you, head north on San Marco Avenue.
Dm                     G         C            F  
White crosses on the church lawn, I want to smash them all.
C           F
I want to smash them all.

C, F, C

Pony tails swinging back and forth behind beach blonde college girls out for a jog.
      F                      G                C
Saint Augustine, shine your light down on me!

Pop hits from the 90's echo out of tourist filled bars.
                                  F                  G
I am met with arms crossed under dirty looks, I am treated like a common 
  C
thief.

Chorus

Am
Eaves-dropping in on conversation, I wander aimless leering at strangers.
F                         G                      C
Strung out on the amphetamines that you gave to me.
Am
Eye-balled with suspicion by a pencil skirt in high heels,
you realize that you're talking to yourself.
F               G                  C
Cannon fire explodes out over the bay.

Chorus

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2. I Was A Teenage Anarchist

Capo 3

Verse1:
G
I was a teenage anarchist
G
Looking for a revolution
Em
I had the style, I had the ambition
Em
Read all the authors I knew the right slogans
G
There was no war but the class war
G
I was ready to set the world on fire
Em
I was a teenage anarchist
Em
Looking for a revolution

Chorus:
G   D   C                       G
Do you remember when you were young
                  D                 C
And you wanted to set the world on fire
G   D  C                       G
Do you remember when you were young
                  D                C
And you wanted to set the world on fire

Verse2:
G
I was a teenage anarchist
G
But the politics were too convenient
Em
In the depths of their humanity
Em
All I saw was bloodless ideology
G
With freedom as their doctrine
G
Guess who was the new authority
Em
I was a teenage anarchist
Em
But the politics were too convenient

Chorus:
G   D   C                       G
Do you remember when you were young
                  D                 C
And you wanted to set the world on fire
G   D  C                       G
Do you remember when you were young
                  D                C
And you wanted to set the world on fire
               G
When you were young
                  D                 C
And you wanted to set the world on fire

Verse3:

G
I was a teenage anarchist
G
But then the scene got too rigid
Em
It was mob mentality
Em
They set their rifle sights on me
G
Narrow visions of autonomy
G
You want me to surrender my identity
Em
I was a teenage anarchist
[stop]
The revolution was a lie

Chorus:
G   D   C                       G
Do you remember when you were young
                  D                 C
And you wanted to set the world on fire
G   D  C                       G
Do you remember when you were young
                  D                C
And you wanted to set the world on fire
               G
When you were young
                  D                 C
And you wanted to set the world on fire
               G
When you were young
                  D                 C
And you wanted to set the world on fire

G
I was a teenage anarchist (4x)

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3. Because Of The Shame

Intro:
 D   A          G
Whoa oh  oh oh whoa
 D   A          G
whoa oh  oh oh whoa
 Bm  A          G
Whoa oh  oh oh whoa
D   A          G
Whoa oh  oh oh whoa
                 D                                 G
We used to get high together, instead of getting high alone.
           Bm
I can't remember the last time I saw you.
           A
I can't remember the last time we talked.
          D
You left home for a fresh start,
                              G
working as a waitress down in Bradenton.
         Bm       A              G
With my name tattoo'd into your skin.

                D        G
Because of the shame I associate with vulnerability
     Bm                  Bm/A
I am numbing myself completely.
          G
Can you hear me right now?
               D                           G                G/A
I watched your mother bury you today, with tears in her eyes.
         Bm                      A                     G
well, It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.

 D   A          G
Whoa oh  oh oh whoa X2

           D                                    G
Don't it seem so detached and unreal? Don't it seem so far away?
         Bm                             A
Like the past never happened, or like nothing's ever changed.
            D
With your casket open in front of me,
            G
your eyes closed and your lips silent.
         Bm      A               G
With my name tattoo'd into your skin.

                D        G
Because of the shame I associate with vulnerability
     Bm                  Bm/A
I am numbing myself completely.
          G
Can you hear me right now?
               D                           G                G/A
I watched your mother bury you today, with tears in her eyes.
         Bm                      A                     G
well, It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.

D   A          G
Whoa oh  oh oh whoa x2

           D
I didn't listen to the preacher.
                      G
I couldn't look your husband in the eyes.
        Bm
I'm not sure what I meant to you then,
            A
so I'm not sure what I owe you now.
         D
But if something I said hurt you
               G
I swear it was not my intention.
          Bm      A             G
With your name tattoo'd into my skin.
          Bm      A             G
With your name tattoo'd into my skin.

                D        G
Because of the shame I associate with vulnerability
     Bm                  Bm/A
I am numbing myself completely.
          G
Can you hear me right now?
               D                           G                G/A
I watched your mother bury you today, with tears in her eyes.
         Bm                      A                     G
well, It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.
         Bm                      A                     G
well, It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.

D   A          G
Whoa oh  oh oh whoa
 D   A          G
whoa oh  oh oh whoa
 Bm  A          G
Whoa oh  oh oh whoa
D   A         
Whoa oh 
          G               A
Can you hear me right now? 
          G               A D
Can you hear me right now? 

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4. Suffocation

INTRO/VERSE: Bm D
        Bm
We were young heartbreakers estranged from our wealthy parents,
      D
doing key bumps in a handicap bathroom.
Bm                             D 
Stoned complacent, ambivalent, mass communicating with shared subconscious.

CHORUS:
      D      A
Suffocation.
G                          D
Modern life in the western world.

D A G

Bm
Homosexual sons of unfulfilled fathers.
D
Divorced from reality, free and young.
        Bm
We were bashing our brains out on a kitchen cabinet.
         D
It was a televised crucifixion.


     D       A
Suffocation.
G                          D
Modern life in the western world.

D A G

BRIDGE: Bm D
        
        Bm
We were star-crossed, we were destitute.
    D
Our words spoke mass destruction.
           Bm
We watched the sun rise in the morning.
             D
Daughters in arm, we all are orphans.
     
     D        A
Suffocation.
G                          D
Modern life in the western world.
               
D A G

               D      A  G
In the western world. 

D A G

G D

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5. We're Breaking Up

B                         E     C#  B
This is the only voice I know.

B                           E
These are the only words I have.

F#                                 E                             
       E
This is the only way I know how to say, we're not in love anymore.


D                                   G
It's the same way that it's always been,
The dynamic to the relationship never changes.
It's the same way that it's always been,
The dynamic to the relationship never changes.


B                              E     C#  B
We used to like all the same bands.

B				E
We used to have all the same friends.

F#
What do we have left in common?

                E                              B                   E
Just shared memories of good times long since past.  (Long since past)

D				    G
It's the same way that it's always been,
The dynamic to the relationship never changes.
It's the same way that it's always been,
The dynamic to the relationship never changes.


A						  G
You can't get what you want from me, and I can't get what I need from you.


D			  G
This is the only voice I know.

D                           A
These are the only words I have.

A				    G
This is the only way I know how to say, we're breaking up.


D				   G
It's the same way that it's always been.
It's the same way that it's always been.

A
I'm not giving up on us.

G		      D
I'm not giving up on us.

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6. High Pressure Low

Intro:
B F# E X4

E (low) Eb C#


             B
There was a high pressure low developing off the coast of Africa,
 E
uplift in the atmosphere pushed waves
                           B
across the ocean towards Antilles and Bon Air.
            F#       E E F# E(low) 
I paced in Agitation.
   B
I drew the curtains closed.

I turned the air conditioner on.
             E
I pressed a warm wash cloth to my face.
 B              Bb-B             F#      E E F# Ab F#
Somewhere out there a hurricane was coming.

          E                            B   F#
There's just no future left for us to dream of,
              E       B    F#
living in an era of instability.
    E
So caught up in the culture of their rivals,
       B              F#
fear breeds in honest men.
                      B  F#
It's a high pressure low.
        E             B  F# E
It's a high pressure low.


B
7 missiles flying over the sea of japan.
E
Tales of feral children sleeping in wolf dens.
         B
And the pious preacher commands.
                      F#         E E F# E (low)
I hold my breath in anticipation.
 B
Into the shelter of the jungle noble savages run.
 E
Vestal virgins triumph over life long inhibitions.
       B   Bb -B                     F#       E E F# Ab F#
And I wonder, what is real? What is fiction?

          E                            B   F#
There's just no future left for us to dream of,
              E       B    F#
living in an era of instability.
    E
So caught up in the culture of their rivals,
       B             F#
fear breeds in honest men.
                      B  F#
It's a high pressure low.
        E             B  F# E
It's a high pressure low.

      D     
Would anyone forgive Robert McNamara?
    G
In retrospect he had to admit;
             D                                                  A      G A
there was mistake in going to war without first asking all the questions.
     D       
Yes, Robert Strange McNamara,
           G
there are those who just cannot forget.
       D    C#2-D                    A       G A
And I wonder, have I lost my own compassion?

         G                              D    A
There's just no future left for us to dream of,
          G                 D  A
living in an era of instability.
                     G
So caught up in the culture of their rivals,
       D               A
fear breeds in honest men.
                      D   A
It's a high pressure low. 
        G             D   A
It's a high pressure low.
        G             D   A
It's a high pressure low. 
        G             D   A  G
It's a high pressure low.
                     
Outro:

G F# E-F#-E D A D 

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7. Ache With Me

Standard tuning, capo on 6th  fret.

C Am (4x) 
F Dm (2x)

Verse:
C                                    Am
I've walked down high streets looking through windows.
     C             Am
I've been lost in crowds of strangers.
F                        Dm                F                      Dm
Searched record shops and cosmetic aisles, phone books, want ads, bus stops and libraries.
C                    Am               C                    Am
Newspaper headlines, mannequin faces, television stations, billboard advertisements.
F                        Dm
Your voice echoes in the back of my mind.
F                      Dm    
I see your face when I close my eyes.


Chorus:
F                     G          C
Do you share the same sense of defeat?
                  F
Have you realized all the things you'll never be?
Dm             G                C                   F
Ideals turn to resentment, open minds close up with cynicism.
F
I've got no judgment for you.
                      G      Am     C
Come on and ache with me.
                      G      Am     C
Come on and ache with me.


Verse:
C                         Am
Through bar rooms, caf�s, jail cells and court rooms.
C                       Am
Theaters, restaurants, graveyards and churches.
     F                       Dm
I've spent every dollar that I've ever earned.
     F                       Dm
I'll bleed my heart out, I'll give every word.
C                     Am                   C                    Am
I've asked preachers, doctors and lawyers, socialites, pariahs, mothers and fathers.
F                Dm                     F            Dm            
You may not find all that you're after, in the end I hope it doesn't matter.


Chorus:
F                     G          C
Do you share the same sense of defeat?
                  F
Have you realized all the things you'll never be?
Dm             G                C                   F
Ideals turn to resentment, open minds close up with cynicism.
F
I've got no judgment for you.
                      G      Am     C
Come on and ache with me.
F                     G          C
Do you share the same sense of defeat?
                  F
Have you realized all the things you'll never be?
F
I've got no judgment for you.
                      G      Am     C
Come on and ache with me.
                      G      Am     C
Come on and ache with me.  
                      G
Come on and ache with me.

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8. Spanish Moss

CHORUS:
                 C                       G
You just need to find some place to get away.
                    D
You can forget your name.
                        F
And there's no need to apologize.
C
WHOAS

VERSE:
              C
It could be a good life.
It could be such a very good life.
                F
We could find a place for just me and you.
                   C
Need some place to stay safe, need some place to stay safe and warm.
    F
Why don't we deserve the same?


CHORUS

              C
Look into the Spanish moss.
Let your mind conjure up old ghosts.
         F
Ride you bike through lost Florida streets.
                 C
Everything we've said and done, can be so easily forgotten.
        F
You can always change who you are.


CHORUS


BRIDGE:
                   F                                D               G
I caught a glimpse of this life, it could be such a very good life.
                                      F
We could find a place for just me and you.
             F
But it's not yours to keep.
                               D
Yeah, the truth will tear your heart out.
     G                            F
In a world run by gangsters you're stuck standing in a bread line.


CHORUS

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9. Rapid Decompression

Intro: C


C   G           C
How much is too much?

C            G             C
I'm tired of predicting to lose.

    F                     C
But before you point your finger,

F                    C
before you cast your stones,

                        F# (slide to) G
take a look at yourself. 

                                                           C
How can you expect from someone what you won't do yourself?

G F C D 

C

           C         G            C
There's no bottom to your reality.

     C              G                  C
Your desperation is utter and complete.

               F              C                F                  C
What you can't love about yourself you have to steal from someone else;

                   F# (slide to) G        C
and what you can't steal you have to deny.
 
G F C D

C

(palm mute)
           C
Rapid Decompression.
           G             x2
Rapid Decompression.


      F        C
Rapid Decompression.
      F        C
Rapid Decompression.

             F# (slide to) G                             C
Sometimes it feels like your whole world is coming to an end. 

G F C D            C
      Coming to an end

G F C D            C
      Coming to an end.

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10. Bamboo Bones

Intro (x2)
---------------------5------(7)---------------------|
---------------------5------(7)---------------------|
-9-6--4-6-9-6-13-11--6------(8)---------------------|
-x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x---7------(9)---------------------|
-7-4--2-4-7-4-11-9---7------(9)---------------------|
---------------------5------(7)---------------------|

Verse: E,B,A,A
Chorus: C#m,A,E,B

                E             B
Don't let them break you.
                 A               A
Don't let them tell you who you are.
                          E            B
Doesn't matter where you come from,
                       A                 A
you'll always have a floor to sleep on.
                     E
And you have your bamboo bones,
   B
nervous energy,
   A
blind ambition,
 A
skin of your teeth.
      E                     B
Push back, push back, push back,
                            A
with every word and every breath.

     C#m           A
What god doesn't give to you,
              E                B
you've got to go and get for yourself.

                     E
I'm embarrassed to admit it,
 B
I've got no grip.
      A              A
I'm leading with my jaw.
                         E
Can you see it from a distance?
                B
Does it look ridiculous?
                A                        A
I guess that's just what I have to live with.
                E
Still I have a mind to think,
  B
knees to break,
       A            A
you standing beside me.
                   E                     B
I'm going to push back, push back, push back,
                           A
with every word and every breath.

     C#m          A
What god doesn't give to you,
              E                   B
you've got to go and get for yourself.


On Last "What god..." part play:
     E           B
What god doesn't give to you,
              A 
you've got to go and get for yourself
Am     Ab    C# 
for yourself

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White Crosses Album

Against Me