I Fought The Law Bass

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Difficulty:	intermediate
Tuning:	E A D G
Capo:	no capo
Author Flexo [a] 641. Last edit on Oct 20, 2022
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I Fought the Law - as played by the Clash
 
Based on the bass track found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uki71u-uim8
 
There are many little variations here and there, I probably missed some.
 
 
Intro (0:05)
 
G|-----|
D|-----|
A|-10\-|
E|-----|
 
   D      D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5--5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2---------|
 
   D       D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--|
E|-----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2-----|
 
 
Verse 1 (0:18)
 
"Breaking rocks..."
   D       D       G       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-3/5-5-0-5-5-5-0-------3-5--5-0-|
E|-----------------3-3-3----------|
 
"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|
 
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|
 
"I needed money..."
   D       D       G       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-------3-5--5-0-|
E|-----------------3-3-3----------|
 
"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|
 
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5\--|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|
 
 
Chorus 1 (0:36)
 
"I left my baby..."
   G                            D                           G
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------4-4-7--5-4-----4--7--5\-----------------------------|
A|----2-2-5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-5-5------------5-5-------------2--5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-|
E|-3-------------3-3----------------------------------------3------------3-3------------|
 
"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A      D      D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5----------5--5-0-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5\--|
E|---------------3-5-5-5-------------------------5--3--2------|
 
 
Solo (0:53)
 
   G                             D
G|--------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------5----5----5----|
A|----2-2-5-5-3-2-----2-2-5-5-3\-5---5---5----5---5----5\-| x 3
E|-3--------------3-3--------------5----------------------|
 
   G
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|----2-2-5-5-3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-|
E|-3--------------3-3------------|
 
   D      D       A       D      D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5--5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|--------------3-5-5-5--------------------------5--3--2---------|
 
 
Verse 2 (1:21)
 
"Robbing people..."
   D       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5\-----------------|
E|--------------------------------|
 
"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-3/5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|
 
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|
 
"I lost my girl..."
   D       D       G       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-------3-5--5-0-|
E|-----------------3-3-3----------|
 
"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A      D
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5----------5--5-0-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5---------|
 
   D       D       A       D
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5\--|
E|---------------3-5-5-5----------|
 
 
Chorus 2 (1:40)
 
"I left my baby..."
   G                            D                           G
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------4-4-7--5-4-----4--7--5\-----------------------------|
A|----2-2-5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-5-5------------5-5-------------2--5--3-2-----2-2-5--3-2-|
E|-3-------------3-3----------------------------------------3------------3-3------------|
 
"I fought the law..."
   D       D       A       D      D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5--5-0-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|---------------3-5-5-5--------------------------5--3--2---------|
 
 
Intro (1:56)
 
   D       D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--5-5-|
E|-----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2---------|
 
   D       D       G       A       D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0-----------------5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--|
E|-----------------3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-----------------5--3--2-----|
 
 
Outro (2:09)
 
"I fought the law..." x 4  (no bass)
 
then
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|-0-3-4-5--5-0-5-5-5---------3-5---5-0-|
E|--------------------3-5-5-5-----------|
 
G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5---------3-5---5-0-| x 2
E|---------------3-5-5-5-----------|
 
   D       D       A -G -F#-D
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-5-5-5-0-5-5-5-0----------5--|
E|-----------------5--3--2-----|
 
 
 
It's easy to get lost, so here's the structure with the guitar chords:
 
Intro:    D G A D D A-G-F#-D x 2
Verse 1:  D D G D             "Breaking rocks..."
          D D A D x 2         "I fought the law..."
          D D G D             "I needed money..."
          D D A D x 2         "I fought the law..."
Chorus 1: G D G                  "I left my baby..."
          D D A D D A-G-F#-D     "I fought the law..."
Solo:     G D x 3
          G
          D D A D D A-G-F#-D
Verse 2:  D D (guitar stops)  "Robbing people..."
          D D A D x 2         "I fought the law..."
          D D G D             "I lost my girl..."
          D D A D x 2         "I fought the law..."
Chorus 2: G D G                  "I left my baby..."
          D D A D D A-G-F#-D     "I fought the law..."
Intro:    D G A D D A-G-F#-D x 2
Outro:    (no rhythm guitar)     "I fought the law..." x 8
          ends on A-G-F#-D
X
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I Fought The Law – The Clash
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"I Fought The Law"
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