Bikeriders

This post has been cleaned up a little, and I've added Brian's lead (long overdue) at the bottom.

Also, if anyone out there doesn't know, this song is based on real people who were written about and photographed in Danny Lyon's book, The Bikeriders. In fact, the picture of Ben on the cover of Nobody's Darlings is a recreation of a photo of Benny Bauer. Anyhow, it's worth picking up. Smoke and Johnny Davis are also inspired by that book, and it's interesting to see where they come from.


G (320033)
G/F# (2x0033)
Em7 (022030)
D (xx0230)
Cadd9(x32030)
Asus (x02230)

G
Kathy met a girlfriend at a place over on grand
G/F#
Swore if she got out alive she'd not go back again
Em7
Fellas didn’t know her and they scared her half to death
D
Hand prints on her jeans she woulda just got up and left
Cadd9
Thats when she saw Benny standing over by the bar
G
Sat back down and waited til he came over to talk
Asus
Later on that night she was walking out the door
G
Benny started up his bike the boys came out for more

G/F# Em7 D Cadd9
Uh huh / oh oh oh


G
They picked her up and put her on the back of Benny's bike
G/F#
Now Kathy's been with Benny Bauer ever since that night
Em7
Tried to leave him many times but cant quite get away
D
Seen more jails and courts and lawyers than she'd like to say
Cadd9
But Benny's always been a fighter that’ll never change
G
Kathy takes him home and heals him up all the same
Asus
He made it from the clubroom all the way out to the street
G
They beat him with the barstools but he made it on his feet

G/F# Em7 D Cadd9
Uh huh / oh oh oh

G_______G/F#___________Em7___________D________________Cadd9
Kathy's running to her boy picks him up and takes him home
G_______G/F#_________Em7________D_______________Cadd9
Benny's crying Kathy please I'm sorry don't you know

____________________Asus
I'm sorry don't you know
____________________D
I'm sorry don't you know

G
At a bar they call the Stoplight the fellas drink their beer
G/F#
Women with their hair done up they make it very clear
Em7
Which one of the fellas is all theirs and can’t be touched
D
Doesn’t mean the motorcycle riders just give up
Cadd9
On talking to the pretty ladies every one they can
G
Never seen the trouble caused all by just one dance
Asus
If Benny don’t get himself shot tonight he'll wish he did
________G
when he gets home

G/F# Em7 D Cadd9
Uh huh / oh oh oh

G
Now Kathy's dating Benny and he keeps her by his side
G/F#
Kathy's still the cutest girl these boys'll ever find
Em7
Riders line up BSAs out on the scramblers track
D
Levis jeans and leather jackets numbers on their backs
Cadd9
Benny's bike's too big to race in the two fifty class
G
They make him start way up the hill out by the railroad tracks
Asus
Tomorrow they’ll all ride across the Illinois state line
G
To the motorcycle blessing at the St Christopher shrine

G/F# Em7 D Cadd9
Uh huh / oh oh oh

G_______G/F#____________Em7__________D_________Cadd9
Kathy's walking out the door leaving Benny all alone
G_______G/F#_________Em7____D______________Cadd9
Benny's crying Kathy please baby don't you go
_______________Asus
Baby don't you go
_______________Cadd9
Baby don't you go


G____________G/F#_________Em7
Kathy do you mean it this time
G________________G/F#__________Em7
Leave him in the middle of the night
____Asus
His wallet's on your table his boots are on your floor
_____D
The car's parked right outside your back door

_____G_________G/F#___________Em7
Just leave him asleep in your bed
___________Asus
and you’re halfway to Chicago
D_________________G
before goodbye is said

G/F# Em7 D Cadd9 Asus G



Brian's lead:

As soon as the fast parts of each verse start, Brian starts playing single notes that follow Ben's chords.
He goes down the D string from G(5) to F#(4) to E(2) to D(open). When he get to D (around "than she'd like to say") he starts playing this lead and it lasts about 30 seconds.
Pan right to hear it clearly. I didn't bother to count the rapidly repeated D notes, but you'll be able to tell when you're playing it.
The whole thing repeats again in the second half of the song, and if it changes at all, the differnces are small.

|-----------------|------------|
|-----------------|------------|
|-------0-4-5-5s7-|(7x?)-9-7-5-|
|-0-2s4-----------|------------|
|-----------------|------------|
|-----------------|------------|

|-----------------------|----------------|
|-----------------------|----------------|
|-4-5-4s2s4---4-5-4s2s4-|-s7-(7x?)-9-7-5-|
|-----------------------|----------------|
|-----------------------|----------------|
|-----------------------|----------------|

|--------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------|
|-4-5--4-5--4-5--4---|-4----4----4----4---|
|------------------5-|---5----5----5----5-|
|--------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------|

--------------------|---------------|----------------|
--------------------|---------------|----------------|
-4-5s7-(7x?)-7s9-7s5|-4-5-4s2s4-4-5-|-4---4---4---4--|
--------------------|---------------|---5---5---5--5-|
--------------------|---------------|----------------|
--------------------|---------------|----------------|