Driving The Last Spike chords by Genesis

Guitar chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: G MajorG

Difficulty: Intermediate

Genesis’ 10 minute epic from “We Can’t Dance” about the lives of people who built the railways of
Great Britain. “Driving The Last Spike” is a Genesis masterpiece from start to finish. Enjoy!

Intro:
C/GC/G G MajorG C/GC/G G MajorG
C/GC/G G MajorG C/GC/G G MajorG
C/GC/G G MajorG C/GC/G G MajorG
C/GC/G G MajorG C/GC/G G MajorG
C/GC/G G MajorG C/GC/G D/G

Verse:
G MajorG          D/F#D/F#   Cmaj7/E   D7D7
Leaving my family behind me

    B minorBm                   E minorEm
Not knowing what lay ahead

G MajorG          D/F#D/F#      Cmaj7/E         D7D7
Waving goodbye, as I left them in tears

  B minorBm                   C majorC
Remembering all we'd said

  C majorC                  D/C
I looked to the sky, I offered my prayers

  Bm7Bm7                        C majorC
I asked Him for guidance and strength

        G MajorG           D/F#D/F#    Cmaj7/E   D7D7
But the simple beliefs of a simple man

      B minorBm                   D MajorD
Lay in His hands, and on my head, my head

Interlude:

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   G MajorG      G/BG/B       C majorC    D MajorD   G MajorG          C majorC          D MajorD          E minorEm
e|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
B|------|---------|--------|-------12-|-15-13-12-|----------|------------|
G|-12---|-12--11--|-11--9--|-7--12----|----------|-14-12-11-|-9-----9-12-|
D|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|-----9------|
A|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
E|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
   Am7Am7       D MajorD        Am7Am7      D11D11 D MajorD
e|---------|--------|--------|---------|
B|-12---15-|-12-----|--------|---------|
G|---------|------9-|-12---9-|-12--11--|
D|---------|--------|--------|---------|
A|---------|--------|--------|---------|
E|---------|--------|--------|---------|

Verse:

  G MajorG         D/F#D/F#            Cmaj7/E  D7D7
I gave everything that they wanted

    B minorBm                  E minorEm
But still they wanted more

   G MajorG            D/F#D/F#
We sweat and we toiled

     Cmaj7/E         D7D7
Good men lost their lives

  B minorBm                          C majorC
Don't think they knew what for

  C majorC
I sold them my heart

  D/C
I sold them my soul

  Bm7Bm7               C majorC
I gave everything I had

       G MajorG             D/F#D/F#     Cmaj7/E  D7D7
Ah but they couldn't break my spirit

   B minorBm             D MajorD
My dignity fought back

     Cadd9Cadd9  Dadd9Dadd9  Cadd9Cadd9  Dadd9Dadd9
Fightback

Chorus:

E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E  A/EA/E
Can you hear me

E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E A/F#
Can you see

G6G6    A/GA/G G6G6   A/GA/G
Don't you hear me

G6/AG6/A  A majorA   G6/AG6/A A majorA
Don't you see


Instrumental:


E5E5                   E minor 7Em7  D/ED/E A/EA/E   E5E5                 E minor 7Em7  A/EA/E G/EG/E
e|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
B|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
G|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
D|-----------------5-----|---------|-----------------5-----|---------|
A|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-5-----|---------|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-5-----|---------|
E|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-------|---------|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-------|---------|

Bridge:

(Continue guitar riff above)

   E5E5                  D/ED/E         A/EA/E
We worked in gangs for all we were worth

    E5E5                     A/EA/E G/EG/E
The young boys pulling the wagons

        E5E5                   D/ED/E          A/EA/E
We were digging the tunnels, shifting the earth

E5E5                  A/EA/E  G/EG/E
It was then that it happened

A5A5                  G/AG/A      A majorA
No-one knew how the cracks appeared

    G/AG/A   A majorA             G/AG/A   A majorA   D/AD/A
But as it fell they all disappeared

G/AG/A        D/AD/A  A majorA
Stone fell like rain


Chorus:

E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E  A/EA/E
Can you hear me

E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E A/F#
Can you see

G6G6    A/GA/G G6G6   A/GA/G
Don't you hear me

G6/AG6/A A majorA  G6/AG6/A  A majorA
Can you breathe


Instrumental:
                                      let ring
   B minorBm            B minorBm          B minorBm              B minorBm
e|--------------|-----------|---------------|--------------|
B|--------------|-----------|---------------|--------------|
G|--------------|-----------|-------------7-|-7------------|
D|-9----------9-|-9---------|-9-------------|-9------------|
A|-9----------9-|-9---------|-9---------9---|-9------------|
E|-7----------7-|-7---------|-7-------7-----|-7------------|
   G MajorG      G/BG/B       C majorC    D MajorD   G MajorG          C majorC          D MajorD          E minorEm
e|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
B|------|---------|--------|-------12-|-15-14-12-|----------|------------|
G|-12---|-12--11--|-11--9--|-7--12----|----------|-14-12-11-|-9-----9-12-|
D|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|-----9------|
A|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
E|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
   Am7Am7       D MajorD        Am7Am7      D11D11 D MajorD
e|---------|--------|--------|--------|
B|-12---15-|-12-----|--------|--------|
G|---------|------9-|-12---9-|-12--11-|
D|---------|--------|--------|--------|
A|---------|--------|--------|--------|
E|---------|--------|--------|--------|

Verse:
    G MajorG              D/F#D/F#        Cmaj7/E  D7D7
The smoke cleared, the dust it settled

       B minorBm                 E minorEm
No one knew how many had died

G MajorG     D/F#D/F#            Cmaj7/E  D7D7
All around there were broken men

       B minorBm                           C majorC
They'd said it was safe, and they'd lied

          C majorC                         D/C
You could hear the cries, you could smell the fear

         Bm7Bm7                  C majorC
But good fortune that day was mine

        G MajorG                      D/F#D/F#       Cmaj7/E  D7D7
And it occurred to me that the heart of a good man

   B minorBm               D MajorD
It seems is hard to find


Chorus:
E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E  A/EA/E
Can you hear me

E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E A/F#
Can you see

G6G6    A/GA/G G6G6   A/GA/G
Don't you hear me

G6/AG6/A  A majorA   G6/AG6/A A majorA
Don't you see


Instrumental:
   D MajorD                D MajorD           Dsus4Dsus4    D MajorD     D5D5          D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4
e|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
B|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|
G|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
D|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
A|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
E|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
        D MajorD     D5D5          D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4    D MajorD     D MajorD
e|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
B|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------|
G|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
D|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
A|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
E|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
    D MajorD                         G MajorG            C majorC
e|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|
G|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|
D|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
    D MajorD                         G MajorG            C majorC
e|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|
G|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|
D|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|

Post-Chorus:
   D MajorD              G MajorG
We worked, how we worked like

    C majorC             D MajorD   C majorC  G MajorG
The devil for our pay

            D MajorD                 G MajorG
Through the wind, through the snow

C majorC               D MajorD   C majorC  G MajorG
And through the rain

D MajorD            G MajorG                    C majorC              D MajorD    C majorC  G MajorG
Blasting and cutting through Gods country like a knife

      D MajorD               G MajorG          C majorC        D MajorD           C majorC
Sweat stinging my eyes, there has to be a better life

       G MajorG             D MajorD              G MajorG
Ah but I can hear my children's cry

      C majorC            D MajorD              C majorC
I can see the tears in their eyes

     G MajorG            D MajorD                 G MajorG
Memories of those I've left behind

      C majorC             D MajorD     C majorC
Still ringing in my ears

     G MajorG       D MajorD            G MajorG
Will I ever go back again

       C majorC            D6D6
Will I ever see her face again

C/DC/D                     Bm/D
I'll always remember that night

        C/DC/D       G/DG/D          Dsus2Dsus2    Asus4Asus4  A7A7
As they waved goodbye to their fathers


Interlude:
   G/BG/B           B minorBm
We came from the North

       D MajorD             A/C#A/C#
And we came from the South

     G/BG/B            F#m/A
With picks and with spades

      G MajorG
And a new kind of order

A/GA/G                     G MajorG       E minor 7Em7
Showing no fear of what lies up ahead

        C#m7C#m7          A7/E        D MajorD    G MajorG C majorC D MajorD   G MajorG C majorC
They'll never see the likes of us again


Post-Chorus:
D MajorD
Driving the last spike

G MajorG           C majorC           D MajorD   G MajorG C majorC
Lifting and laying the track

     D MajorD
With blistering hands

        G MajorG   C majorC            D MajorD   C majorC
And the sun burning your back

       G MajorG             D MajorD              G MajorG
Oh but I can hear my children's cry

      C majorC          D MajorD               C majorC
I can see the tears in their eyes

        G MajorG            D MajorD                G MajorG
Ah memories of those I've left behind

      C majorC             D6D6
Still ringing in my ears

C/DC/D                         Bm/D
Well I'll always remember that night

        C/DC/D       G/DG/D          Dsus2Dsus2   Asus4Asus4  A7A7
As they waved goodbye to their fathers

   G/BG/B          B minorBm       D MajorD               A/C#A/C#
We followed the rail, we slept under the stars

G/BG/B        F#m/A        G MajorG
Digging in darkness and living with danger

A/GA/G                     G MajorG          E minor 7Em7
Showing no fear of what lies up ahead

        C#m7C#m7            A7/E      D MajorD
They'll never see the likes of us again


Instrumental:

   D MajorD                            Dsus4Dsus4    D MajorD     D5D5          D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4
e|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
B|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|
G|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
D|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
A|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
E|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
        D MajorD     D5D5          D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4    D MajorD     D5D5
e|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
B|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------|
G|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
D|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
A|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
E|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|

Interlude:
   G MajorG      G/BG/B       C majorC    D MajorD   G MajorG          C majorC          D MajorD          E minorEm
e|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
B|------|---------|--------|-------12-|-15-14-12-|----------|------------|
G|-12---|-12--11--|-11--9--|-7--12----|----------|-14-12-11-|-9-----9-12-|
D|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|-----9------|
A|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
E|------|---------|--------|----------|----------|----------|------------|
   Am7Am7       D MajorD        Am7Am7      D11D11 D MajorD
e|---------|--------|--------|--------|
B|-12---15-|-12-----|--------|--------|
G|---------|------9-|-12---9-|-12--11-|
D|---------|--------|--------|--------|
A|---------|--------|--------|--------|
E|---------|--------|--------|--------|

Chorus:
E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E  A/EA/E
Can you hear me

E MajorE   A/EA/E G/EG/E A/F#
Can you see

G6G6    A/GA/G G6G6   A/GA/G
Don't you hear me

G6G6    A majorA   G6/AG6/A A majorA
Don't you see

   D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4    D MajorD     D5D5
e|-----|--------------|------------|
B|-7-8-|----8-7---7---|------------|
G|-7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7--------|
D|-7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7--------|
A|-----|--------------|------------|
E|-----|--------------|------------|

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