Beds Are Burning Chords

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Includes 3 options for verse riff, chords with bass notes, and full chord legend.Was this info helpful?

Difficulty:	intermediate
Tuning:	E A D G B E
Key:	E
Capo:	no capo

Author DiddyD [a] 15,207. Last edit on Jun 30, 2020

We have an official Beds Are Burning tab made by UG professional guitarists.

Check out the tab

Chords

B7/D#

Dsus4

Dsus2

D5/E

G/A

A/E

G/F#

Strumming

There is no strumming pattern for this song yet. Create and get +5 IQ

Song: Beds are burning
Artist: Midnight Oil
Composers: Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst and Jim Moginie
Album: Diesel and dust
 
Tabbed by DJ ('DiddyD' on ultimateGuitar.com) 6th April 2017
 
Studio version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuUvb1XoRyo
 
Live acoustic version (Lyrics vary slightly):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvoeMpQSSfk
 
Below are 3 alternatives for the bass riff played in the verses.
The first is what the bass usually plays.
The second is an alternative for a single rhythm guitar accompaniment.
The third is another alternative I've heard on live versions.
 
  (Bass note verse riff - palm mute strings)
e |------------|------------|------------|------------| [x2]
B |------------|------------|------------|------------|
G |------------|------------|------------|------------|
D |------------|------------|------------|------------|
A |-------1--2-|-------1--2-|------------|------------|
E |-0--0-------|-0--0-------|-0--0--5--3-|-0--0--3--2-|
 
   E5 verse riff * - palm mute strings)
e |------------|------------|------------|------------| [x2]
B |------------|------------|------------|------------|
G |------------|------------|------------|------------|
D |-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6-------|
A |-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7-------|
E |-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--3--2-|
 
   Alternative E5 verse riff * - palm mute strings)
e |------------|------------|------------|------------| [x2]
B |------------|------------|------------|------------|
G |------------|------------|------------|------------|
D |-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6-------|
A |-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7-------|
E |-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--5--3-|
 
Take note of the pauses in the Intro and Pre-Choruses where there
are bars of 2/4. If you use the barre shape A chord you can slide
the chord down on the sustain. For the pauses, mute all the strings
with your chord hand and strum the rhythm.
 
E    = 022100     F#   = 244322     D     = xx0232
G    = 355433     Em   = 022000     B7/D# = xx1202
A    = 577655     C    = x32010     Dsus4 = xx0233
E5   = 0799xx     G *  = 320033     Dsus2 = xx0230
D5/E = 0577xx     G/A  = x00033
A/E  = 00765x     G/F# = 2x0033     N.C.= No chords
 
Please select a star rating for this tab, many thanks
 
====================================================================
 
[Intro]
   E  G  A      [Scrub rhythm]
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
 
[Verse 1]
   (E5 verse riff * - palm mute strings)
e |------------|------------|------------|------------| [x2]
B |------------|------------|------------|------------|
G |------------|------------|------------|------------|
D |-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6-------|
A |-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7-------|
E |-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--3--2-|
 
(E5 riff *) [x2]
   Out where the river broke, the Blood Wood ...and the Desert Oak,
(E5 riff *) [x2]
Holden wrecks, and... boiling diesels ...steam in 45 degrees!
 
[Pre-Chorus]
    E5                D5/E
The time has come, to say fair's fair,
   A/E              E5
To pay the rent, to pay our share,
    E5               D5/E
The time has come, a fact's a fact,
        A/E                  F#
It be - longs to them, let's give it back!
 
   E  G  A      [Scrub rhythm]
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  |
 
[Chorus]
Em                        C
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
 
   G *                 G/A  G * G/F#
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /    /__/  |
 
Em                        C
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
 
   D              D   B7/D#
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
 
Em                        C
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
 
   G *                 G/A  G * G/F#
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /    /__/  |
 
Em                        C
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
 
   D
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
 
    Em               C                   G
The time has come to say fair's fair, to pay the rent now,
   D   Dsus4  D     Dsus2    D Dsus4 D Dsus2
To pay our    share!      |  /   /   /   /  |
 
[Verse 2]
   (E5 verse riff *)
e |------------|------------|------------|------------| [x2]
B |------------|------------|------------|------------|
G |------------|------------|------------|------------|
D |-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6-------|
A |-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7-------|
E |-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--3--2-|
 
(E5 riff *)[x2]
Four-wheels scare the cockatoos...from Kintore East...to Yuendumu,
(E5 riff *)[x2]
The Western Desert ...lives and breathes ...in 45 degrees!
 
[Pre-Chorus]
    E5                D5/E
The time has come, to say fair's fair,
   A/E              E5
To pay the rent, to pay our share,
    E5               D5/E
The time has come, a fact's a fact,
        A/E                  N.C
It be - longs to them, let's give it back!
 
   E  G  A      [Scrub rhythm]
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
 
[Chorus]
Em                        C
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
 
   G *                 G/A  G * G/F#
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /   /__/  |
 
Em                        C
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
 
   D              D    B7/D#
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
 
Em                        C
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
 
   G *                 G/A  G * G/F#
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /    /__/  |
 
Em                        C
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
 
   D
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |
 
    Em               C
The time has come to say fair's fair,
   G                    D   (Dsus4) (D)    (Dsus2)
To pay the rent now, to pay  our     share,
    Em               C                      G
The time has come, a fact's a fact, it be - longs to them,
            D    Dsus4  D    Dsus2    D  Dsus4  D Dsus2
We're gonna give it     back!       |  /   /   /   /  |
 
[Coda]
Em                        C
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
 
   G *                 G/A  G * G/F#
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /    /__/  |
 
Em                        C
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
 
  D                         Em           C
| /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / |
 
  G            D            Em           C
| /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / |
 
  G             D Dsus4 D Dsus2  D Dsus4 D Dsus2
| /  /  /  / |  /   /   /   /  | /   /   /   /  |
 
   E  G  A      [Scrub rhythm]   E  G  A
|  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  /  |  /  /  /  / ||
X

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Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil

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"Beds Are Burning"

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12 comments

played this fantastic song in my old band "Mad Mats"... but the I played the bass guitar.. perfect Chords DiddyD by the way...

Looks good to me - came looking to find what that 'expensive' chord was between D & Em (played near the end), most versions don't even acknowledge it - but it's here in this version - cheers.

great job again 👏👍