Driving The Last Spike chords by Genesis

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Key: G+G

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+G C/GC/G G+G
C/GC/G G+G C/GC/G G+G
C/GC/G G+G C/GC/G G+G
C/GC/G G+G C/GC/G G+G
C/GC/G G+G C/GC/G D/G

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

  B minorBm          E minorEm
Not knowing what lay ahead

G+G     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+G      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:


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

Verse:

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

  B minorBm         E minorEm
But still they wanted more

  G+G      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+G       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 augmentedA  G6/AG6/A A augmentedA
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|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
BB|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
G+G|-----------------------|---------|-----------------------|---------|
D MajorD|-----------------5-----|---------|-----------------5-----|---------|
A augmentedA|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-5-----|---------|-5-7--7--7-5-5-7-5-----|---------|
E MajorE|-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 augmentedA
No-one knew how the cracks appeared

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

G/AG/A    D/AD/A A augmentedA
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 augmentedA G6/AG6/A A augmentedA
Can you breathe


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

Verse:
  G+G       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+G   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+G           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 augmentedA  G6/AG6/A A augmentedA
Don't you see


Instrumental:
  D MajorD        D MajorD      Dsus4Dsus4  D MajorD   D5D5     D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4
e|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
BB|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|
G+G|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
D MajorD|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
A augmentedA|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
E MajorE|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
    D MajorD   D5D5     D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4  D MajorD   D MajorD
e|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
BB|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------|
G+G|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
D MajorD|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
A augmentedA|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
E MajorE|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
  D MajorD             G+G      C majorC
e|--------------------------|--------------------------|
BB|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|
G+G|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|
D MajorD|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A augmentedA|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E MajorE|--------------------------|--------------------------|
  D MajorD             G+G      C majorC
e|--------------------------|--------------------------|
BB|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|-10-10-10--10-10-10-10-10-|
G+G|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|-7--7--7---7--7--7--7--7--|
D MajorD|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A augmentedA|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E MajorE|--------------------------|--------------------------|

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

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

      D MajorD         G+G
Through the wind, through the snow

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

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

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

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

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

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

   C majorC       D MajorD   C majorC
Still ringing in my ears

   G+G    D MajorD      G+G
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+G
And a new kind of order

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

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


Post-Chorus:
D MajorD
Driving the last spike

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

   D MajorD
With blistering hands

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

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

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

    G+G      D MajorD        G+G
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+G
Digging in darkness and living with danger

A/GA/G           G+G     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|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
BB|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|
G+G|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
D MajorD|-7---7-7-7----7-|-7---------7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|
A augmentedA|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
E MajorE|----------------|---------------|--------------|-------------|
    D MajorD   D5D5     D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4  D MajorD   D5D5
e|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
BB|----8-7---7---|---------7-8-|----8-7---7---|---------|
G+G|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
D MajorD|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7-----|
A augmentedA|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
E MajorE|--------------|-------------|--------------|---------|

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

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

  D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4  D MajorD   D5D5
e|-----|--------------|------------|
BB|-7-8-|----8-7---7---|------------|
G+G|-7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7--------|
D MajorD|-7-7-|----7-7---7-7-|-7-7--------|
A augmentedA|-----|--------------|------------|
E MajorE|-----|--------------|------------|

Other versions of Driving The Last Spike

Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Driving the last spike by Genesis