Fistful Of Steel Guitar Tab

Rage Against The Machine (LP) Tabs:

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Rage Against The Machine - Fistful Of Steel
Tabbed By: Tim Hall
EMail: RunningFromSatan
Album: Rage Against The Machine (1992)
Guitarist: Tom Morello

KEY:
b - Bend	/  - Slide up
r - Release	  - Slide down
h - Hammer on	 - Natural harmonics
~ - Vibe        pm - Palm mute

SETUP:
Standard Tuning (EADGBE)
Digitech Whammy
Metal slide
Whammy bar (not necessary)

INTRO:  This is a neat kind of motorized sound.  Set the Whammy pedal 
2 oct. up, and trem pick a muted E-string while moving the pedal up 
and down slowly.  End by picking all open strings with pedal fully 
depressed, then move on to chorus.

CHORUS (whammy off):

E |-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B |---------------------0------|---------------------0----0--|
G |---------------------0------|---------------------0----0--|
D |--------x-x----------0------|--------x-x----------0----0--|
A |-2-4-4--x-x--2-4-4---0------|-2-4-4--x-x--2-4-4---0----0--|
E |-0h2-2--x-x--0h2-2-------------|-0h2-2--x-x--0h2-2---------------|

E |-------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B |---------------------0------|-----------------------x----|
G |---------------------0------|-----------------------x----|
D |--------x-x----------0------|--------x-x------------x----|
A |-2-4-4--x-x--2-4-4---0------|-2-4-4--x-x--2-4-4-----x----|
E |-0h2-2--x-x--0h2-2-------------|-0h2-2--x-x--0h2-2------------------|

(not exactly tabbed, experiment with different harmonics when needed)

Repeat the same pattern 3x, ending on:

E |------------------------------------|
B |------------------------------------|
G |------------------------------------|
D |--------x-x----------12--x--12--12--| (x2)

repeat 2 more times before the solo
Solo : I don't know !
Then,
e|---------|
b|---------|
g|---------|
d|-4-3-2---|
a|-------0-|
E|---------|
----->(x16)

e|--------------------------|
b|--------------------------|
g|--------------------------|
d|-2--4---7---4-3-2---4-3-2-|
a|-2--4---7---------0-------|
E|-0--2--~5~----------------|
------>(x4)

e|---------|
b|---------|
g|---------|
d|-4-3-2---|
a|-------0-|
E|---------|
----->(many times!.....just wait for the drum to start the other riff)

e|--------------------------|
b|--------------------------|
g|--------------------------|
d|-2--4---7---4-3-2---4-3-2-|
a|-2--4---7---------0-------|
E|-0--2--~5~----------------|
------>('til the end)

=========



Song: Fistful of Steel
Band: Rage Against the Machine
Album: Self Titled
the intro w/the sounds is played on the a-string (muted w/frethand) and the

'frethand' moves up and down the a string changing the sound.


e|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
g|-------------------------------------0--3---------------------------|
d|-------------------------------------0--3---------------------------|
a|--2--4--4---x--x----2--4--4---x--x----------2--4--4---x--x----------|
e|--0--2--2---x--x----0--2--2---x--x----------0--2--2---x--x----------|


e|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
g|--------------------0--12--12--------------------------------------|
d|--------------------0--12--12--------------------------------------|
a|--2--4--4---x--x-----------12------2--4--4---x--x---2--4--4---x--x-|
e|--0--2--2---x--x--------------------0--2--2---x--x---0--2--2---x--x-|

                                  1st time      2nd time   3rd time (last)
e|------------------------------|-------------|-----------|--------------|
b|------------------------------|------0------|------0----|----x-0--9----|
g|---0--5-----------------------|---0--0------|---0--0----|--0-x-0--9----|
d|---0--5-----------------------|---0---------|---0-------|--0-----------|
a|----------2--4--4---x--x------|-------------|-----------|--------------|
e|----------0--2--2---x--x------|-------------|-----------|--------------|

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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture edwin Wanna Be	#1 by edwin henrriquez at Jun 15, 1980 at 8:28 AM EST
	This song is tight man. It doesn't annoy me. Just an outstanding album..

No Picture josh Average	#2 by josh stagel at Oct 22, 1983 at 7:07 AM EST
	ratm fucking ROCK

No Picture Kyle Average	#3 by Kyle Lester at May 4, 1986 at 7:15 AM EST
	And if the vibe was suicide Then you would push da button But if ya bowin' down Then let me do the cuttin' ---anyone got any ideas for these lyrics? and who else thinks the outro solo is sweet?

No Picture jake Professional	#4 by jake burns at Feb 6, 1993 at 4:27 PM EST
	And mad boy grips the microphone Wit' a fistful of steel This line is about how someone pulling out a gun immediately becomes 'center stage' and who's 'voice' is heard. Actions speak louder than words. A .44 full of bullets Face full of pale Eyes full of empty A stare full of nails The roulette ball rolls alone on the wheel A mind full of fire And a fistful of steel This is how someone who's snapped pulling out a gun and taking the gamble of consequences. If the vibe was suicide Then you would push da button Not as sure on this but maybe a suicide bomber. But if ya bowin' down Then let me do the cuttin' Again, not sure, but likely meaning that if you chicken out of it he'd gladly slit your wrists for you and end your empty threat.

No Picture Matt Rhythm Player	#5 by Matt at Oct 22, 1995 at 4:56 AM EST
	and if your bowing down let me do the cutting is a basic execution if your bowing down (lowering your head) let me do the cutting (ill be the one to finish you off)

No Picture terry Rhythm Player	#6 by terry terry watts at Sep 1, 1998 at 10:35 PM EST
	And if the vibe was suicide Then you would push da button But if ya bowin' down Then let me do the cuttin' whats hes saying is: when everybodys committing suicide and therefore, you would do it too and thus bow down => dont commit suicide cause i would love to slaughter (let me do the cuttin) all those "sheeps"

No Picture danielle Lead Player	#7 by danielle woodley at Nov 11, 2004 at 12:41 PM EST
	i think if youre bowin down it means if youre bowin down to everything else like the big crowd. ALso fistfull of steel is a microphone and that person is breaking the silence, hes telling hte people on a microphone that he dissaproves

No Picture (DDD Bass Gu Rhythm Player	#8 by (DDD Bass Guitar/Backup Vocals) Jeff Fritts at Dec 1, 2005 at 11:25 AM EST
	Fistful of steel? I'm just assuming that is a microphone...and yes Sean7711 all of Tom's solos are sweet by default hehe...sevenfeetdeep I agree with your opinion

No Picture chris Average	#9 by chris at Jun 14, 2006 at 7:08 AM EST
	sevenfeetdeep is right. This song is about falling in line and not questioning authority. I believe that the line "the silent sheep" refers to Animal Farm by George Orwell. The sheep were ignorant and followed to pigs rule without question. "cuase' i know the power of a question" refers to the fact that everyone's voice counts and they should not be afraid to use it. So in short don't authority without questioning it.