Chords for "Prince Of The Punks"

Date: January 29, 2001 1:35 AM
From: Christopher Heckman


"Prince Of The Punks" by Ray Davies (the Kinks)
transcribed by Christopher Heckman
using Seventh String's Transcribe! utility

There are a lot of extra chords in this one, which probably explains why no one
else has tackled it yet. Especially in the chorus, where there are quite a few
D's. (Did someone tune a guitar down to an open D? That would explain it.) Don't
play the parenthesized chords if you don't want. Also, F(7) indicates that F and
F7 sound okay there. Lastly, the notation Ab:A means (evidently) slide from an
Ab to an A chord (a barred E form, in all likelihood.)
 Also, listening to the recording, I have changed a few lyrics from what
appears at the Kinks website.
 I have a few other songs on the way. My next Kinks contribution will likely
be "The Poseur" (with introductory solo!) Enjoy!
 -- Chris

 intro:                                    distorted guitar enters
guitar: F (p. muted) | F (p.m.)        | Eb       | Eb        | Eb     F |
keyboard:  tacet     | Fsus4 F   Bb Bb | F    ??  | Ab Eb     | Eb Eb    |

guitar:    F7    | F            | Eb   | Ebsus4 Eb |  F  F7  | F  F7  |
keyboard:  F  F  | Bb Bb     Eb | [and I lose it here in the distortion]

 chords in general: | Eb(7)  | Ab A F7 Eb(maj7) F  |

 (horns enter): F F7 F F7 |  F  | Eb   | G Eb Ab Bb

  Bb   F5    Bb       Bb       (F)  Bb   Bb           C5 F7    A C7 F7  |
A well known groover, rock 'n' roll user wanted to be a  star.
F7 Ab:A C7 Ab  | Bb
                 But he failed the blues, and he's back to loser,
(D) Bb                C5  F7   Ab:A C7 F7  |  F7 A C7 Ab:A  |
Playing folk in a country bar.
C7        Bb    Eb7            Bb          F7     Ab C7
   Reggae music didn't seem to satisfy his needs.
C7                    Eb                       Bb(maj7)             F7
   He couldn't handle modern jazz, 'cause they play it in difficult keys.
Eb                         G7  Ab  Bb     Ab       F7   Ab:A
    But now he's found a music     he can call his own,
C7                  Eb                 Bb                 C7
Some people call it junk, but he don't care, he's found a home.

 instr break:  C7  |  C7  |  Bb  |  Bb  Db F7  |

         F7     (D)    C7        F         D7 C        D C7
He's the Prince of the Punks and he's finally made it,
F7        (D)   C7   (D) F       (G) C Ab  F  A
Thinks he looks cool but his act is  dated.
   Bb           F     (G) Bb       (G) F  (G)
He acts working class but it's all bo- logna,
F    F7     (D)    G     (D)      F    (D) F  C
He's really middle class and he's just a   phony.
Ab                            Eb                       C
He acts tough but it's just a front, the Prince of the Punks.

 break:  |  Eb D7 C7-D-C7  |  F7  |
 keyboard/clean guitar over F7 (p. muted): Bb F  |  F Bb  F F  |
 then:  |  Eb  |  Eb  |

(Eb)     F7
He's the Prince of the Punks and he's finally made it,
Eb                   E   G   Ab           F Gb
Thinks he looks cool but his act is dated.

 interlude: |  F(7)  |  F(7) |  Eb  |  Ab   G-F7-Eb  |  F(7)  |
  | F(7)  |  Eb   Eb+D5 |  Eb   G7 Ab A |

   Bb                             D
He tried to be gay, but it didn't pay,
      Bb                   F7     A C7  |  F7 Ab C7 Ab |
So he bought a motorbike instead.
   Bb     Eb Bb7   D  Bb        G5 Bb7
He failed at funk, so he became a  punk,
                                         C F7  Ab:A C7 F7 | F7 Ab:A C7 F7 Bb
|
'Cause he thought he'd make a little more  bread.
C7                      Bbm    Eb      Ebm Eb   Bb                    F7 Ab
|
  He's been through all of the changes,    from rock opera to Mantovani.
C7             Bb Eb                Bb                    Eb  F  F7
  Now he wears a  swastika band and leather boots up past his knees.
Eb                                   G7 Bb                   G7 F7    Ab:A
C7
He's much too old for twenty-eight,     but he thinks he's seventeen,
       Bb     Eb                C7 Bb                C     C7
Thinks he's a stud, but I think he looks more like a queen.
      C        Bb                C      C7  |
But I think he looks more like a queen.

 interude: |  C7  |  Bb  |  Bb  Db F  |

         F7            C         F            C
He's the Prince of the Punks and he's finally made it,
F7              C7       F          C      (Ab F A)
Thinks he looks cool but his act is dated.
   Bb           F           Bb         F
He talks like a Cockney but it's all bologna,
     F7            C              F      F  C
He's really middle class and he's just a phony.
Ab                            Eb        Bb
He acts tough but it's just a front.

 [repeat to fade]