Billy Bragg – Why We Build The Wall (Guitar Live)

Capo 3
Key
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Versions (2)

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Chords

"Why We Build The Wall" Billy Bragg (originally Anais Mitchell) 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]
Em
Why do we build the wall?

G            D
My children, my children

Em                         G Am Em
Why do we build the wall?

Em
Why do we build the wall?

G                    D
We build the wall to keep us free

Em
That's why we build the wall

Em           G        Am      Em
We build the wall, to keep us free
[Verse 2]
Em
How does the wall keep us free?

G            D
My children, my children

Em                               G Am Em
How does the wall keep us free?

Em
How does the wall keep us free?

G                  D
The wall keeps out the enemy

G                        D
And we build the wall to keep us free

Em
That's why we build the wall

Em           G       Am      Em
We build the wall to keep us free
[Verse 3]
Em
Who do we call the enemy?

G            D
My children, my children

Em                         G Am Em
Who do we call the enemy?

Em
Who do we call the enemy?

G            D
The enemy is poverty

G                      D
And the wall keeps out the enemy

G                        D
And we build the wall to keep us free

Em
That's why we build the wall

Em           G       Am      Em
We build the wall to keep us free
[Verse 4]
Em
Because we have and they have not

G            D
My children, my children

Em                                  G Am Em
Because they want what we have got

Em
Because we have and they have not

G            D
The enemy is poverty

G                      D
And the wall keeps out the enemy

G                        D
And we build the wall to keep us free

Em
That's why we build the wall

Em           G       Am      Em
We build the wall to keep us free
[Verse 5]
Em
What do we have that they should want?

G            D
My children, my children

Em                                      G Am Em
What do we have that they should want?

Em
What do we have that they should want?

G                 D
We have a wall to work upon

G                D
We have work and they have none

G               D
And our work is never done

G            D
My children, my children

G              D
And the war is never won

G            D
The enemy is poverty

G                      D
And the wall keeps out the enemy

G                        D
And we build the wall to keep us free

Em
That's why we build the wall

Em           G       Am      Em
We build the wall to keep us free

Em           G       Am      Em
We build the wall to keep us free