Bastille Day Tab by Rush

Bastille Day tab by Rush

Guitar Tab

Rush - Bastille Day

        From the CD 'Caress of Steel'
                Written by Lee/Lifeson/Peart
                Mercury/Polygram Records 822543-2

        There are at least 3 guitars in this song, 2 electric and 1
acoustic. The song is in the key of G. Many, many helpful contributions by
Branden Robinson  and Rich Soto
.

Jimmy Pena - jimmy@walrus.com

| = not a standard bar line; just used to separate music
~ = vibrato or held note
h = hammer on
p = pull off
^ = upstroke
V = downstroke
tr = trill; play the note(s) indicated rapidly and repeatedly (same thing
        as tremolo picking)
o  \_
o  /   repeat sign (always look for these!)

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

[Intro] - doubled electrics
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o---------------------------------------------------------------o|
D:o---------------------------------------------------------------o|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:---3h5-5-5-5-5-5--3h5-5-5-5-5-5-3h5-5-5-5-5-5---3-3-3-2--2--0----|

e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o---------------------------------------------------------------o|
D:o---------------------------------------------------------------o|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:---5h7-7-7-7-7-7--5h7-7-7-7-7-7--5h7-7-7-7-7-7--5-5-5-4--4--2----|

[Riff 1] - doubled electrics
     E5  G5 C5/G  D5/A A5 D5/A
e:--------------------------------|------------------------------|
B:--------------------------------|------------------------------|
G:-----------5-5--7--7----7\------|------------5-5--7--7---------|
D:---2--2-5--5-5--7--7-7--7\------|---2-2-2-5--5-5--7--7-7-------|
A:---2--2-5--3-3--5--5-7--5\------|---2-2-2-5--3-3--5--5-7--5\---|
E:---0--0-3--3-3--5--5-5--5\------|---0-0-0-3--3-3--5--5-5-------|

[Riff 2] - doubled electrics
     G         C            G5    A5
e:---3~--------0~--------------------------------------------------|
B:---3~--------1~------------------------7-7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7--------|
G:---0~--------0~------------------------7-7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7--------|
D:---0~--------2~-----------5~--5-7~--7--7-7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7--------|
A:---2~--------3~--3-2~-0~--5~--5-7~--7--5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--------|
E:---3~-3-2-3---------------3~--3-5~--5----------------------------|
                                         V ^ V ^ V  ^ V ^ V
[Riff 3] - doubled electrics
                  -----------------------------------------
     G D/F#  C  G |1. G5  A5  D5     |2. G5  A5  E5
e:---3------------|------------------|-----------------------------|
B:---3--3----3--3-|------------------|-----------------------------|
G:o--0--2----0--0-|-----------7-7-7-7|----------------------------o|
D:o--0--0----2--0-|---5---7---7-7-7-7|---5---7\--2----------------o|
A:---2--x----3--2-|---5---7---5-5-5-5|---5---7\--2-----------------|
E:---3--2---------|---3---5----------|---3---5\--0-----------------|

[Riff 4] - doubled electrics
    D5    A5                              G     D/F#
e:----------------------------------------------------------|
B:----------------------------------------------------------|
G:o-7-7-7-------7-7-7-------7-7-7--------------------------o|
D:o-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--------------------o|
A:--5-5-5-7-7-7-5-5-5-7-7-7-5-5-5-7-7-7-----5-5-----5-5-----|
E:--------5-5-5-------5-5-5-------5-5-5---3-------2------0--|

    E5    B5                              A
e:--------------------------------------------------------------|
B:--------------------------------------------------------------|
G:o-9-9-9-------9-9-9-------9-9-9------------------------------o|
D:o-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9------------------------o|
A:--7-7-7-9-9-9-7-7-7-9-9-9-7-7-7-9-9-9-----7-7---7-7-----------|
E:--------7-7-7-------7-7-7-------7-7-7---5-----4------2-2------|

[Riff 5] - doubled electrics
     D5    A5                          E5    B5
e:-----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|
B:-----------------|--------------|----------------|---------------|
G:o--7-7-7--------o|-7-7-7--------|o-9-9-9--------o|--9-9-9--------|
D:o--7-7-7-7-7-7--o|-7-7-7-7-7-7--|o-9-9-9-9-9-9--o|--9-9-9-9-9-9--|
A:---5-5-5-7-7-7---|-5-5-5-7-7-7--|--7-7-7-9-9-9---|--7-7-7-9-9-9--|
E:---------5-5-5---|-------5-5-5--|--------7-7-7---|--------7-7-7--|
                                pause                            pause
      C5     G5
e:--------------------|----------------------------|
B:--------------------|----------------------------|
G:o---5-5-5----------o|--5-5-5---------------------|
D:o---5-5-5--5-5-5---o|--5-5-5--5-5-5--------------|
A:----3-3-3--5-5-5----|--3-3-3--5-5-5--------------|
E:-----------3-3-3----|---------3-3-3--------------|


Song progression:

[Intro] x1

[Riff 1] x4

[Riff 1] x2 w/ lyrics:

Ooh, there's no bread, let ....

[Riff 2] x2 w/ lyrics:

But they're marching to Bastille ...

[Riff 1] x2

[Riff 1] x2 /w lyrics:

Ooh, bloodstained velvet....

[Riff 2] x2 w/ lyrics:

And we're marching to ....

[Riff 3] x1

[Bridge] - doubled electrics play the double stop bends, while an acoustic
                plays the chords above
   Em     B      Em          C    D    A  Gsus4 Asus4 Em
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-8------7~-----8-----8-----5~---7----5~----1---3---5~------------|
G:-10b12--9b11~--10b12-10b12-7b9~-9b11-7b9~--3b4-5b7-7b9~----------|
D:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
   Em     B      Em          C    D     A    Gsus4  Asus4   Em
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-8------7~-----8-----8-----5~---7~----10~-----1-----3-----5------|
G:-10b12--9b11~--10b12-10b12-7b9~-9b11~-12b14~--3b4---5b7---7b9----|
D:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------------|


Guitar Solo over [Riff 4] x1 and [Riff 5] x1

e:---------------------------------------|---------------------------|
B:---------------------------------------|---------------------------|
G:-12p11p9---12p11p9--12p11p9--12b14~~~--|-12-12-12-12-12p11p9----9--|
D:---------------------------------------|---------------------12----|
A:---------------------------------------|---------------------------|
E:---------------------------------------|---------------------------|

e:----------------|--------------------------------------------------|
B:----------------|--------------------------------------------------|
G:----------------|---------8-9-11~~---9-11-11b12-11-11b12-11b12r11--|
D:-12-11-9-11-7~--|-/9~~--9------------------------------------------|
A:----------------|--------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------|--------------------------------------------------|

e:-------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G:-9~~---|--14b16-14b16~~--14b16-14b16~~--14-14-14p12p11-9--11-9-----|
D:-------|-------------------------------------------------------12--|
A:-------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
E:-------|-----------------------------------------------------------|

e:---------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
B:---------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
G:-9--9-9-9-8~~--|------------------9---11-12p11p9-11-9----------------|
D:---------------|--12p11p9---11-12---------------------12p11---11-12--|
A:---------------|---------12---------------------------------12-------|
E:---------------|-----------------------------------------------------|

e:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:--9--11-12p11p9-11-9---------------9-9-9-9--8-9~~--9-8~~--9p8-8-8--|
D:---------------------12p11p9-11-12---------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------|

e:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:-----------8-9-11-13-14-14p13p11h14p13p11--9-11--9-8---------------|
D:-9~---9-9--------------------------------------------9---9---------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------10-10---|
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------|


e:------------------------------------|---------------------------|
B:------------------------------------|---------------------------|
G:------------------------------------|--7tr0--7\-----------------|
D:----------12-9-9-9-9~--9------------|---------------------------|
A:-10-10-10----------------10-10-10---|---------------------------|
E:------------------------------------|---------------------------|

 (this part comes in over the fill below)
e:------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------|
G:---16-12~~~h14~p12~-----------------------------|
D:------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------------------|

While coming out of the solo, play this:

e:--------------------------------|-------------------------5--5---|
B:--------------------------------|-------------------------7--7---|
G:------------5---7-7-------7-----|----------------5--7-----7--7---|
D:---2----5---5---7-7--7----7-----|---2--2--2---5--5--7-----7--7---|
A:---2----5---3---5-5--7----5-----|---2--2--2---5--3--5-----5--5---|
E:---0----3---3---5-5--5----5-----|---0--0--0---3--3--5--0---------|

[Riff 1] x2 /w lyrics:

Lessons taught but never .....

[Riff 2] x2 /w lyrics:

For they marched up to ...

[Riff 3] x1 [do 1st ending TWICE]

[Riff 5] x1

[Outro]:

e:---------------------------------------------|
B:---------------------------------------------|
G:---------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------|
A:--4-5----------4-5----------4-5--------------|
E:------0-4-5-5------0-4-5-5------0-4-5-5------|

e:---------------------------------------------|
B:---------------------------------------------|
G:---------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------|
A:-6-7-----------6-7----------6-7--------------|
E:------0-6-7-7------0-6-7-7------0-6-7-7------|

e:---------------------------------------------|
B:---------------------------------------------|
G:---------------------------------------------|
D:---------------------------------------------|
A:-7-8-----------7-8----------7-8--------------|
E:------5-7-8-8------5-7-8-8-------5-7-8-8-----|

(acoustic plays the chord names here as above)
    G    D/F# G   C      G/B D    G       A          D
e:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D:--9~--9--7--9---10~-10--9--7~--7h9~-9--9h11~-11--11h12~~---------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------------|

                                               feedback on this note
     G      D/F#  G   C     G/B  D7     G       D7      G   \/
e:----------------------------------------------------------15~~------|
B:--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:--12~--12--11--12~-17~-17--16--14~-14s16~-16--14~-14--12~-----------|
D:----------------------------------------------------------------5---|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------5---|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------3---|

Last updated: September 10, 2025

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