Preservation Bass Tab by The Kinks

Preservation bass tab by The Kinks

Bass Tab

Difficulty: Intermediate 💪

Key: D

Intro:
 (Strong syncopated notes are indicated with *.)
                                        *    *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2--0----1--|----2----2----2----2--0--|--0--2--2----2----2--0--|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|

                                        *    *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2--0----1--|----2----2----2----2--0--|--2--2--2----2----2--0--|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

          PM *                                               PM *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----5--9-------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|------------0------------|

          PM *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------/9------------|
D|-----5--9-------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|


Verse 1:
Once upon a time
                                        *    *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2--0----1--|----2----2----2----2-----|--0--2--2----2----2--0--|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|

He terrorised the people
                                        *    *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2--0----1--|----2----2----2----2-----|--0--2--2----2----2-----|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|


Chorus:
Then he plowed up the fields
             *                                               PM *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----5--9-------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|------------0------------|

And he did it all for a pot of gold
          PM *                                              PM
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|----------/9-------------|
D|-----5--9-------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|


Verse 2:
The people were scared
                                        *    *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2--0----1--|----2----2----2----2-----|--0--2--2----2----2--0--|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|

From the hoods and the spivs
                                        *    *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2--0----1--|----2----2----2----2-----|--0--2--2----2----2-----|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|


Chorus:
                            Save the fields and the trees
             *                                                  *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----5-7/9------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|

Bring the government down
          PM *                                              PM
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|----------7/9--7/9-7\5---|
D|-----5--9-------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|

He said he did it to help us all
            *                           g                     *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----5----------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5----------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|-5/7-------5-------------|---------7-----7---------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0--0----------|-------------------------|------------0------------|

But he did it for a pot of gold
             *                                              PM
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----5-7/9------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|


Bridge:

G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|

G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|

                                                                           pb¼~     g  g
G|-------------------------|----2--------------------|-------------------------|----2--------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2-----|--------2----------------|----2----2----2----2-----|--------0---0--0--1--2---|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|


G|-------------------------|----2--4-----------------|----0--------------------|----2-0------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2-----|--------2----------------|--------0----------------|--------2-2--------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|


Verse 3:
                                        *    *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2--0----1--|----2----2----2----2-----|--0--2--2----2----2--0--|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|

When money is evil

G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------0-------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2-----2----|--2--2--2----2----2-----|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|

Mr. Flash broke his word

G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
D|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2----2--0--|----2----2----2----2-----|--0--2--2----2----2-----|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|


Outro:
                            And it's gonna get rough
             *                                                 *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----5-7/9------4--7-----|--7--5-------------------|-----5----------4-/-7----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|------------0------------|

It's a crime and a sin

          PM *                                              PM
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------9--r7/9-\----|
D|-----5--9-------4-/-7----|--7--5-------------------|-----5--9-------4--7-----|---7--5------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|--7--------5-------------|---------7---------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|

          PM *
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----5--9-------4-/-7----|--7--5-------------------|
A|--7--------5-------------|--------7----------------|
E|-------------------------|-----------0-------------|




************************************

|    Staccato note
| x   Dead note
| g   Grace note
| r   Release
| pb¼  Semitone pre-bend
| /   Slide up
| \   Slide down
| ~   Vibrato
| PM  Palm mute

************************************

Published: August 15, 2025

Last updated: August 15, 2025

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