[Verse 1 - No drums] I've paid my [Am] dues, [Em7] time after [Am] time [Em7] ....I've done my [Am] sentence [Em7] but committed no [Am] crime [Em7] And bad mi- (arp pattern by strings played for C-51,2,3,1,2,3 F-61,2,3,1,2,3) [C] stakes, [F] I've made a [C] few [F] I've had my [C] share of sand [G/B] kicked in my [Am7/E] face, but [D/F#] I've come [G] through and we mean to go [G7] on, and on, and on, and [A] on
[Chorus - Full drums - Accent G and A with snare hits] [D] We are the [F#m] champions, my [Bm] friends [G][A] And [D] we'll keep on [F#m] fighting 'til the [G] end [G][G/F#][G/F][D#dim - with capo, 0-X-10-11-10-X, without 0-X-7-8-7-X] (bass run low E - 11 10) [Em] We are the [Em/C#] champions, [Gm] we are the [C#dim - x42020] cham-pions. [D] No time for [Em9] losers, 'cos [F] we are the [G7] champions [Am7] Of the world [Dm][Em7/B][Dm][Em7/B][Dm][Em7/B]
[Verse 2 - No drums] I've taken my [Am] bows, [Em7] and my curtain [Am] calls [Em7] You brought me [Am] fame and fortune and everything that [Em7] goes with it I thank you [Am] all ... [Em7] But it's been no bed of (drums in) [C] roses [F] no ooo [C] pleasure cruise [F] .... I consider it a [C] challenge before the [G/B] whole human [Am7/E] race and [D/F#] I ain't gonna [G] lose - And we mean to go [G7] on, and on, and on, and [A] on!
[Chorus - Full drums - Accent G and A with snare hits] [D] We are the [F#m] champions, my [Bm] friends [G][A] And [D] we'll keep on [F#m] fighting 'til the [G] end [G][G/F#][G/F][D#dim - 0-X-10-11-10-X, without 0-X-7-8-7-X] (bass run low E - 11 10) [Em] We are the [Em/C#] champions, [Gm] we are the [C#dim - x42020] cham-pions. [D] No time for [Em9] losers, 'cos [F] we are the [G7] champions [Am7] Of the .... (no world) [D] We are the [F#m] champions, my [Bm] friends [G][A] And [D] we'll keep on [F#m] fighting 'til the [G] end [G][G/F#][G/F][D#dim - 0-X-10-11-10-X, without 0-X-7-8-7-X] (bass run low E - 11 10) [Em] We are the [Em/C#] champions, [Gm] we are the [C#dim - x42020] cham-pions. [D] No time for [Em9] losers, 'cos [F] we are the [G7] champions [Am7] Of the ... [D] world
[Intro] [E][F#m][A][E] first note of melody is G# of the E chord (first fret on G string)
[Verse 1] [E] Twenty-five years and my life is still [F#m] Trying to get up that great big hill Of [A] hope for a desti [E] nation I [E] realized quickly when I knew I should That the [F#m] world was made up of this brotherhood Of [A] man, for whatever that [E] means
[Pre-Chorus] And so I [E] cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed Just to [F#m] get it all out, what's in my head and I [A] - I am feeling a little pe [E] culiar And so I [E] wake in the morning and I step outside and I [F#m] take a deep breath and I get real high and I [A] scream from the top of my lungs "What's going [E] on?"
[Chorus] And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?" And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?"
[Interlude] [E] Ooh, O [F#m] oh O [A] oh [E] [E] Ooh, O [F#m] oh O [A] oh [E]
[Verse 2] And I [E] try, oh my God, do I [F#m] try I try all the [A] time, in this insti [E] tution And I [E] pray, oh my God, do I [F#m] pray I pray every single [A] day For a revo [E] lution
[Pre-Chorus] And so I [E] cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed Just to [F#m] get it all out, what's in my head and I [A] - I am feeling a little pe [E] culiar And so I [E] wake in the morning and I step outside and I [F#m] take a deep breath and I get real high and I [A] scream from the top of my lungs "What's going [E] on?"
[Chorus] And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?" And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?"
And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?" And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] HeyeYEYEYE" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?"
[Interlude] [E] Ooh, O [F#m] oh O [A] oh . [E] ....
[Outro] [E] Twenty-five years and my life is still [F#m] Trying to get up that great big hill of [A] hope For a destin [E] ation