The Clash – I Fought The Law (Bass Tab)

Video Lesson

Versions (3)

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I Fought the Law - as played by the Clash There are many little variations here and there, I probably missed some. Intro (0:05)

G|-----|
D|-----|
A|-10\-|
E|-----|

   D      D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5--5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2---------|

   D       D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--|
E|-----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2-----|

Verse 1 (0:18)

"Breaking rocks..."
   D       D       G       D       
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-3/5-5-0-5-5-5-0-------3-5--5-0-|
E|-----------------3-3-3----------|

"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|

   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|

"I needed money..."
   D       D       G       D       
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-------3-5--5-0-|
E|-----------------3-3-3----------|

"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|

   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5\--|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|

Chorus 1 (0:36)

"I left my baby..."
   G                            D                           G
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------4-4-7--5-4-----4--7--5\-----------------------------|
A|----2-2-5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-5-5------------5-5-------------2--5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-|
E|-3-------------3-3----------------------------------------3------------3-3------------|

"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A      D      D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5----------5--5-0-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5\--|
E|---------------3-5-5-5-------------------------5--3--2------|

Solo (0:53)

   G                             D
G|--------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------5----5----5----|
A|----2-2-5-5-3-2-----2-2-5-5-3\-5---5---5----5---5----5\-| x 3
E|-3--------------3-3--------------5----------------------|

   G
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|----2-2-5-5-3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-|
E|-3--------------3-3------------|

   D      D       A       D      D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5--5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|--------------3-5-5-5--------------------------5--3--2---------|

Verse 2 (1:21)

"Robbing people..."
   D       D              
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5\-----------------|
E|--------------------------------|

"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-3/5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|

   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|

"I lost my girl..."
   D       D       G       D       
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-------3-5--5-0-|
E|-----------------3-3-3----------|

"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A      D
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5----------5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5---------|

   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5\--|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|

Chorus 2 (1:40)

"I left my baby..."
   G                            D                           G
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------4-4-7--5-4-----4--7--5\-----------------------------|
A|----2-2-5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-5-5------------5-5-------------2--5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-|
E|-3-------------3-3----------------------------------------3------------3-3------------|

"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D      D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5--------------------------5--3--2---------|

Intro (1:56)

   D       D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|-----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2---------|

   D       D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--|
E|-----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2-----|

Outro (2:09) "I fought the law..." x 4 (no bass)

then
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|-0-3-4-5--5-0-5-5-5---------3-5---5-0-|
E|--------------------3-5-5-5-----------|

G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5---5-0-| x 2
E|---------------3-5-5-5-----------|

   D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--|
E|-----------------5--3--2-----|

It's easy to get lost, so here's the structure with the guitar chords: Intro: D G A D D A-G-F#-D x 2 Verse 1: D D G D "Breaking rocks..." D D A D x 2 "I fought the law..." D D G D "I needed money..." D D A D x 2 "I fought the law..." Chorus 1: G D G "I left my baby..." D D A D D A-G-F#-D "I fought the law..." Solo: G D x 3 G D D A D D A-G-F#-D Verse 2: D D (guitar stops) "Robbing people..." D D A D x 2 "I fought the law..." D D G D "I lost my girl..." D D A D x 2 "I fought the law..." Chorus 2: G D G "I left my baby..." D D A D D A-G-F#-D "I fought the law..." Intro: D G A D D A-G-F#-D x 2 Outro: (no rhythm guitar) "I fought the law..." x 8 ends on A-G-F#-D