Rush › Roll The Bones Guitar Tab

Roll The Bones Tabs:

Dreamline
Bravado
Roll The Bones »
Ghost Of A Chance

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Send "Roll The Bones" Ringtone to your Cell Phone

From: cpezzone@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Carmen J Pezzone)

          Roll The Bones
          by Rush


---2--2--2--2--2--0--0--0--------------------2--2--2--2--2--0--0--0--|
---3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--------------------3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--------------------2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
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                          Vocals start here
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---2--2--2--2--2--0--0--0------|
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Pre-Chorus

---8--8--8--8--8----8--8----8--8-------0--0--0--1--1----2----3--3--3--3--3/8--|
---8--8--8--8--7----7--5----5--7-------3--3--3--3--3----3----3--3--3--3--3/8--|
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---8--8--8--8--8----8--8----8--8--------5--5--5--5--5---5--5--5--5--5--5/7--7--|
---8--8--8--8--7----7--5----5--7--------6--6--6--6--6---6--6--6--6--6--6/8--8--|
----------------------------------------5--5--5--5--5---5--5--5--5--5--5/7--7--|
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repeat that 3X

Chorus

Em                  G5                 C
Why are we here?         Because were here. Roll the bones.

C
Roll the bones.

Em                  G5                 C
Why does it happen?      Because it happens. Roll the bones.

C
Roll the bones.


solo

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--17>(20)=====>(18)===>(17)--15-17---12>13>14>13>12------12-------|
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                              |- w/ bar.---|
-------------------------------------------8>7>8/8>7--7>8/10/10/12--|
-------7--8--10>8>7-----7---------------7-----------------------------|
--7>9----------------9-----9>7-----7>9--------------------------------|
--------------------------------9-------------------------------------|
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--12------12------12-----------------------12------12--15vvvvvv--|
------10------10------10/12---12--13--15------15----------------|
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                                |- n.h.
--15>(17)--15vvvvvv--12--15--15>(17)--15vvvvvv---------|
-------------------------------------------------"12"--|
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during "rap";

-------------------------------22>(23)>(22)>(23)-----------|
--1612-----------------------------------------------------|
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     |-- harm.
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----"5"vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv-----------------15>12-------12---|
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--12-----------------------------------|
------15>0---15--12>15>1211>(12)------|
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chorus break.

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---12---15-------15------15>(17)------15>(17)------15>(17)------15>(17)--|
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---12-----------12-----------------------------------20--18---|
-------15>(17)-------15>(17)>15vvv----------------------------|
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---------12--12-------------------|
--12>14----------14--12--12vvvv---|
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Send "Roll The Bones" Ringtone to your Cell Phone

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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Kazza Average	#1 by Kazza at Jan 24, 1973 at 12:16 PM EST
	This song is 100% amazing. I agree with the translation meaning that no matter where you are in life, accept what you are given and do what you can; take your chances. I LOVE the rap at the end of it. Not a lot of bands can pull that off in the middle of a song like this, but it is awesome. Props to the wicked CHANCE taken. They nailed it.

No Picture drw Average	#2 by drw drw at Dec 2, 1979 at 4:43 PM EST
	Is it just me, or is the voice used for the latter part of the song VERY gay?

No Picture bethan Average	#3 by bethan jones at Mar 29, 1984 at 3:24 PM EST
	-nemt "Is it just me, or is the voice used for the latter part of the song VERY gay?" Well, nemt, yes. It probably is 'just you' who think's that. Aside from your personal right to an opinion, I don't see how the word 'gay' can be used so blatantly in defining a Rush song, or a part of it. I'm really getting sick of these narrow-headed neanderthals like yourself who generalize everything they dislike with a false and ridiclious stereotype against homosexuals. You, nemt, should go browse through a dictionary and fill your vocabulary with something other that bullshit. Anywho. Rockin' song! Love the rapping by Geddy. Can't wait for the new album!

No Picture Sarah McKagan Musical Genius	#4 by Sarah McKagan (AKA - Lady Rock 'n' Roll) at Aug 3, 1987 at 6:00 PM EST
	I agree with 'lerxstgk' here. Especially with the part of the song that starts, "Faith is as cold as ice..." it certainly suggests athiesm. The idea that there is no ultimate entitiy/God to shape our lives is certainly present in this song.

No Picture Travis Wanna Be	#5 by Travis Alford at Jan 23, 1997 at 12:28 AM EST
	Something in this song tells me to not always live life as an exercise in consequence - stop asking "What if...?", otherwise you won't do anything. Other aspects of this song seem to point towards atheism, and the absence of any all powerful entity deciding our fate.

No Picture josh Average	#6 by josh meador at Mar 15, 1997 at 7:57 AM EST
	Very well put. This song makes me want to just go out and do something crazy.

No Picture Derek Lead Player	#7 by Derek O'Kanos at Aug 9, 1997 at 11:51 PM EST
	In ancient times the tossing of a dice was not just considered to be form of luck, the outcome was believed to be controlled by the gods and casting dice was a way of dividing ones inheritances, choosing the rulers and as a method of predicting events. The Roman goddess, Fortuna, the daughter of Zeus (known to gamblers as Lady Luck), was believed to determine the outcome of the throw. Before standard cubical dice became the common for dice, ancient peoples would use fruit pits, stones, pairs of flat sticks, sea shells, nut shells and pebbles to get the random results for games. These customs were probably adopted from witch doctors and shaman who would toss them to gain insight and knowledge of the unknown and things to come. Fortune telling is still practiced with standard dice to this day. Animal knucklebones were the next step in the evolution of dice. The Greeks and Romans used sheep anklebones as well as the more developed cubical spotted dice. The Romans called the four-sided anklebones Tali or Astaragali and the standard six-sided dice Tesserae. The Arab word for knucklebones is the same word they use for dice. Playing with dice is still known as "rolling the bones" to this day. The song is all about "chance" being the frame for the things we "choose" (our Freewill). While not the lyricist, Geddy Lee is of Jewish heritage. There are a few examples of "casting lots" in the Old Testament. BTW- the whole "rapping skeleton" seen in the video (and the RTB concert i went to in 1991) is a bit cheesy and goofy. But come on guys! Remember , this is RUSH we're dealing with. They were always experimenting. Practicing what they "preached" so-to-speak. They take chances - even with thier music. That's the irony of the song. It's a shame so many Rush fans didn't get the joke.

No Picture Your account ha Average	#8 by Your account has been hacked into by Bkid23 Stupid.... at Dec 3, 1998 at 12:40 AM EST
	I don't mind the hip-hop part. Alex is doing the faint solo in the background, so it kind of makes it still okay with me. I see in the voice, though, that the theme of god and religion, it is kind of like God talking -- the big voice.

No Picture Flappy Average	#9 by Flappy Bob at Jan 12, 2002 at 12:50 AM EST
	The song is kind of conflicting - is it representing self determination and free will (common Rush themes) or pure luck and general randomness?

No Picture Dillon Rhythm Player	#10 by Dillon H. at Apr 21, 2002 at 5:04 PM EST
	The theme of the entire song and its accompanying album are about atheism and humanity's wishing for order when none exists. This song in particulary describes the real randomness of life and juxtaposed this against humans' various religious and quasi-religious activities (zodiac, faith, etc.). Peart puts it plainly, "We draw our own designs...Fate is just the weight of circumstances." There is no god or gods and Peart is simply reflecting this reality.