Greenday
21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown
2009 Reprise Records
Submitted by: paramore_fans@yahoo.com
There are 2 versions of this song
The Demo Version and the Album version
Key: C# then Ab
Tuning: Standard EADGBe
Chords used:
C# - x46664
G# - 466544
F# - 244322
Bbm - x13321
Ab/C - x365xx
G#7 - 466574
A. Demo Version
Intro:
Piano: x10
e|--------16-----16----|-16--18-|-16----------|
B|-----18-----18----18-|--------|-----19-18---|
G|-18------------------|--------|-------------|
D|---------------------|--------|-------------|
A|-16------------------|--------|-------------|
E|---------------------|--------|-------------|
| x2
|
e|--------16-----16----|-16--18-|-16----------|
B|-----18-----18----18-|--------|-----19-18---|
G|-18------------------|--------|-------------|
D|---------------------|--------|-------------|
A|---------------------|--------|-------------|
E|---------------------|--------|-------------|
e|--------16-----16----|-16--18-|-16--------|
B|-----18-----18----18-|--------|-----19-18-|
G|-18------------------|--------|-----------|
D|---------------------|--------|-----------| x6
A|-16------------------|--------|-----------|
E|---------------------|-16-----|-14--------|
Distortion: x2
Verse 1:
Born into Nixon I was raised in hell
A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled
The last one born and the first one to run
My town was blind from refinery sun
Refrain:
My generation is zero
I never made it as a working class hero
Guitar 2: Refrain
e|---------|-6-----6h7p6---|---------|---------|------|
B|---------|---7---------7-|---------|---------|------|
G|-3-3-3-3-|-----6---------|-3-3-3-3-|---------|------|
D|-3-3-3-3-|---------------|-3-3-3-3-|-4-4-4-4-|-6--6-|
A|-1-1-1-1-|---------------|-1-1-1-1-|-4-4-4-4-|-6--6-|
E|---------|---------------|---------|-2-2-2-2-|-4--4-|
Chorus 1:
21st century breakdown
I once was lost
but never was found
I think I'm losing
what's left of my mind
to the 20th century deadline
Interlude: x2
Guitar 2:
e|------4----4---|-4--6-|-4------|
B|----6----6---6-|------|----7-6-|
G|-6-------------|------|--------|
D|---------------|------|--------|
A|---------------|------|--------|
E|---------------|------|--------|
Verse 2:
I was made of poison and blood
Combination is what I understood
From Mexico to the Berlin Wall
Homeland security could kill us all
(Repeat Refrain and Chorus 1)
Interlude: Beat Changes from slow to fast
G#-- x8
Guitar 2:
e|----------------------------------|
B|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
G|----5-5-5------5-5-5----------6-5-|
D|-6--------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
Bridge:
We are the cries of the class of '13
Born in the year of humility
we are the desperate in the decline
x4
Raised by the bastards of 1969
Guitar 2:
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-6-|
G|-6--------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
Verse 3:
My name is 'No one'
your long lost son
Born on the 4th of July
Raised in the barnyards
of he-roes and cons
Left me for dead or alive
Verse 4:
There is a war that's
inside my head
That questions the
results and lies
I'm breaking my back
till I'm better off dead
We are not payed
enough to survive
Interlude: x4
Guitar 2:
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4---|---|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-|-6-|
G|-6------------------------------|---|
D|--------------------------------|---| x4
A|--------------------------------|---|
E|--------------------------------|---|
Verse 5:
I am an engine
A worker A pawn
My debt to the status quo
The scars on my hands
and a means to an end
It's all that I have to show
Verse 6:
I'm taking a loan on my sa-ni-ty
For the redemption of my soul
well I am exempt from this tra-ge-dy
And the 21st century fall
Chorus 2:
I praise liberty the freedom to o--bey
It's a song that strangles me
Well don't cross the line
x3,
Guitar Solo: C#--G#/C--Bbm--G#--F#--A--C#
Guitar 2:
e|-------|---------|-----|-------|----------|---------|--------|
B|-6---6-|-4--6--4-|-----|-4-----|-2--------|---------|--------|
G|-------|---------|-6---|---5---|---3------|-2--1----|-1------|
D|-------|---------|-----|-----6-|-----4--4-|-------4-|----3---|
A|-------|---------|-----|-------|----------|---------|------4-|
E|-------|---------|-----|-------|----------|---------|--------|
Outro:
Oh, dream, American dream
I can't even sleep
from rainstorms till dawn
Oh, bleed, America bleed
Believe what you read
A(hold)
from heroes and cons
B. Album Version
Intro:
Piano/Acoustic Guitar: Same Intro to the song See The Light
x8
Guitar 2:
e|-11-----11-----11-----11-----11-------|
B|----9------9------9------9------9---9-|
G|------8------8------8------8------8---|
D|--------------------------------------| x8
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
Distortion: x2
Verse 1:
Born into Nixon I was raised in hell
A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled
The last one born and the first one to run
My town was blind from refinery sun
Refrain:
My generation is zero
I never made it as a working class hero
Guitar 2: Refrain
e|---------|-6-----6h7p6---|---------|---------|------|
B|---------|---7---------7-|---------|---------|------|
G|-3-3-3-3-|-----6---------|-3-3-3-3-|---------|------|
D|-3-3-3-3-|---------------|-3-3-3-3-|-4-4-4-4-|-6--6-|
A|-1-1-1-1-|---------------|-1-1-1-1-|-4-4-4-4-|-6--6-|
E|---------|---------------|---------|-2-2-2-2-|-4--4-|
Chorus 1:
21st century breakdown
I once was lost
but never was found
I think I'm losing
what's left of my mind
to the 20th century deadline
Interlude: x2
Guitar 2:
e|------4----4---|-4--6-|-4------|
B|----6----6---6-|------|----7-6-|
G|-6-------------|------|--------|
D|---------------|------|--------|
A|---------------|------|--------|
E|---------------|------|--------|
Verse 2:
I was made of poison and blood
Condemnation is what I understood
Video games to the tower's fall
Homeland Security could kill us all
(Repeat Refrain and Chorus 1)
Interlude: Beat Changes from slow to fast
G#-- x8
Guitar 2:
e|----------------------------------|
B|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
G|----5-5-5------5-5-5----------6-5-|
D|-6--------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
Bridge:
We are the cries of the class of '13
Born in the year of humility
we are the desperate in the decline
x4
Raised by the bastards of 1969
Guitar 2:
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-6-|
G|-6--------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
Verse 3:
My name is 'No one'
your long lost son
Born on the 4th of July
Raised in the barnyards
of he-roes and cons
Left me for dead or alive
Verse 4:
I Am A nation
A worker of pride
My debt to the status quo
The scars on my hands
And the means to an end
Is all that I have to show
Interlude: x4
Guitar 2:
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4---|---|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-|-6-|
G|-6------------------------------|---|
D|--------------------------------|---| x4
A|--------------------------------|---|
E|--------------------------------|---|
Verse 5:
I swallowed my pride
And I choked on my faith
I've given my heart and my
soul I've broken my fingers
And lied through my teeth
The pillar of damage control
Verse 6:
I've been to the edge
And I've thrown the bouquet
Of flowers left over the grave
I sat in the waiting
room Wasting my time
And waiting for judgement day
Chorus 2:
I praise liberty the freedom to o--bey
It's a song that strangles me
Well don't cross the line
x3
G#(hold)--G#(hold)--G#(hold)-------|
G#(hold)--G#(hold)--G#7(hold)--G#7-|(hold)
Guitar 2:
e|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------|
B|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4---------------4-4--------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
G|----5-5-5------5-5-5----------6-5-----5-5-5------5-5-5-|-------------|
D|-6---------------------------------6-------------------|-------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------|
Guitar Solo: C#--G#/C--Bbm--G#--F#--A--C#
Guitar 2:
e|-13---13-|-11--13--11-|----|-11-------|-9-----------|-----------|----------|
B|---------|------------|-14-|----13----|---11--------|-10--9-----|-9--------|
G|---------|------------|----|-------13-|------11--11-|--------11-|----10----|
D|---------|------------|----|----------|-------------|-----------|-------11-|
A|---------|------------|----|----------|-------------|-----------|----------|
E|---------|------------|----|----------|-------------|-----------|----------|
Outro:
Oh Dream America dream
I can't even sleep
From the lights early dawn
Oh Scream America scream
Believe what you see
A(hold)
From heroes and cons?