#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author’s own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
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Date: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 12:27:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Glen Norman Pavan
artist: Sex Pistols
title: Belsen Was a Gas
album: The Great Rock and Roll Swindle
tuning: standard
There are two differing versions of this tune, the Sex Pistols version
with Johnny Rotten and the one with Ronald Biggs. Here’s both.
F-G means slide up from the F to the G
w/ Johnny Rotten
intro: D C D Eb D C G x2
D C D Eb
Belsen was a gas I heard the other day
D C G
In the open graves where the jews all lay
D C D Eb
Life is fun and I wish you were here
D C G
They wrote on postcards to those held dear
chorus (played twice)
C G C G C G F-G F-G
oh dear oh dear oh dear
second verse
Sergeant majors on the march
Wash their bodies in the starch
See them all die one by one
Guess it’s dead guess it’s glad
chorus (twice)
so bad so bad so bad
intro
repeat first verse
outro: ad lib chorus
with Ronald Biggs:
ok, this time for real Belsen was a gasser
intro: D C Bb C D C G x2
verse
D C Bb C
Belsen was a gas I heard the other day
D C G
In the open graves where the jews all lay
D C Bb C
Life is fun and I wish you were here
D C G
They wrote on postcards to those held dear
chorus (same as other version)
second verse
Dentists search their teeth for gold
Frisk the jews for bank notes rolled
when they found out what they got
Line them up and shoot the lot
chorus
kill a man be a man kill a man
intro
third verse
Wonder what the jews would say
If I told them where Boorman was today
Would they start a vendetta
you’d better ask Ernie Ledbetter
chorus
Ledbetter Ledbetter Ledbetter
outro: ad lib chorus
comments, corrections to senomar@bach.udel.edu
-I’m here, I’m queer, I play 5-string bass
