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Heroin

The Velvet Underground
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
 Riff 2: Riff 3:
e|------1---1-| e|------------| e|----2--1---1-|
B|----2---2---| B|------4---4-| B|--2------2---|
G|--3---------| G|-0--3---3---| G|-------------|
D|------------| D|------------| D|-------------|
A|------------| A|------------| A|-------------|
E|------------| E|------------| E|-------------|
 Order: 1-2-3-2
 This song is based on the chords Db and Bb, which are played as follows:
Bb
e|--1------1---|
B|--2------3---|
G|--1------3---|
D|--3------3---|
A|--x------x---|
E|--x------x---|
 Lyrics:
 I  don't know  just where I'm going
 But I'm  gonna try  for the kingdom  if I can
 Cuz it makes me feel  like I'm a man
 When I put a spike  into my vein
 Then, I tell ya', things  aren't quite the same
 When I'm rushin'  on my run
 And I feel  just like Jesus' son
 And I guess  that I just don't know
 And I guess  that I just don't know
I  have made  big decisions
I'm  gonna try  to nullify my life
 Cuz when the blood  begins to flow
 When it shoots  up the dropper's neck
 When I'm closing  in on death
 After this line, Morrison interjects with a riff B, which is to be repeated as necessary:
e|-----7---7---9---7--------|
B|-----8---8---10--8--------|
G|-----7---7---9---7--------|
D|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|
 And you can't help  me, not you guys
 Or all you sweet girls  with all your sweet talk
 You can all  go take a walk
 And I guess  I just don't know
 And I guess  that I just don't know
 I  wish that  I was born a thousand years ago
I  wish that  I'd sailed the darkened seas
 On a great  big clipper ship
 Going from this  land here to that
 Ah, in a sailor's  suit and cap
 Away from  the big city
 Where a man  cannot be free
 Of all of the evils  of this town
 And of himself  and those around
 Oh, and I guess  that I just don't know
 Oh, and I guess  that I just don't know
 Heeeeeroin
 Be the death of me
 Heeeeeroin
 It's my wife  and it's my life
 Because a mainline  to my vein
 Leads to a center  in my head
 And then I'm better  off as dead
 Because when the smack  begins to flow
 Ah, I really  don't care anymore
 About all the jim-jims  in this town
 And all the politicians  makin' busy sounds
 And everybody puttin'  everybody else down
 And all the dead bodies  piled up in Nam
 Play riff B a few times
 Cuz when the smack  begins to flow
 Then I  really don't care anymore
 Ah, when that heroin  is in my blood
 And that blood  is in my head
 Then thank god  that I'm good as dead
 And thank your god  that I'm not aware
 And thank god  that I just don't care
 And I guess  I just don't know
 Ah, and I guess  I just don't know
 End on Db

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Readable chord sheet for Heroin by The Velvet Underground

Riff 2:          Riff 3:

e|------1---1-|  e|------------|  e|----2--1---1-|
B|----2---2---|  B|------4---4-|  B|--2------2---|
G|--3---------|  G|-0--3---3---|  G|-------------|
D|------------|  D|------------|  D|-------------|
A|------------|  A|------------|  A|-------------|
E|------------|  E|------------|  E|-------------|

Order: 1-2-3-2

This song is based on the chords Db and Bb, which are played as follows:

   [C#]      [Bb]
e|--1------1---|
B|--2------3---|
G|--1------3---|
D|--3------3---|
A|--x------x---|
E|--x------x---|

Lyrics:
[C#]   I [Bb]  don't kn[C#]ow  [Bb]  just where I'm g[C#]oing [Bb]     [C#]         [Bb]
But [C#]I'm  [Bb]  gonna t[C#]ry for the king[Bb]dom if I [C#]can
Cuz it makes me f[Bb]eel like I'm a ma[C#]n
When I put a s[Bb]pike into my vei[C#]n
Then, I tell ya', t[Bb]hings aren't quite the sam[C#]e
When I'm [Bb]rushin' on my ru[C#]n
And I f[Bb]eel just like Jesus' so[C#]n
And I g[Bb]uess that I just don't kn[C#]ow
And I g[Bb]uess that I just don't kno[C#]w

[C#]I   [Bb]  have mad[C#]e   [Bb]  big decis[C#]ions [Bb]     [C#]         [Bb]
[C#]I'm [Bb]  gonna tr[C#]y   [Bb]  to nullify my li[C#]fe
Cuz when the bl[Bb]ood begins to flo[C#]w
When it s[Bb]hoots up the dropper's ne[C#]ck
When I'm cl[Bb]osing in on deat[C#]h

After this line, Morrison interjects with a riff B, which is to be repeated as necessary:

e|-----7---7---9---7--------|
B|-----8---8---10--8--------|
G|-----7---7---9---7--------|
D|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|
And you can't [Bb]help me, not you guy[C#]s
Or all you sweet g[Bb]irls with all your sweet tal[C#]k
You can a[Bb]ll go take a wal[C#]k
And I g[Bb]uess I just don't kno[C#]w
And I g[Bb]uess that I just don't kno[C#]w

[C#]   I [Bb]  wish tha[C#]t   [Bb] I was born a thousand years a[C#]go  [Bb]      [C#]          [Bb]
[C#]I   [Bb]   wish tha[C#]t   [Bb]  I'd sailed the darkened sea[C#]s
On a g[Bb]reat big clipper ship[C#]
Going from t[Bb]his land here to tha[C#]t
Ah, in a s[Bb]ailor's suit and cap[C#]    [Bb]        [C#]            [Bb]
[C#]   Away f[Bb]rom the big ci[C#]ty
Where a m[Bb]an cannot be fre[C#]e
Of all of the e[Bb]vils of this tow[C#]n
And of hims[Bb]elf and those aroun[C#]d
Oh, and I g[Bb]uess that I just don't kno[C#]w
Oh, and I g[Bb]uess that I just don't kno[C#]w

[C#]  Hee[Bb]eeero[C#]in
[Bb]  Be the death of m[C#]e   [Bb]       [C#]           [Bb]
[C#]  Hee[Bb]eeero[C#]in
It's my w[Bb]ife and it's my li[C#]fe
Because a mai[Bb]nline to my vei[C#]n
Leads to a ce[Bb]nter in my hea[C#]d
And then I'm b[Bb]etter off as dea[C#]d

Because when the sm[Bb]ack begins to flo[C#]w
Ah, I r[Bb]eally don't care a[C#]nymore
About all the [Bb]jim-jims in this tow[C#]n
And all the polit[Bb]icians makin' busy soun[C#]ds
And everybody p[Bb]uttin' everybody else dow[C#]n
And all the dead [Bb]bodies piled up in Na[C#]m

Play riff B a few times

Cuz when the [Bb]smack begins to f[C#]low
Then I[Bb] really don't care anymo[C#]re
Ah, when that h[Bb]eroin is in my blo[C#]od
And that b[Bb]lood is in my hea[C#]d
Then thank [Bb]god that I'm good as dea[C#]d
And thank your [Bb]god that I'm not awa[C#]re
And thank [Bb]god that I just don't ca[C#]re
And I g[Bb]uess I just don't kn[C#]ow
Ah, and I g[Bb]uess I just don't kn[C#]ow

End on Db

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