Word Game

 #----------------------------------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. # 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------## 
 From: Harlan L Thompson  
  
   
  
 WORD GAME- Stephen Stills 
  
 TUNING: D D D D A D (low to high) 
  
 (riff 4x) 
            Gsus                                                 (riff) 
 Would you knock a man down if you didn't like the cut of his clothes? 
            Gsus                                               (riff) 
 Could you put a man away if you don't want to hear what he knows? 
             Gsus                                              (riff) 
 Well, it's happening right here, people dying of fear by the droves 
        D2                       C 
 And I know most of you either don't believe it's ture 
             Gsus                                  Dm/F                (riff) 
 Or else you don't know what to do, or maybe I'm singing about you who knows? 
  
 It's incredibly sick, you can feel it as across the land it flows 
 Prejudice is slick, when it's a word game it festers and grows 
 Move along quick, it furthers one to have somewhere to go 
 You can feel it as it's rumblin' let emotions keep a-tumblin' 
 Then, as cities start to crumblin' mostly empty bellies grumblin' here we go 
 (riff 4 times) 
  
 People see somebody different, fear is the first reaction shown 
 Then they think they've got him licked, 
 the barbaric hunt begins and they move in slow 
 A human spirit is devoured, the remains left to carrion crow 
 I was told that life is change and yet history remains 
 Does it always stay the same? Do we shrug it off and say only God knows 
 (riff 4 times) 
  
 By and by, somebody usually goes 
 Down to the ghetto, try and help, but they don't know why folks treat 
 them cold 
 And the rich keep getting richer, and the rest of us just keep getting old 
 You see, one must have a mission in order to be a good Christian 
 If you don't you will be missing High Mass or the evening show 
  
 And the well fed masters reap the harvests of the polluted seeds they've sown 
 Smug and self-righteous, they bitch about people they owe 
 And you can't prove them wrong, they're so God damn sure they know 
          D2                      C 
 I have seen these things with my very own eyes 
        Gsus                                Dm/F 
 And defended my battered soul, it must be too tough to die 
  D2                         C                      Gsus 
 American propaganda, South African lies will not force me to take up arms 
             Dm/F 
 That's my enemy's pride 
              D2                       C 
 and I won't fight by his rules, that's foolishness besides 
       Gsus                            Dm/F 
 His ignorance is gonna do him in and nobody's gonna cry 
               D2                               C 
 Because his children, they are growing up and plainly tired of putting up 
   Gsus                  Dm/F 
 With bigots and their silver cups 
                                          D        (riff 4 last time end 
 w/ A) 
 They're fed up, they might throw up on you, alright 
  
 CHORDS: 
    D     D2   C    F    C2 Gsus2 Dm/F  A 
 D --0----7----5----3----x----0----0----x-----| 
 A --0----5----3----3----3----0----0----0-----| 
 D --0----0----0----0----x----0----0----x-----| 
 D --0----0----0----0----5----0----0----2-----| 
 D --0----0----0----0----0----5----3----0-----| 
 D --0----0----0----0----0----5----3----0-----| 
  
 RIFF: 
     D2     C  F       D 
 D --7p5h7--5--3-------0-----| 
 A --5------3--3--3----0-----| 
 D --------------------------| 
 D ---------------5----------| 
 D --------------------------| 
 D --0--------------0-----0--| 
  
  
 NOTE: I didn't attempt to provide timing or total accuracy on the riff. 
 The important thing is to keep the bass note going while the other 
 strings are being played. 
 Also, the tuning can also be E E E E B E, as if a capo was 
 placed on the second fret.  Between these two tunings, one can play the 
 other Stills songs 4+20, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, and We Are Not 
 Helpless. 
 (from Stephen Stills 2, 1971.  Also on the CSN box set) 
 (sent by Harlan at harlant@hawaii.edu)