Tabs
HERO OF WAR
by Rise Against
Tabbed by ssjEasterBunny
[email protected]
NOTES:
This tab is designed for one guitar; it is exactly what Tim McIlrath plays when the band
the song live. It’s also what he’s seen playing in the music video. So rest assured,
tab will have you playing the song just like you’ve seen it and heard it!
Keep in mind, the first half of the recorded bridge (the palm-muted part) uses the same
as the rest of the song, while the live version uses modified chords. I tabbed the
’cause it’s more interesting.
I personally like to move the intro riff down the neck onto the first fret, but I’ll tab
how McIlrath plays it for those who want to be exact.
TUNING:
Half-step down (
Eb MajorEb)
STRUMMING:
D MajorD DU
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
CHORDS USED: (Named by finger position, not by notes. The Roman numeral VI after the 
A#A#
it’s on the sixth fret, just so no one thinks I made it up.)
F5F5
Eb MajorEb|--------0-----------0-----1-----------------------------|
Bb majorBb|--1-----1-----------1-----3-----------------------------|
GbGb|--2-----2-----3-----0-----2----12----12-----7----10-----|
DbDb|--3-----2-----3-----2-----0----10----10-----8----10-----|
AbAb|--3-----0-----1-----3-----------8-----0-----x-----8-----|
Eb MajorEb|--------------------------------------------6-----------|
Okay, here we go:
INTRO:
Eb MajorEb|---------------------------------|----------------/5---3---1---0---|
Bb majorBb|-----6-------6-------6-------6---|-1~~-----------------------------|
GbGb|---------5-------5-------5-------|-0~~-----------------------------|
DbDb|---------------------------------|-2~~-----------------------------|
AbAb|---------------------------------|-3~~-----------------------------|
Eb MajorEb|-6-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
FF
He said, "Son,
A minorAm
Have you seen the world?
A#A#
Well, what would you say
FF
If I said that you could?
FF
Just carry this gun; you'll even get paid."
C majorC
I said, "That sounds pretty good."
FF
Black leather boots,
A minorAm
Spit-shined so bright
FF
They cut off my hair, but it looks alright.
A#A#
We marched and we sang;
FF
We all became friends,
C majorC
As we learned how to fight.
DmDm
A augmentedA hero of war,
A#A#
Yeah that's what I'll be.
FF
And when I come home,
C majorC
They'll be damn proud of me.
DmDm
I'll carry this flag
A#A#
To the grave if I must.
FF
’Cause it's a flag that I love,
C majorC
And a flag that I trust.
FF
I kicked in the door.
A minorAm
I yelled my commands.
A#A#
The children, they cried,
FF
But I got my man.
A#A#
We took him away,
FF
A augmentedA bag over his face,
C majorC
From his family, his friends.
FF
They took off his clothes.
A minorAm
They pissed in his hands.
A#A#
I told them to stop,
FF
But then I joined in.
A#A#
We beat him with guns
FF
And batons not just once,
C majorC
But again and again.
DmDm
A augmentedA hero of war,
A#A#
Yeah that's what I'll be.
FF
And when I come home,
C majorC
They'll be damn proud of me.
DmDm
I'll carry this flag
A#A#
To the grave if I must.
FF
’Cause it's a flag that I love,
C majorC
And a flag that I trust.
NOTE:
Replace the last strum of the chorus with the note in parentheses below. Palm-mute the
chords until the original ones kick back in.
Eb MajorEb|-----|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
Bb majorBb|-----|-----6-------6-------6-------6---|-1~~------------/9---------------|
GbGb|-----|---------5-------5-------5-------|-0~~----------------12--10---9---|
DbDb|-----|---------------------------------|-2~~-----------------------------|
AbAb|-----|---------------------------------|-3~~-----------------------------|
Eb MajorEb|-(5)-|-6-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
Am7Am7
She walked through bullets and haze.
A#VI
I asked her to stop;
F5F5
I begged her to stay.
A#VI
But she pressed on,
F5F5
So I lifted my gun,
C majorC
And I fired away...
A minorAm
And the shells jumped through the smoke
A#A#
And into the sand
FF
That the blood had now soaked.
FF
She collapsed with a flag in her hand;
C majorC
A augmentedA flag white as snow...
DmDm
A augmentedA hero of war,
A#A#
Is that what they see?
FF
Just medals and scars;
C majorC
So damn proud of me.
DmDm
And I brought home that flag.
A#A#
Now it gathers dust.
FF
But it's the flag that I love;
C majorC
It's the only flag I trust.
FF
He said, "Son,
A minorAm
Have you seen the world?
A#A#
Well, what would you say
FF
If I said that you could?
NOTE:
Fear not if you have a hard time picking out the individual notes in the outro; McIlrath
pulls a “the hell with it” it and strums them like in the verse.
