Chords for "20th Century Man"

From: Harlan L Thompson

20TH CENTURY MAN- The Kinks

A A A(move A shape from down a fret back) A D D A E E 

 A (riff 2x)           A D G D G D A (riff 2x)

 A                                              E
This is the age of machinery, a mechanical nightmare
  A                         
A wonderful world of technology
 D                 G        D        A  (riff)
Napalm, hydrogen bomb, biological warfare
 A                                            E
This is the twentieth century, too much aggrevation
  A       
It's the age of insanity
  D                      G              D          A (riff)
What has become of the green pleasant fields of Jeruselem?
 A                G G A                    G G
Ain't got no ambition, I'm just disillusioned
       D      (no chord)                                         A(riff)
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't want, don't wanna be here

A    D G D G D A (riff)

A                              G  G#  A
My momma says she can't understand me
                  E
Can't see me motivation
 A
Just give me some security
          D                G             D      A (riff)
I'm a paranoid schitzoid product of the 20th century
 A                                G G# A
You keep all your smart modern writers
                   E
Give me William Shakesphere
 A
You keep all your smart modern painters
 D                    G        D           A (riff)
I'll take Rembrant, Titian, DeVinci and Gainsborough

 A                         G G# A                         G
Girl, we gotta get out of here,  we gotta find a solution
        D         (no chord)                                     A(riff)
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't want, don't wanna die here
 A                        G G# A                             G
Well, we gotta get outta here,  we've gotta find a solution
       D    (no chord)                                            A
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't want, don't wanna be here

BRIDGE:
        Em                A5      Em             G G/F# Em
I was born in a welfare state, ruled by bureaucracy
    D                   Am          C      C/B       A5
Controlled by civil servants and people dressed in grey
 A5         Am  A5          G G/F# Em
Got no privacy, got no liberty
          D                  A5            C   C/B     A     (riff)
Cos the twentieth century people took it all away from me

RIFF #2 FOUR TIMES


A (no chord)                    G D A
Don't wanna get myself shot down
(no chord)                      G D A
By some trigger happy policeman
(no chord)                      G D 
Gotta keep a hold of my sanity
         D        F      C          G          A
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna die here

RIFF #2 FOUR TIMES

(no chord)                  G  D  A
My mama says she can't understand me
 (no chord)             G  D  A
Can't see my motivation
 (no chord)           G D
Ain't got no security
          D        F     C          G           A
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna die here

RIFF #2 (repeat ...)

I don't want twentieth century man, I don't want twentieth century man
I don't want twentieth century man, I don't want twentieth century man
A                           G D A
This is the twentieth century
                      G D A
Too much aggrevation
                          G D
This is the age of insanity
          D        F     C         G           A
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna be here


RIFF:
    'A' chord
----------------------------
-------------------3-3-3-2--
-------------------2-2-2-2--   repeat
-------------------4-4-4-2--
----0-5p0-5p0---0-----------
--------------0-------------

RIFF #2:
  A           G      G/F#    Em
------------------------------------
----3-3-2---------0------0----------
----2-2-2---------0------0----------
----4-4-2---0---0------0------0-----
--0-------0-------------------------
--------------3------2------0-------

NOTE: Pick notes on the bridge, strum all other times.  The riffs are 
approximate, to give the general idea.  The bridge has been altered a bit 
to make it sound better for guitar.  This is the way the song goes in my 
mind.
(from Muswell Hilbillies, 1971)
(sent by Harlan)



Date: Sept. 19, 2000 1:18 AM
From: joszebu


I was looking over the chord progressions for this fantastic song 20th Century Man 
and it seems to me that the acoustic guitars rhythm part of the song is played in 
an open G tuning.  Both first and sixth strings tuned down to D and 5th string tuned 
to to a G.  This makes the riffs much easier and gives the guitar a fuller sound, as 
well as making the slide guitar parts intelligible.



Date: Oct. 12, 2007
From:  Marco Cuonzo

If the General tuning is based on the key of A, I think that open tunings will be on the same key of A.