#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the#
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Date: Sun, 31 May 1998 16:19:53 -0500
Subject: p/pink_floyd/us_and_them.tab
From: topworm@juno.com (Ryan Scholz)
originally From: jonathan@cora.com (Jonathan)
PINK FLOYD
"Us and Them"
A song from "Dark Side of the Moon"
from Capitol Records, Released March 1973
Written by Roger Waters and Richard Wright
Sung by David Gilmour
saxophone by Dick Parry
Verse (Guitar 1)
tabbed by Jonathan
E|---------5-------|---------5-------|---------7-------|---------7-------|
B|-----5-----5---5-|-----5-----5---5-|-----7-----7---7-|-----7-----7---7-|
G|---7---7-----7---|---7---7-----7---|---9---9-----9---|---9---9-----9---|
D|-0-----0---------|-0-----0---------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|---------9-------|--------9--------|---------7-------|---------7-------|
B|-----10----10--10|-----10-10-10--10|-----8-----8---8-|-----8-----8---8-|
G|---10--------10--|---10---10---10--|---7---7-----7---|---7---7-----7---|
D|-0-----0---------|-0------0--------|-0-----0---------|-0-----0---------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E |---------5-------|---------5-------|
B |-----5-----5---5-|-----5-----5---5-|
G |---7---7-----7---|---7---7-----7---|
D |-0---------------|-0-----0---------|
A |-----------------|-----------------|
E |-----------------|-----------------|
Pre-Chorus (Guitar 2)
(Everything from here on is tabbed by Ryan)
e|--5-------5--4-----------------------------------|
B|--5-------5--4-----------------------------------|
G|--7-------7--6-----------------------------------|
D|--7-------7--6-----------------------------------|
A|--5-------5--4-----------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
Chorus (Guitar 1)
"...Forward..." "...Died..."
e|--2-2-0-2-----------------2-2-2(h)-3-(p)-2--0----|
B|--3-3-0-3-----------------3-3-3----3-----3--0----|
G|--4-4-4-4-----------------0-0-0----0-----0--0----|
D|--4-4-4-4-----------------0-0-0----0-----0--0----|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
|strum as needed..................................|
The saxophone part transcribed to guitar...
(Guitar 2 The entire time)
? The notes beneath the tab are the notes for saxophone players, or if
you're sick of reading
tabs and want to learn some music theory!
? Play along w/cd or you'll have no clue what's going on!
? Also,if something doesn't sound right, try playing on a different
string. I accidentally tabbed parts of it on the wrong string. I think I
corrected all of them, but I can't be certain. Please notify me of this
if you find it.
First part (Sax intro)
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|---7-7---3/7---9-7------9---5/9------------------|
A|-5-----------------7/12----------9-7-9-----------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
D A A F A B A E A B G B F# E F#
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------/5b~--2---------------------|
G|----------------2------------2-------------------|
D|--------------2----------------------------------|
A|-7b~--------4------------------------------------|
E|----9--------------------------------------------|
E~ F# C# E A E~ C# A
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------10------------------------|
G|---4-7-----4-7-9b^9-7-----------9-7--------------|
D|-5-------5---------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
G B D G B D E E D A E D
Various fills (Sax)
"...and after all, were only ordinary men..."
e|--------10-7-------------------------------------|
B|-/8-8---------8-8-7------------------------------|
G|--------------------/7---------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
G G D B G G f# D
"...it's not what we would choose to do..."
e|-----------||------------------------------------|
B|-----------||---------------------10--14-10------|
G|-----------||--------11-9-------------------(12)-|
D|-9(h)12----||-9(h)12------12-9-------------------|
A|-----------||------------------12----------------|
E|-----------||------------------------------------|
|"choose..."||"to do..."|
E G E G f# E D B A A C# A (G)
"...Forward, he cried, from the rear..."
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|/15~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
|let ring|
D~~~
"...died..." "...general sat..."
e|---------/12b------------------------------------|
B|-15(p)12----------/15----------------------------|
G|----------------------16-14-16-------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
D B E D B A B
"...side to side..."
e|-----------/12b----------------------------------|
B|-15b~~~------------------------------------------|
G|--------16---------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
D B E
"...who is who..."
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------10----------|
G|----------------------9b^9-7-------7-------------|
D|--9--12--9----7/9-12----------7-7----------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
B D B A B D E E D A A D A
e|-------------9b~---------------------------------|
B|----------7-------10--7--10--7-------------------|
G|-------7-----------------------------------------|
D|--5/7--------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
G A D F# C# A F# A F#
"...haven't you heard..."
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-/15b~15------/15b~15-------/15--17--15--13--12~-|
G|-----------16------------16----------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
D D B D D B D E D C B
"...listen, son, said the man with the gun..."
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|--15------17^~^~^~^~------15b~15--12------17-----|
G|------16--------------16---------------14------15|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
D B E B D D B A E A#
Sax Solo (Skipping Piano and talking)
e|--------------------------------|----------------|
B|-10-------7-10-12-10----10------|/12-121415-15-12|
G|----11--7------------11----11-11|----|_(3)_|-----|
D|--------------------------------|----------------|
A|--------------------------------|----------------|
E|--------------------------------|----------------|
A F# D F# A B B F# A F# F# B B C# D D B
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------12-10-------------------------------------|
G|-11-14-------12-/11-------11-9-------------------|
D|--------------------12-14------12-11-9-----------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
F# A E A G C# D E F# E D C# B
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------10----------------|
G|-----------------10------9/10--------------------|
D|--7/9/11--11--11-----7/9-------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
A B C# C# C# F A B E F A
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-14----------------------------------------------|
G|----14-12/14\11-9/10\9----------------9------11--|
D|-----------------------11----(9)-9-12---9-12-----|
A|--------------------------12---------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
C# A G A F# E F E C# A B B D E B D F#
e|---------------------9-10------------------------|
B|-------------10-7-10-----------------------------|
G|------9/11-7-----------------7-------------------|
D|-9-12---------------------------0----------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
B D E F# D A F# A C# D D D
(All instruments come in)
e|--------0/10~------------------------------------|
B|----0123------12-10-12-10---------9/10--10/12----|
G|-234----------------------11---------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
AA#BBCC#DE D B A B A F# G#A A B
e|---10\9/10\9~-10---------------------------------|
B|-------------------12-10-12----------------------|
G|----------------------------11^9~~~~~~~~~--------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
D C# D C# D B A B F# E
e|-7~---7-10-9-7-----7-10~-12-10-------------------|
B|-7~-7----------7-8-------------12-11-14-12-11-9--|
G|-9~----------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
B~ F# B D C# BF#G B D E D B A# C# B A# G#
End Solo
"...without..." "...fighting's all about..."
e|------------------|---------------------9-9------|
B|-----7-----7-5----|------------10----10----------|
G|-7-9---7-9-----7-6|-----7/9-11----11-------------|
D|------------------|-7-8--------------------------|
A|------------------|------------------------------|
E|------------------|------------------------------|
D E F# D EF#E DD# A A#D E F# A F# A C# C#
"...out of the way..."
e|-/14-14-12-14-121212-----------------------------|
B|--------------| (3) |--13b-12-12-12-15-----------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
F# F# E F# EEE C B B B D
Here are the lyrics in full, taken from CD booklet:
? Capitol records, 1973
Us, and them
And after all we're only ordinary men
Me, and you
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do
"Forward!" he cried, from the rear
And the front rank died
And the general sat, and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
Black, and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who
Up and Down
And in the end it's only round and round and round
"Haven't you heard it's a battle of words"
The poster bearer cried
"Listen, son," said the man with the gun,
"There's room for you inside"
Down and out
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about
With, without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about
Out of the way, it's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
For want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
mike Average |
#1 by mike duncan at Aug 28, 1987 at 10:58 PM EST |
| I dont think its about war, to me it is about (considering the album concept being things that drive poeple insane) when people look at people differently, be it wealth, social status, race, etc... I do see why people think its about war, but i think the war idea is more of a metaphor. "forward he cried from the rear and the front rank died" could be about war, but i think its about how younger generations are tought to be discriminatory by older people. "Forward he cried from the rear"= older(or just other) people "teaching" discrimination. The front rank dieing to me, means how people's hearts or souls (not literally) being wasted hating others. | |
|
No Picture
Steve Wanna Be |
#2 by Steve Williams at Mar 21, 1989 at 8:53 AM EST |
| The song is very simply about war. Us and them is referring to the sides of the war."God only knows its not what we would choose to do" is saying that he knows that both sides don't really want to be in the war. "And who knows which is which and who is who" is saying that everybody, in the end, is the same. and there is really no point in warring with each other. Some of the stuff i have said may be a tad innaccurate, but I'm only human. This is the general concept of the song, though. | |
|
No Picture
Toby Musical Thunder |
#3 by Toby at May 20, 1992 at 10:27 AM EST |
| this song is about the munckins in the wizard of oz everybody knows that if you play this record in synch with the wizard of oz then everything lines up do a google search for "dark side of oz" if you dont believe me this song plays during the munchkin scene "and after all we're only ordinary men " is the actors who played the munchkins speaking | |
|
No Picture
ben Rhythm Player |
#4 by ben kurkul at Feb 6, 1993 at 2:28 AM EST |
| also the music (not including the lyrics) was written by pink floyd in the mid 60s to be played over tapes of protesters fighting with cops and whatknot. | |
|
No Picture
tristan Rhythm Player |
#5 by tristan drew at Jul 3, 1998 at 3:37 AM EST |
| Us and them and after all we're only ordinary men me and you God only knows it's not what we would choose to do This is saying that the people you fight against in a war aren't really evil...we're all just ordinary men. We wouldn't choose to fight, but we have to in order to defend our countries. forward he cried from the rear and the front rank died and the General sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side The people who start the war give orders, but aren't out there doing the fighting. Human beings are dying on the whims of the generals, but the generals are detached from that fact because they sit in cushy offices just watching the lines on the map going side to side. The lines are moving side to side because people are dying. Black and blue and who knows which is which and who is who I think this is saying that who is right and who is wrong is really a subjective idea. Both sides believe they are doing what is right. up and down and in the end it's only round and round and round I'm not sure about this line, but my guess is that it means you have victories and defeats, but in the end, you're just watching people die over and over again. haven't you heard it's a battle of words the poster bearer cried Protesters saying that war is all about propaganda. listen, son, said the man with the gun there's room for you inside Recruiters trying to lure people into joining the fight. Down and out it can't be helped but there's a lot of it about with, without and who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about There is a lot of poverty in the world and all war is really just about wanting more money/land. out of the way, it's a busy day I've got things on my mind for want of the price of tea and a slice the old man died I'm not sure about this part either. Maybe that people become so detached from their emotions after fighting for awhile that they go crazy and will kill over any little thing. | |
|
No Picture
marvin Lead Player |
#6 by marvin at Sep 28, 2007 at 9:11 PM EST |
| This song is about war. More specifically The Vietnam war. "with without, and who'll deny its what the fightings all about" that is the communist ideals of haves against the havenots. "afterall were only ordinary men" (draftees) "generals sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side." the wars "lines" were undefined and moved all the time. This is the best song pink floyd ever made... by far... | |
|
No Picture
Joshua Wanna Be |
#7 by Joshua graham at Oct 2, 2007 at 12:17 AM EST |
| This song is not only about warfare -- it's about the cause of it, ie class struggles (it's rather marxist): "with, without, and who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?" It's about the tendency of people to cause suffering for the sake of their own greed and personal advancement, and how this gets humanity nowhere. | |
|
No Picture
Vinny Average |
#8 by Vinny Spano at Oct 2, 2007 at 11:51 AM EST |
| Umm. none of u know anything about this song its not about war it was when Richard Wright made the perfect song that a scene of police brutality would be sung to... yes the song is about cops beating innocent people up, actually look up the facts by the band members themself then guess. Geez | |
|
No Picture
a Average |
#9 by a a at Oct 3, 2007 at 7:42 PM EST |
| i believe its about war... some other songs are about war too | |
|
No Picture
adam Average |
#10 by adam humphreys at Oct 3, 2007 at 8:04 PM EST |
| God, this song is so poetic. I particularly like the line "Up and down, and in the end it's only round and round and round...". Probably because the vocal is just so glorious. Fantastic stuff! | |
|
No Picture
The Great South Lead Player |
#11 by The Great Southern Trendkill at Oct 4, 2007 at 7:34 AM EST |
| This song is about war. More specifically The Vietnam war. "with without, and who'll deny its what the fightings all about" that is the communist ideals of haves against the havenots. "afterall were only ordinary men" (draftees) "generals sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side." the wars "lines" were undefined and moved all the time. This is the best song pink floyd ever made... by far... | |
|
No Picture
amy Average |
#12 by amy at Oct 8, 2007 at 10:09 AM EST |
| something about war....ill analyze it later maybe... | |
|
No Picture
tim Lead Player |
#13 by tim sears at Oct 8, 2007 at 6:37 PM EST |
| The song is definitly about war. haven't you heard it's a battle of words the poster bearer cried listen, son, said the man with the gun there's room for you inside This verse is about a protester being arrested. | |
|
No Picture
brock Average |
#14 by brock someone at Oct 9, 2007 at 4:54 AM EST |
| Definitely war... and for me the pointlessness of it all... fat old men sitting back in their cushy chairs deciding the fates of others so that some lines on a map can move this way or that... and that in the end, friend or foe, the people doing the fighting and dying are really not all that dissimilar to one another, and given an option, they wouldn't be there to begin with.... I never caught the reference to the protestor being arrested or the relevance of the whisperings that Mtter ref'd (thanks for pointing them out), but they just make it much more saliently about the Vietnam war era for me, and just war in general... parts of the song also remind me of the movie Gallipoli (WWI)... this is definitely one of the more powerful Floyd songs in my opinion | |
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