Working Man Chords

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

Author SeymoreButts [a] 139.

2 contributors total, last edit on Jan 20, 2020

We have an official Working Man tab made by UG professional guitarists.

Check out the tab

Chords

Strumming

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I apologize in advance if this tab is a little difficult to understand with the figure 1 and whatnot,
but give the tune a listen and you'll get it. It's pretty easy and very fun to play.
 
 
[Figure 1]
 
e|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|
B|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|
A|-7-----7-----7-----7-----|-5-----5-----5-----5-----|----5-----5-----7--------7-|
E|----7-----7-----7-----7--|----5-----5-----5-----5--|-3-----3-----5-----5h7-5---|
                                                                   ending varies, can continue 5 7 pattern
                                                                                  or strum A5 power chord
[Intro/Riff]
| E     D  A  | E     C  D  | x2
 
[Verse 1]
      E           D       A
Well, I get up at seven, yeah
      E             C   D
And I go to work at nine
E                   D       A
  I got no time for livin', yes
    E              C     D
I'm workin' all the time
   E                    D        A
It seems to me, I could live my life
E                     C         D
  A lot better than I think I am
E                D        A
  I guess that's why they call me
E      C              D
  They call me the workin' man
 
[Chorus]
[Figure 1]
They call me the workin' man
 
I guess that's what I am
 
[Riff]
| E     D  A  | E     C  D  | x2
 
[Verse 2]
     E             D        A
Yes, I get home at five o'clock
      E                 C           D
And I take myself out a nice, cold beer
E        D          A
  Always seem to be wonderin'
            E              C        D
Why there's nothin' goin' down here
   E                    D        A
It seems to me, I could live my life
E                     C         D
  A lot better than I think I am
E                D        A
  I guess that's why they call me
E     C        D
  The workin' man
 
[Chorus]
[Figure 1]
Well, they call me the workin' man
 
I guess that's what I am
 
[Solo 1]
| E     D  A  | E     C  D  | x4
 
[Chorus]
[Figure 1]
Well, they call me the workin' man
 
I guess that's what I am
 
[Sweet Bass Break]
E N.C.
 
[Solo 2] (for days)
E5
(40 bars at double-time, c. 160 bpm)
 
[Bridge Riff]
 
e|---------------------------|-------------------------|
B|---------------------------|-------------------------|
G|---------------------------|-------------------------|
D|---------------------------|----------5--------------| x4
A|-7--7--7p5----7--7--7p5----|-7--5--------------7--5--|
E|-----------7------------7--|-------7-----------------|
 
                                         1st ending                        2nd ending
e|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|  |-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|  |-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|-------------12---------------|  |-------------12--------12--14--|
D|-14--14--14p12-----14--14--14p12-----|-14--12---------------14--12--|  |-14--12------------14----------|
A|---------------14----------------14--|---------14-------------------|  |---------14--------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|  |-------------------------------|
 
then solo or play first part x2
 
[Solo 3] (for some more days)
E5
(36 bars)
 
[Bridge Riff]
 
e|---------------------------|-------------------------|
B|---------------------------|-------------------------|
G|---------------------------|-------------------------|
D|---------------------------|----------5--------------| x4
A|-7--7--7p5----7--7--7p5----|-7--5--------------7--5--|
E|-----------7------------7--|-------7-----------------|
 
                                         1st ending                        2nd ending
e|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|  |-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|  |-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|-------------12---------------|  |-------------12----\-----------|
D|-14--14--14p12-----14--14--14p12-----|-14--12---------------14--12--|  |-14--12------------------------|
A|---------------14----------------14--|---------14-------------------|  |---------14--------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|  |-------------------------------|
 
e|---------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------|
B|---------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------|
G|---------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------|
D|---------------------------|----------5--------------|---------------------------|----------5--------2-----|
A|-7--7--7p5----7--7--7p5----|-7--5--------------7--5--|-7--7--7p5----7--7--7p5----|-7--5-----5--------2-----|
E|-----------7------------7--|-------7-----------------|-----------7------------7--|-------7--3--------0-----|
 
[Interlude/Riff]
| E   | E   | E7  | E7  |
| E6  | E6  | E   | E   |
| E   | E   | E   | E   |
(back to half-time)
| D  A  | E     C  D  |
| E     D  A  | E     C  D  |
 
[Verse 3]
      E           D       A
Well, I get up at seven, yeah
      E             C   D
And I go to work at nine
E                   D       A
  I got no time for livin', yes
    E                    C  D
I'm workin' all the time
   E                    D        A
It seems to me, I could live my life
E                     C         D
  A lot better than I think I am
E                D        A
  I guess that's why they call me
E      C              D
  They call me the workin' man
 
[Chorus]
[Figure 1]
Well, they call me the workin' man
                     E     D  A
I guess that's what I am
E      C              D
  They call me the workin' man
E      D               A    E     C  D
        I guess that's what I am
 
[Outro/Riff] (slower)
| E     D  A  | E     C  D  | x2
Crazy lead guitar part
E    E7    E N.C.
 
 
*************************
 
| h  Hammer on
| p  Pull off
| \  Slide down
 
*************************
X

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Working Man – Rush

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"Working Man"

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17 comments

Wow, can't we all just get a bong? This document has merit as a record of the lyrics & structure, as may be especially useful to someone looking for an outline of the song.

Thanks for posting this. Helped me bang it out on an acoustic guitar just for the fun of it. If I wanted to play like a virtuoso or be a parrot to the record I could have gone to one of the other tabs and practiced for hours but that's not what I wanted to do. Thanks again!

thank you much appreciated especially during this lock down helped me a lot