21st Century Breakdown

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: C#--G#-F# x10

           C#              Ab        F#
e|--------16-----16----|-16--18-|-16----------|
B|-----18-----18----18-|--------|-----19-18---|
G|-18------------------|--------|-------------|
D|---------------------|--------|-------------|
A|-16------------------|--------|-------------|
E|---------------------|--------|-------------|
                                             | x2
           C#              Ab        F#      |
e|--------16-----16----|-16--18-|-16----------|
B|-----18-----18----18-|--------|-----19-18---|
G|-18------------------|--------|-------------|
D|---------------------|--------|-------------|
A|---------------------|--------|-------------|
E|---------------------|--------|-------------|

           C#              Ab        F#
e|--------16-----16----|-16--18-|-16--------|
B|-----18-----18----18-|--------|-----19-18-|
G|-18------------------|--------|-----------|
D|---------------------|--------|-----------| x6
A|-16------------------|--------|-----------|
E|---------------------|-16-----|-14--------|


Distortion: C#--G#-F# x2


Verse 1:
C#                      Ab        F#
  Born into Nixon I was raised in hell
C#                          Ab        F#
  A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled
C#                          Ab           F#
  The last one born and the first one to run
C#                         Ab     F#
  My town was blind from refinery sun


Refrain:
Bbm                F#
  My generation is zero
Bbm                    F#            Ab
  I never made it as a working class hero


Guitar 2: Refrain
     Bbm          F#           Bbm        F#      Ab
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:
C#   Ab      F#
21st century breakdown
   C#
I once was lost
    Ab    F#
but never was found
  C#
I think I'm losing
Ab             F#
what's left of my mind
       C#   Ab      F#
to the 20th century deadline


Interlude: C#--G#-F#- x2

Guitar 2:
        C#          Ab      F#
e|------4----4---|-4--6-|-4------|
B|----6----6---6-|------|----7-6-|
G|-6-------------|------|--------|
D|---------------|------|--------|
A|---------------|------|--------|
E|---------------|------|--------|


Verse 2:
C#              Ab         F#
  I was made of poison and blood
C#               Ab       F#
  Combination is what I understood
C#                   Ab     F#
  From Mexico to the Berlin Wall
C#                        Ab      F#
  Homeland security could kill us all


(Repeat Refrain and Chorus 1)


Interlude: Beat Changes from slow to fast
G#-- x8

Guitar 2:
                Ab
e|----------------------------------|
B|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
G|----5-5-5------5-5-5----------6-5-|
D|-6--------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|


Bridge:
Ab                                  C#
We are the cries of the class of '13
Ab                          C#
Born in the year of humility
Ab                                 C#
we are the desperate in the decline
G#                           C#--- x4
Raised by the bastards of 1969


Guitar 2:
                  C#
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-6-|
G|-6--------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|


Verse 3:
C#
My name is 'No one'
     F#   Ab   C#
your long lost son
C#                   Ab
Born on the 4th of July
C#
Raised in the barnyards
   F# Ab       C#
of he-roes and cons
C#                   Ab
Left me for dead or alive


Verse 4:
C#
There is a war that's
  F#   Ab C#
inside my head
     C#
That questions the
            Ab
results and lies
    C#
I'm breaking my back
         F#     Ab  C#
till I'm better off dead
       C#
We are not payed
             Ab
enough to survive


Interlude: C#---F#- x4

Guitar 2:
                 C#                 F#
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4---|---|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-|-6-|
G|-6------------------------------|---|
D|--------------------------------|---| x4
A|--------------------------------|---|
E|--------------------------------|---|


Verse 5:
C#
I am an engine
  F#     Ab C#
A worker A  pawn
   C#                 Ab
My debt to the status quo
     C#
The scars on my hands
      F#    Ab    C#
and a means to an end
     C#                 Ab
It's all that I have to show


Verse 6:
    C#                  F# Ab C#
I'm taking a loan on my sa-ni-ty
        C#               Ab
For the redemption of my soul
     C#                    F#  Ab C#
well I am exempt from this tra-ge-dy
        C#           Ab
And the 21st century fall


Chorus 2:
  F#       Ab C#     F#         Ab C#
I praise liberty the freedom to o--bey
       F#             Ab   C#
It's a song that strangles me
     F#          C#  Ab
Well don't cross the line


F#-F#-C#-G# x3, G#(hold)--G#(hold)--G#7(hold)


Guitar Solo: C#--G#/C--Bbm--G#--F#--A--C#

Guitar 2:
     C#      Ab/C    Bbm    Ab        
        A        C#
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:
    C#      Ab/C    Bbm
Oh, dream, American dream
  Ab          F#
I can't even sleep
     A               C#
from rainstorms till dawn
    C#      Ab/C   Bbm
Oh, bleed, America bleed
  Ab             F#
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
C#--G#-- 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: C#--G#-F# x2


Verse 1:
C#                      Ab        F#
  Born into Nixon I was raised in hell
C#                          Ab        F#
  A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled
C#                          Ab           F#
  The last one born and the first one to run
C#                         Ab     F#
  My town was blind from refinery sun


Refrain:
Bbm                F#
  My generation is zero
Bbm                    F#            Ab
  I never made it as a working class hero


Guitar 2: Refrain
     Bbm          F#           Bbm        F#      Ab
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:
C#   Ab      F#
21st century breakdown
   C#
I once was lost
    Ab    F#
but never was found
  C#
I think I'm losing
Ab             F#
what's left of my mind
       C#   Ab      F#
to the 20th century deadline


Interlude: C#--G#-F#- x2

Guitar 2:
        C#          Ab      F#
e|------4----4---|-4--6-|-4------|
B|----6----6---6-|------|----7-6-|
G|-6-------------|------|--------|
D|---------------|------|--------|
A|---------------|------|--------|
E|---------------|------|--------|


Verse 2:
C#              Ab         F#
  I was made of poison and blood
C#                Ab       F#
  Condemnation is what I understood
C#                   Ab      F#
  Video games to the tower's fall
C#                        Ab      F#
  Homeland Security could kill us all


(Repeat Refrain and Chorus 1)


Interlude: Beat Changes from slow to fast
G#-- x8

Guitar 2:
                Ab
e|----------------------------------|
B|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
G|----5-5-5------5-5-5----------6-5-|
D|-6--------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|


Bridge:
Ab                                  C#
We are the cries of the class of '13
Ab                          C#
Born in the year of humility
Ab                                 C#
we are the desperate in the decline
G#                           C#--- x4
Raised by the bastards of 1969


Guitar 2:
                  C#
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4-----|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-6-|
G|-6--------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------| x4
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|


Verse 3:
C#
My name is 'No one'
     F#   Ab   C#
your long lost son
C#                   Ab
Born on the 4th of July
C#
Raised in the barnyards
   F# Ab       C#
of he-roes and cons
C#                   Ab
Left me for dead or alive


Verse 4:
C#
I Am A nation
  F#     Ab C#
A worker of pride
   C#                 Ab
My debt to the status quo
     C#
The scars on my hands
        F#    Ab    C#
And the means to an end
   C#                 Ab
Is all that I have to show


Interlude: C#---F#- x4

Guitar 2:
                 C#                 F#
e|----------4-4--------4-4--6-4---|---|
B|----6-6-6------6-6-6----------7-|-6-|
G|-6------------------------------|---|
D|--------------------------------|---| x4
A|--------------------------------|---|
E|--------------------------------|---|


Verse 5:
   C#
I swallowed my pride
      F#     Ab    C#
And I choked on my faith
     C#
I've given my heart and my
Ab        C#
soul I've broken my fingers
    F#   Ab         C#
And lied through my teeth
    C#                  Ab
The pillar of damage control


Verse 6:
     C#
I've been to the edge
         F#     Ab     C#
And I've thrown the bouquet
   C#                    Ab
Of flowers left over the grave
  C#
I sat in the waiting
     F#      Ab C#
room Wasting my time
    C#                    Ab
And waiting for judgement day


Chorus 2:
  F#       Ab C#     F#         Ab C#
I praise liberty the freedom to o--bey
       F#             Ab   C#
It's a song that strangles me
     F#          C#  Ab
Well don't cross the line


F#-F#-C#-Ab x3
G#(hold)--G#(hold)--G#(hold)-------|
G#(hold)--G#(hold)--G#7(hold)--G#7-|(hold)

Guitar 2:
                            Ab                                 Ab7
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:
      C#        Ab/C     Bbm      Ab        
 F#            A          C#
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:
   C#     Ab/C   Bbm
Oh Dream America dream
  Ab          F#
I can't even sleep
         A            C#
From the lights early dawn
    C#     Ab/C    Bbm
Oh Scream America scream
  Ab             F#
Believe what you see
     A(hold)
From heroes and cons?

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