Don Henley – Damn It Rose (Guitar)

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Here's an underrated Don Henley song from "Inside Job". Like many of Don's songs, this is open to various interpretations, but the most obvious is that it deals with grieving for a friend's suicide. Great lyrics, good song. The chord progression is a lot like Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", but the two songs are otherwise worlds apart. I'm not 100% sure of the ending chord on the bridge, but I can vouch for the accuracy of the rest of the song. Written by Don Henley and Stan Lynch Chords used: Em, G, Am7, C, D, Dsus2, Dm, Bb and Eb The main verse riff is Em / G twice, then Em / Am7 / C / D (the D alternates with Dsus2). Listen to the record for the timing.
Em           G   
Maybe just a good night's sleep

Em                             G
Would've changed your troubled mind

Em                              Am7   
From that rather permanent decision

C                D / Dsus2 
So tragic - so unkind

Em                      G
Now pain is what you've given

Em                       G 
And sleep is what you'll get

Em                          Am7
So far away from that sweet baby child
C (don't play D here) Who hardly knew you yet... Interlude: just strum the same pattern as for the verses Em / G Em / G
Em                        G
Now he'll grow up to be a fighter

Em                     G
Full of anger, full of shame

Em                              Am7
Just like all the other haunted children

C                     D / Dsus2 
Who wonder why they came -

Em                         G 
And he'll be in and out of trouble

Em                         G  
Until he stands or till he falls

Em                         Am7
But there will always be a shadow there

C                                  Em      G      Em     G 
No matter how it goes...Damn it, Rose.
Bridge
Dm                      G 
Is this another cryptic message,

Dm                     G 
Or some kind of cosmic quiz?

Dm                        Bb  
If there's a lesson to be learnt from this,
Eb (Not sure, but I think it's directly back to Em) I don't know what it is - Interlude (same as the above) Em / G Em / G
Em                        G
You could've given us the finger

Em                            G
Much more constructively than that

Em                      Am7
Now I sit here with the MTV

C                        D / Dsus2
And your bloated Burmese cat

Em                         G
We're being treated to the wisdom

Em                       G 
Of some puffed-up little fart

Em                   Am7  
Doing exactly what I used to:

C
Pretensions to anarchy and art -

Em                          G 
He speaks the language of a warrior

Em                          G 
He mounts his misinformed attack

Em                           Am7 
He wears the clothes of a dissenter

C
But there's a logo on his back...

Em                  G
And it's a hollow rebellion,

Em                     G
Like rebellions mostly are

Em                       Am7   
It's just another raging tempest

C
In a jar...

Em                      G
And the seasons keep on changing,

Em                         G 
And the wind blows hot and cold -

Em                                 Am7
Wish that you were here with us to watch this tide

C
As it ebbs and flows....

C        Em        G       Em       G      
Damn it, Rose.
Coda: play Em / G repeatedly and fade out. There you have it! If anyone can figure out the missing chord, please let me know!