Dire Straits – Lions (Guitar)

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Chords

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by: Mark Knopfler From: “Dire Straits” (1978) Tabbed by: maguri Tuning: Standard --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whatever your strumming pattern, try to integrate the following changes into your accompaniment
[Bridge]
  Em   Em9         Em   Em9         Em   Em9       Gdim7    F#7
  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|------2---------|------2---------|------2---------|3-------2-------|
B|------3---------|------3---------|------3---------|2-------2-------|
G|------0---------|------0---------|------0---------|3-------3-------|
D|------2---------|------2---------|------2---------|2-------2-------|
A|2---------------|2---------------|2---------------|--------4-------|
E|0---------------|0---------------|0---------------(3)------2-------|

                                                   (break) (break)
  Bm7              F#m7             Bm7                C13(#11)
  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|2---------------|2---------------|2---------------|----5-----------|
B|3---------------|2---------------|3---------------|----5-----------|
G|2---------------|2---------------|2---------------|----3-----------|
D|4---------------|2---------------|4---------------|----4-----------|
A|2---------------|4---------------|2-------------0-|----3-----------|
E|----------------|2---------------|----------------|2---------------|
                                                       (break)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHORDS
          E-A-D-G-B-e
Bm7       x-2-4-2-3-2
G9        3-x-0-2-0-1
E9        0-2-x-1-3-2  or 0-7-6-7-7-x
Em9       0-2-2-0-3-2  or 0-2-0-0-0-2
Gdim7    (3)x-2-3-2-3
F#7       2-4-2-3-2-2
F#m7      2-4-2-2-2-2  
F#7(#9)   x-9-8-9-10-x or x-x-4-3-4-5-5
C13(#11) 8-9-8-9-10-x This C13(#11) chord: maybe the guitars on the x-3-4-3-5-5 recording don’t even play the C as the root but the bass plays it. So, if you’re playing alone, play the C, if you’ve got a bass player playing along, you can use the F#7(#9) throughout. I called this chord F#7(#9)/C here because it wouldn't get highlighted otherwise. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Intro] (faded in)
| Bm7 | D | A | G9 |
                   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |    F#7(#9)      |
                      (break)
[Verse 1]
Bm7     D
Red sun, goin' down

A        G9
 Way over dirty town

Bm7                  D
  Starlings, they're sweepin' around them ...

A       E9
  Crazy shoals

Bm7          D
  Yes, and a girl is there

A                  G9
 High heelin' out across the square

Bm7              D
  Wind it blows around in her hair and ...

A                    E9
  The flags upon the poles
[Bridge]
Em9                      Em9
 Waitin' in the crowd to cross at the light                 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Em9                  Gdim7   F#7        | Bm7 | F#m7 | Bm7 |    F#7(#9)/C    |
 She looks around to find a face she can like       Uh-uh     = C13(#11)
(break) (break) (break) [Verse 2]
Bm7        D
Church bell clingin' on, just a ...

A                         G9
 Tryin' to get a crowd for eve'n song

Bm7                D
 Nobody cares to depend upon

A              E9
  The chime it plays

Bm7                        D
They're all in the station prayin' for trains.

A                G9
 The congregation late again.

Bm7                 D
 It's gettin' darker all the time

A                E9
  These flagpole days.
[Bridge]
Em9                    Em9
 Drunk old soldier, he give her a fright                     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

      Em9                 Gdim7  F#7    | Bm7 | F#m7 | Bm7 |     F#7(#9)/C)    |
He's a crazy lion, he's a howlin' for a fight.     Uh huh      = C13(#11)
(break) (break) (break) [Guitar solo] | Bm7 | D | A | G9 |
| Bm7 | D | A | G9 |
                           1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

| Bm7 | Bm7 Bm7/F# | Bm7 |    F#7(#9)   |
           2-x-4-2-3-x         (break)
[Verse 3]
Bm7           D
Strap hangin', gunshot sound

A                         G9
 Doors slamming on the overground

Bm7                     D
 The starlings are tough

        A                    E9
But the lions are made of stone

Bm7                  D
 Her evening paper is horror torn

A                      G9
 There's hope for later, Capricorn.

Bm7                   D
 Lucky stars give her just enough

A            E9
  To get her home
[Bridge] variation
Em9                       Em9
 Then she'll read about a swing to the right

Em9                           Gdim7   F#7     | Bm7 | F#m7 |
 But she's a-thinkin' 'bout a stranger in the night
(break) (break) [Outro]
G                        A
  I'm thinkin' 'bout the lions

G                     A
  Thinkin'  'bout the lions

G                      A/E   | Bm7 | F#m7 |
  What happened to the lions tonight

 | Bm7 | F#m7 |
Tonight

 | Bm7 | F#m7 |
Tonight

   |  Bm7  |  A  |  %  |  %  |  %  |
Uh-uh-uh-uh

                   |  A  |  %  |  %  |  %  |
Thinking about the lions

|  A  |  %  |  %  |  %  |
 (repeat and fade, guitar licks ad lib)