21 Guns - Tutorial

Page updated July 24, 2016


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Table of Contents

  1. Song Audio
  2. Song Form (PDF)

Song Audio

Album: 21st Century Breakdown (2009) - YouTube

Lyrics and Chords

Guitar: Overdrive Opportunity

Click on your overdrive pedal for the Chorus in this song. Work on your settings to try to get a similar amount of crunch on your guitar amp.

[Intro]

  Dm  Bb   F   C 
e|-1-|---|-5-|-0-|
B|---|-3-|---|---|
G|---|---|---|---|
D|---|---|---|---|  x2
A|---|---|---|---|
E|---|---|---|---|


[Verse 1]

Dm       Bb                F        C
  Do you know what's worth fighting for
Dm          Bb        F     C
  When it's not worth dying for?
Dm        Bb       F       C
  Does it take you breath away
        Bb                 C
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Dm         Bb          F       C
  Does the pain weight out the pride?
Dm        Bb         F        C
  And you look for a place to hide?
Dm         Bb             F       C
  Does someone break your heart inside?
          Bb   C
You're in ruins


[Chorus 1]

F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C             Bb
Lay down your arms
F           C
Give up the fight
F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C
Throw up your 
Bb   F         C
arms into the sky
        Bb F C
You and I


[Verse 2]

Dm            Bb     F          C
  When you're at the end of the road
Dm        Bb       F           C
  And you lost all sense of control
Dm         Bb            F           C
  And your thoughts have taken their toll
          Bb                             C
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Dm     Bb             F      C
  Your faith walks on broken glass
Dm        Bb       F       C
  And the hangover doesn't pass
Dm          Bb   F        C
  Nothing's ever built to last
          Bb   C
You're in ruins


[Chorus 1]

F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C             Bb
Lay down your arms
F           C
Give up the fight
F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C
Throw up your 
Bb   F         C
arms into the sky
        Bb F C
You and I


[Bridge]

Dm        Bb     F            C
  Did you try to live on your own
Dm         Bb              F         A
  When you burned down the house and home?
Dm         Bb       F            A
  Did you stand too close to the fire?
        Bb                 C
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone


[Guitar Solo]
F C/E Dm C Bb F C x2 Bb F A

Guitar 2:
       F           C/E       Dm         C        Bb       F          C
e|------------|----------|---------|---------|--------|--------|------------|
B|------10----|-8--10----|---------|---------|--------|--------|----------8-|
G|---------10-|-------10-|--7-10-7-|-9--10-7-|----7---|--------|-9---9-10---|
D|---10-------|----------|---------|---------|--8---8-|-10-7---|------------|
A|-8----------|----------|---------|---------|--------|------8-|------------|
E|------------|----------|---------|---------|--------|--------|------------|

       F           C/E       Dm         C        Bb       F          C
e|------------|----------|---------|---------|--------|--------|----------8-|
B|------10----|-8--10----|---------|---------|--------|--------|------------|
G|---------10-|-------10-|--7-10-7-|-9--10-7-|----7---|--------|-9---9-10---|
D|---10-------|----------|---------|---------|--8---8-|-10-7---|------------|
A|-8----------|----------|---------|---------|--------|------8-|------------|
E|------------|----------|---------|---------|--------|--------|------------|

     Bb         F          A
e|---------|---------|------------|
B|---------|---------|------------|
G|---7-----|---------|-9--9--9--9-|
D|-----8---|-10-7----|------------|
A|-------8-|------8--|------------|
E|-6-------|---------|------------|


[Interlude]
  Dm  Bb   F   C 
e|-1-|---|-5-|-0-|
B|---|-3-|---|---|
G|---|---|---|---|
D|---|---|---|---| x2
A|---|---|---|---|
E|---|---|---|---|


[Verse 3]

Dm          Bb      F            C
  When it's time to live and let die
Dm        Bb         F      C
  And you can't get another try
Dm          Bb          F         C
  Something inside this heart has died
          Bb
You're in ruins


[Chorus 2]

F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C             Bb
Lay down your arms
F           C
Give up the fight
F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C
Throw up your 
Bb   F         C
arms into the sky
F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C             Bb
Lay down your arms
F           C
Give up the fight
F    C/E Dm
One, 21  guns
C
Throw up your 
Bb   F         C
arms into the sky
        Bb F C
You and I

Chords Only


INTRO
|: Dm / Bb / | F / C / :|

VERSE 1
|: Dm / Bb / | F / C / :| (x3)
| Bb / / /  | C / / / |

VERSE 2
|: Dm / Bb / | F / C / :| (x3)
| Bb / / /  | / / / C |

CHORUS 1
|: F / C / | Dm / C / | 
| Bb / F / | C / / / :| (x2)
| Bb / F / | C / / / |

VERSE 3 = verse 1
VERSE 4 = verse 2
CHORUS 2 = chorus 1

BRIDGE
|  Dm / Bb / | F / C / | 
|: Dm / Bb / | F / A / :| (x2)
|  Bb / / /  | C / / / |

SOLO = chorus 1
|: F / C / | Dm / C / | 
| Bb / F / | C / / / :| (x2)
| Bb / F / | A / / / |

INTRO

VERSE 5
|: Dm / Bb / | F / C / :| (x3)
| Bb / / /  | / / / / |

CHORUS 3
|: F / C / | Dm / C / | 
| Bb / F / | C / / / :| (x4)
| Bb / F / | C / / / |





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