Knuckle Down

(Partridge)

#\#i#/#English Settlement#\#/i#/#

English Settlement

Recordings
Art
Lyrics
Chords and Tablature
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Recordings

  1. Album version, 4'26.
    Released on English Settlement.
    andy-lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, frog
    colin-fretless bass
    dave-electric guitars
    terry-drums, percussion


Art

[THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]


Lyrics

k n u c k l e   d o w n
k
k
k  kk
k    k nuckle  down,  love  his  skin,  it  doesn't  matter what colour
kkkkk skin  he's  locked  in   knuckle  down,  knuckle  down  and  love
k    k that skin.    knuckle down,    love his race,  it doesn't matter
k     k if  you  win  or  lose a little face     knuckle down  and love
that  race.   one  bright  morning  the   world  might  end    with   a
big   bang   and    you'll   never   get   yourself    another   chance.
put  aside the   hoodoo    and   some   of the   voodoo   'bout  people
being  different  take  them   by  the arm   and   run  to  the street,
take a  little drum to  supply the   beat, soon the   whole world  will
be  up   on  it's feet   and  dancing.   for  my   sake won't  you  put
your knuckles down, boys?  for my sake won't  you put you knuckles down?
knuckle  down, love her   skin,  it  doesn't  matter what  colour  skin
she's locked  in  knuckle   down,  knuckle  down  and love   that  skin.
knuckle down,  love her race,  it doesn't matter if you  win or lose  a
little  face   knuckle down and  love  that  race. one  bright  morning
you  just  might   wake  when the  coin drops,  even  though you  think
that love is such  a corny thing.  you can  burst the bubble   full  up
with  trouble says that  people always got to  be fighting (not right!)
and  take them   by  the arm   and run  to   the fields,  blow  on your
horn   until jericho  yields,   soon the  whole  world   will lay  down
swords  and  shield  for     singing. for     my sake  won't    you put
your knuckles down, boys?  for my sake won't you put your knuckles down?

andy-lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, frog colin-fretless bass
dave-electric guitars terry-drums, percussion composed by  a. partridge

© 1982 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.
[Thanks to Gary Jedlicka]


Chords and Tablature

Date:    Mon, 26 Jun 95 21:05:56 PDT
From: pf%rm763b (at) Riem dot Com
Subject: Knuckle Down
Message-Id: <950626210556.f96 (at) Riem dot Com>

Well this isn't perfect.  As I write, I have neither the music itself
nor a guitar in front of me, so I may, for example, not have gotten the
chords lined up exactly right over the words.  But I think you've got
everything you need here to put the song together.  Maybe I'll be more
scrupulous next time ...

This is the opening figure.  Reappears several times between verses.

  D                                                      F6/C
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-10-10-9-9-7-7---------10-10-9-9-7-7---------10-10-9-9--666-666-666-666--|
|--7--7-7-7-7-7-7-9-7-9--7--7-7-7-7-7-7-9-7-9--7--7-7-7--777-777-777-777--|
|--7--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--7--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--7--7-7-7--777-777-777-777--|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------888-888-888-888--|

This is the "lead" figure that repeats over-and-over on top of the verses.

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-13----13----13----------------------------------------------------|
|-10-12-10-12-10-12-------------------------------------------------|
|-10----10----10----------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

Here are the postions in which I play the chords for the verses.  This is
basically the order in which they appear in the verses, with an ommission or
two where you have the repeat the chord in the form in which it previously
appeared.  All clear?  This is all played in a kind of chunk-a-lunk style.
You play a bit of the bass, then the whole chord letting off with the left
hand shortly after having struck the full chord.  XTC seems to like using the
guitar with great percussive effect.

  F Gm Am  D  Bb Cm Gm Ab Db  Db Gb  C Gm Bb  F
|-1--3--5--5---6--8--3--4--4---4--2--3--3--1--1-----------------------------|
|-1--3--5--7---6--8--3--4--6---6--2--5--3--3--1-----------------------------|
|-2--3--5--7---7--8--3--5--6---6--3--5--3--3--2-----------------------------|
|-3--5--7--7---8-10--5--6--6---6--4--5--5--3--3-----------------------------|
|-3--5--7--5---8-10--5--6--4---4--4--3--5--1--3-----------------------------|
|-1--3--5------6--8--3--4---------2-----3-----1-----------------------------|

F
Knuckle down, love his skin, it doesn't matter what colour skin he's locked
           Gm            Am                 D      F
in knuckle down, knuckle down and love that skin.  Knuckle down, love his
                                                    Gm           Am
race, it doesn't matter if you win or lose a little face knuckle down and
          D      Bb         Cm                      Gm
love that race.  One bright morning the world might end with a big bang and
Bb           Cm                   Ab     Db
you'll never get yourself another chance.
Bb            Cm                                  Gm
Put aside the hoodoo and some of the voodoo 'bout people being different.
Db               Gb                 Db                    Gb
Take them by the arm and run to the street, take a little drum to supply the
Db                   Gb                        C                  Gm
beat, soon the whole world  will be up on it's feet and dancing.  For my sake
          Bb                F            Gm                    Bb
won't you put your knuckles down, boys?  For my sake won't you put your
         F
knuckles down?
F
Knuckle down, love her skin, it doesn't matter what colour skin she's locked
           Gm            Am                 D      F
in knuckle down, knuckle down and love that skin.  Knuckle down, love her
                                                    Gm           Am
race, it doesn't matter if you win or lose a little face knuckle down and
          D      Bb         Cm                     Gm
love that race.  One bright morning you just might wake when the coin drops,
Bb                          Cm                   Ab    Db
even though, you think that love is such a corny thing.
Bb                Cm                                    Gm
You can burst the bubble full up with trouble says that people always got to
                             Db                Gb                   Db
be fighting (not right!) and take them  by the arm  and run to  the fields,
             Gb                 Db                     Gb
blow on your horn until jericho yields, soon the whole world will lay down
           C                    Gm                    Bb                F
swords and shield for singing.  For my sake won't you put your knuckles down,
       Gm                    Bb                D
boys?  For my sake won't you put your knuckles down?

                        pat flaherty

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