Chords for Billy Idol - rare 1984 NZ interview!!
Tempo:
72.075 bpm
Chords used:
Ab
G
Abm
A
E
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Ab] Oh great, [Cm] welcome to New Zealand.
[Dm] Sit back and relax, we'll be with you in a minute.
[Ab] I'd love to sing Rebel [G] Yellows.
And that guy who jumped up and shouted Rebel Yell right now,
this guy just jumped up and grabbed the microphone, man.
[Em] If it never had that happen there.
It's great, it's great watching young kids excited about rock and roll again.
That's why I think that album's worth paying the money for.
Because I think, you know, it's got the spirit [Ebm] of rock and roll.
Both [Abm] your image and lyrical content would appear rather [Eb] subversive for the top 20.
Why do you think it appeals to [N] the pop audience?
Well, because I think I'm appealing to their intelligence.
A subversive intelligence?
Well, I think the trouble [Ab] is most people tend to appeal to younger peoples.
They try to treat them like idiots.
But I mean, if you just talk to them like they're adults, like anybody else,
which they are, they're people, they've got every right to have the same sort of respect
that anybody else gets, you find the same sort of, I think, intelligent people around you.
You have to talk to them intelligently.
So I don't make pop music, I make rock and roll.
I talk [G] to Boy George and people like that.
You've come a long way since the days of Generation X,
[C] and the only hangover from those days would appear [Abm] to be your tough image.
Is that really you?
[G] I'm not [Ab] really a tough person in the sense of being violent or aggressive physically.
But I'm kind of tough about my attitude,
because that's the only thing that kind of keeps you going [G] in society,
is if you have your attitude together and you know what you think,
and you're confident about what you think and you can make it work.
Because otherwise people just walk all over you,
especially [A] in an industry that cares the least about [Abm] music.
They care about money making, not about music.
Well, I care about [Em] music.
Keep that together, right?
You have to have a pretty heavy attitude,
and people wonder why I stand there shaking my fist.
It's because, yeah, you know,
the [Ab] only way to get through, to make ourselves worth it,
is if we state an opinion.
And the opinion is what young people want and should and deserve.
I'll bet they agree.
Why did you choose the name Billy Idol,
especially in a time when there were [Em] Johnny Rotten [Fm] Ritz gaybies, you know?
Exactly.
I mean, that's the point.
That's exactly the [Abm] point.
It's like, I thought first of all, of course, of I-D-L-E, you know, Idol.
Because [G] this chemistry teacher, when I was at school,
I got 8 out of 100 for chemistry.
[F] I hated chemistry.
So [Ab] he kind of, he wrote, William is Idol, right?
So I, but I thought that was great, 10 for chemistry,
because I hated the hell out of it.
So that's why I [G] thought it was [E] worthwhile,
I've been called I-D-O, [Ab]
[E] Idol.
You know, also, it's good fun making fun of show [B] business.
[Em] I'm not into show business.
I'm into rock and roll.
OK, Billy, well, White Wedding portrays a pretty horrible view of marriage.
Is that based on personal experience?
No, I was never married, but the song's about my sister.
Yeah.
And, um, really, it's nothing [A] to do with marriage, really.
Let's face it, it's [Gb] about kind of conventions in society
that [G] people kind of use hypocritically just to, um, for their own ends, really.
Basically, it's not really horrible at all.
In fact, everyone [Ab] always talks about how [F] the satanic [G] side of it and all that stuff,
with all those [Ab] crosses, but they don't realise the cross is a symbol of life.
And young people these days have got [C] more life than ever.
And I think that's what [Ab] this music's all [F] about.
And they don't see the horror visions in that, they see the [Ab] truth.
To them, that's not [G] horrible at all, it's real.
To me, it's not horrible, it's nice.
I think that's the truth.
All I ever see is men beating women up.
Well, things like Ribble Yell, um
She says, I love women, she [E] doesn't want slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
In fact, really, it's about me coming to the New World,
and a time when I was real down and out, and the New World took me in.
She don't like slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
[Gb] But when I was tired and [A] lonely, she gave me a bed.
That's the United States of America.
And people find it very easy in [E] some places to put the United States down,
but they forget there's a lot of [C] working-class people,
[Abm] ordinary people who struggle every day and have nothing to do with the ruling class.
And, um, who, you know, die for the same [G] things Australians and everybody else and New Zealanders do.
And I find there's a lot of prejudice against those people.
And people should cut it out, get into it.
Just hate Reagan, but don't hate the other people, you know.
Or hate politics, but don't hate ordinary people,
just because of their nationality, their colour, their race or their creed.
I mean, it's a waste of time.
Punk rock was about getting rid of all that.
I wanted to stop all that silly rock star nonsense.
[Abm] Nonsense which our world don't need anymore.
I come here because I [Ab] make music for the sheer hell of it.
I like music.
I think it's [N] fun.
I want records to mean a little bit more than just a little piece of epoxy, a bit of cardboard, you know.
I want it to mean a bit of plastic.
When you put it on your turntable, man, it gets to your soul.
I guess for mine, Creedence Knit and Mike Bolan.
You like Mike Bolan?
Yeah, and the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls and Jim Morrison and Elvis Presley
and everything that ever meant anything.
Talking about Elvis Presley, do you ever consider that you've modelled yourself on him in any way?
No way, man.
I don't take as many drugs as he did.
[A] Great.
I love music so many ways.
[B] That's the last bastion of good fun.
[A] Right.
Well, we're going to have a look at two bands now from [E] where you used to come from, England.
[B] I guess I will.
Billy Idol, nice to meet you.
Thanks a lot.
When are you coming back for a tour?
November.
November I'm going to play again.
Great.
Rock on, New Zealand.
Excellent.
You want to give us a rebel yell?
You've got one already, haven't you?
I'll go on.
Alright.
Rock on,
[Dm] Sit back and relax, we'll be with you in a minute.
[Ab] I'd love to sing Rebel [G] Yellows.
And that guy who jumped up and shouted Rebel Yell right now,
this guy just jumped up and grabbed the microphone, man.
[Em] If it never had that happen there.
It's great, it's great watching young kids excited about rock and roll again.
That's why I think that album's worth paying the money for.
Because I think, you know, it's got the spirit [Ebm] of rock and roll.
Both [Abm] your image and lyrical content would appear rather [Eb] subversive for the top 20.
Why do you think it appeals to [N] the pop audience?
Well, because I think I'm appealing to their intelligence.
A subversive intelligence?
Well, I think the trouble [Ab] is most people tend to appeal to younger peoples.
They try to treat them like idiots.
But I mean, if you just talk to them like they're adults, like anybody else,
which they are, they're people, they've got every right to have the same sort of respect
that anybody else gets, you find the same sort of, I think, intelligent people around you.
You have to talk to them intelligently.
So I don't make pop music, I make rock and roll.
I talk [G] to Boy George and people like that.
You've come a long way since the days of Generation X,
[C] and the only hangover from those days would appear [Abm] to be your tough image.
Is that really you?
[G] I'm not [Ab] really a tough person in the sense of being violent or aggressive physically.
But I'm kind of tough about my attitude,
because that's the only thing that kind of keeps you going [G] in society,
is if you have your attitude together and you know what you think,
and you're confident about what you think and you can make it work.
Because otherwise people just walk all over you,
especially [A] in an industry that cares the least about [Abm] music.
They care about money making, not about music.
Well, I care about [Em] music.
Keep that together, right?
You have to have a pretty heavy attitude,
and people wonder why I stand there shaking my fist.
It's because, yeah, you know,
the [Ab] only way to get through, to make ourselves worth it,
is if we state an opinion.
And the opinion is what young people want and should and deserve.
I'll bet they agree.
Why did you choose the name Billy Idol,
especially in a time when there were [Em] Johnny Rotten [Fm] Ritz gaybies, you know?
Exactly.
I mean, that's the point.
That's exactly the [Abm] point.
It's like, I thought first of all, of course, of I-D-L-E, you know, Idol.
Because [G] this chemistry teacher, when I was at school,
I got 8 out of 100 for chemistry.
[F] I hated chemistry.
So [Ab] he kind of, he wrote, William is Idol, right?
So I, but I thought that was great, 10 for chemistry,
because I hated the hell out of it.
So that's why I [G] thought it was [E] worthwhile,
I've been called I-D-O, [Ab]
[E] Idol.
You know, also, it's good fun making fun of show [B] business.
[Em] I'm not into show business.
I'm into rock and roll.
OK, Billy, well, White Wedding portrays a pretty horrible view of marriage.
Is that based on personal experience?
No, I was never married, but the song's about my sister.
Yeah.
And, um, really, it's nothing [A] to do with marriage, really.
Let's face it, it's [Gb] about kind of conventions in society
that [G] people kind of use hypocritically just to, um, for their own ends, really.
Basically, it's not really horrible at all.
In fact, everyone [Ab] always talks about how [F] the satanic [G] side of it and all that stuff,
with all those [Ab] crosses, but they don't realise the cross is a symbol of life.
And young people these days have got [C] more life than ever.
And I think that's what [Ab] this music's all [F] about.
And they don't see the horror visions in that, they see the [Ab] truth.
To them, that's not [G] horrible at all, it's real.
To me, it's not horrible, it's nice.
I think that's the truth.
All I ever see is men beating women up.
Well, things like Ribble Yell, um
She says, I love women, she [E] doesn't want slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
In fact, really, it's about me coming to the New World,
and a time when I was real down and out, and the New World took me in.
She don't like slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
[Gb] But when I was tired and [A] lonely, she gave me a bed.
That's the United States of America.
And people find it very easy in [E] some places to put the United States down,
but they forget there's a lot of [C] working-class people,
[Abm] ordinary people who struggle every day and have nothing to do with the ruling class.
And, um, who, you know, die for the same [G] things Australians and everybody else and New Zealanders do.
And I find there's a lot of prejudice against those people.
And people should cut it out, get into it.
Just hate Reagan, but don't hate the other people, you know.
Or hate politics, but don't hate ordinary people,
just because of their nationality, their colour, their race or their creed.
I mean, it's a waste of time.
Punk rock was about getting rid of all that.
I wanted to stop all that silly rock star nonsense.
[Abm] Nonsense which our world don't need anymore.
I come here because I [Ab] make music for the sheer hell of it.
I like music.
I think it's [N] fun.
I want records to mean a little bit more than just a little piece of epoxy, a bit of cardboard, you know.
I want it to mean a bit of plastic.
When you put it on your turntable, man, it gets to your soul.
I guess for mine, Creedence Knit and Mike Bolan.
You like Mike Bolan?
Yeah, and the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls and Jim Morrison and Elvis Presley
and everything that ever meant anything.
Talking about Elvis Presley, do you ever consider that you've modelled yourself on him in any way?
No way, man.
I don't take as many drugs as he did.
[A] Great.
I love music so many ways.
[B] That's the last bastion of good fun.
[A] Right.
Well, we're going to have a look at two bands now from [E] where you used to come from, England.
[B] I guess I will.
Billy Idol, nice to meet you.
Thanks a lot.
When are you coming back for a tour?
November.
November I'm going to play again.
Great.
Rock on, New Zealand.
Excellent.
You want to give us a rebel yell?
You've got one already, haven't you?
I'll go on.
Alright.
Rock on,
Key:
Ab
G
Abm
A
E
Ab
G
Abm
[Ab] Oh great, [Cm] welcome to New Zealand.
[Dm] Sit back and relax, we'll be with you in a minute.
[Ab] I'd love to sing Rebel [G] Yellows.
And that guy who jumped up and shouted Rebel Yell right now,
this guy just jumped up and grabbed the microphone, man.
[Em] If it never had that happen there.
It's great, it's great watching young kids excited about rock and roll again.
That's why I think that album's worth paying the money for.
Because I think, you know, it's got the spirit [Ebm] of rock and roll.
Both [Abm] your image and lyrical content would appear rather [Eb] subversive for the top 20.
Why do you think it appeals to [N] the pop audience?
Well, because I think I'm appealing to their intelligence. _
A subversive intelligence?
Well, I think the trouble [Ab] is most people tend to appeal to younger peoples.
_ They try to treat them like idiots.
But I mean, if you just talk to them like they're adults, like anybody else,
which they are, they're people, they've got every right to have the same sort of respect
that anybody else gets, you find the same sort of, I think, intelligent people around you.
You have to talk to them intelligently.
So I don't make pop music, I make rock and roll.
I talk [G] to Boy George and people like that.
You've come a long way since the days of Generation X,
[C] and the only hangover from those days would appear [Abm] to be your tough image.
Is that really you?
[G] I'm not [Ab] really a tough person in the sense of being violent or aggressive physically.
_ _ But I'm kind of tough about my attitude,
because that's the only thing that kind of keeps you going [G] in society,
is if you have your attitude together and you know what you think,
and you're confident about what you think and you can make it work.
Because otherwise people just walk all over you,
especially [A] in an industry that cares the least about [Abm] music.
They care about money making, not about music.
Well, I care about [Em] music.
Keep that together, right?
You have to have a pretty heavy attitude,
and people wonder why I stand there shaking my fist.
It's because, yeah, you know,
the [Ab] only way to get through, to make ourselves worth it,
is if we state an opinion.
And the opinion is what young people want and should and deserve.
I'll bet they agree.
Why did you choose the name Billy Idol,
especially in a time when there were [Em] Johnny Rotten [Fm] Ritz gaybies, you know?
Exactly.
I mean, that's the point.
That's exactly the [Abm] point.
It's like, I thought first of all, of course, of I-D-L-E, you know, Idol.
Because [G] this chemistry teacher, when I was at school,
I got 8 out of 100 for chemistry.
[F] I hated chemistry.
So [Ab] he kind of, he wrote, William is Idol, right?
So I, but I thought that was great, 10 for chemistry,
because I hated the hell out of it.
So that's why I [G] thought it was [E] worthwhile,
I've been called I-D-O, [Ab]
[E] Idol.
You know, also, it's good fun making fun of show [B] business.
[Em] I'm not into show business.
I'm into rock and roll.
OK, Billy, well, White Wedding portrays a pretty horrible view of marriage.
Is that based on personal experience?
No, I was never married, but the song's about my sister.
Yeah.
And, um, really, it's nothing [A] to do with marriage, really.
Let's face it, it's [Gb] about kind of conventions in society
that [G] people kind of use hypocritically just to, um, for their own ends, really.
Basically, it's not really horrible at all.
In fact, everyone [Ab] always talks about how [F] the satanic [G] side of it and all that stuff,
with all those [Ab] crosses, but they don't realise the cross is a symbol of life.
And young people these days have got [C] more life than ever.
And I think that's what [Ab] this music's all [F] about.
And they don't see the horror visions in that, they see the [Ab] truth.
To them, that's not [G] horrible at all, it's real.
To me, it's not horrible, it's nice.
I think that's the truth.
All I ever see is men beating women up.
Well, things like Ribble Yell, um_
She says, I love women, she [E] doesn't want slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
In fact, really, it's about me coming to the New World,
and a time when I was real down and out, and the New World took me in.
She don't like slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
[Gb] But when I was tired and [A] lonely, she gave me a bed.
That's the United States of America.
And people find it very easy in [E] some places to put the United States down,
but they forget there's a lot of [C] working-class people,
[Abm] ordinary people who struggle every day and have nothing to do with the ruling class.
And, um, who, you know, die for the same [G] things Australians and everybody else and New Zealanders do.
And I find there's a lot of prejudice against those people.
And people should cut it out, get into it.
Just hate Reagan, but don't hate the other people, you know.
Or hate politics, but don't hate ordinary people,
just because of their nationality, their colour, their race or their creed.
I mean, it's a waste of time.
Punk rock was about getting rid of all that.
I wanted to stop all that silly rock star nonsense.
[Abm] Nonsense which our world don't need anymore.
I come here because I [Ab] make music for the sheer hell of it.
I like music.
I think it's [N] fun.
I want records to mean a little bit more than just a little piece of epoxy, a bit of cardboard, you know.
I want it to mean a bit of plastic.
When you put it on your _ turntable, man, it gets to your soul.
I guess for mine, Creedence Knit and Mike Bolan.
You like Mike Bolan?
Yeah, and the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls and Jim Morrison and Elvis Presley
and everything that ever meant anything.
Talking about Elvis Presley, do you ever consider that you've modelled yourself on him in any way?
No way, man.
I don't take as many drugs as he did.
_ [A] Great.
I love music so many ways.
[B] That's the last bastion of good fun.
[A] Right.
Well, we're going to have a look at two bands now from [E] where you used to come from, England.
[B] I guess I will.
Billy Idol, nice to meet you.
Thanks a lot.
When are you coming back for a tour?
November.
November I'm going to play again.
Great.
Rock on, New Zealand.
Excellent.
You want to give us a rebel yell?
You've got one already, haven't you?
I'll go on.
Alright.
_ Rock on,
[Dm] Sit back and relax, we'll be with you in a minute.
[Ab] I'd love to sing Rebel [G] Yellows.
And that guy who jumped up and shouted Rebel Yell right now,
this guy just jumped up and grabbed the microphone, man.
[Em] If it never had that happen there.
It's great, it's great watching young kids excited about rock and roll again.
That's why I think that album's worth paying the money for.
Because I think, you know, it's got the spirit [Ebm] of rock and roll.
Both [Abm] your image and lyrical content would appear rather [Eb] subversive for the top 20.
Why do you think it appeals to [N] the pop audience?
Well, because I think I'm appealing to their intelligence. _
A subversive intelligence?
Well, I think the trouble [Ab] is most people tend to appeal to younger peoples.
_ They try to treat them like idiots.
But I mean, if you just talk to them like they're adults, like anybody else,
which they are, they're people, they've got every right to have the same sort of respect
that anybody else gets, you find the same sort of, I think, intelligent people around you.
You have to talk to them intelligently.
So I don't make pop music, I make rock and roll.
I talk [G] to Boy George and people like that.
You've come a long way since the days of Generation X,
[C] and the only hangover from those days would appear [Abm] to be your tough image.
Is that really you?
[G] I'm not [Ab] really a tough person in the sense of being violent or aggressive physically.
_ _ But I'm kind of tough about my attitude,
because that's the only thing that kind of keeps you going [G] in society,
is if you have your attitude together and you know what you think,
and you're confident about what you think and you can make it work.
Because otherwise people just walk all over you,
especially [A] in an industry that cares the least about [Abm] music.
They care about money making, not about music.
Well, I care about [Em] music.
Keep that together, right?
You have to have a pretty heavy attitude,
and people wonder why I stand there shaking my fist.
It's because, yeah, you know,
the [Ab] only way to get through, to make ourselves worth it,
is if we state an opinion.
And the opinion is what young people want and should and deserve.
I'll bet they agree.
Why did you choose the name Billy Idol,
especially in a time when there were [Em] Johnny Rotten [Fm] Ritz gaybies, you know?
Exactly.
I mean, that's the point.
That's exactly the [Abm] point.
It's like, I thought first of all, of course, of I-D-L-E, you know, Idol.
Because [G] this chemistry teacher, when I was at school,
I got 8 out of 100 for chemistry.
[F] I hated chemistry.
So [Ab] he kind of, he wrote, William is Idol, right?
So I, but I thought that was great, 10 for chemistry,
because I hated the hell out of it.
So that's why I [G] thought it was [E] worthwhile,
I've been called I-D-O, [Ab]
[E] Idol.
You know, also, it's good fun making fun of show [B] business.
[Em] I'm not into show business.
I'm into rock and roll.
OK, Billy, well, White Wedding portrays a pretty horrible view of marriage.
Is that based on personal experience?
No, I was never married, but the song's about my sister.
Yeah.
And, um, really, it's nothing [A] to do with marriage, really.
Let's face it, it's [Gb] about kind of conventions in society
that [G] people kind of use hypocritically just to, um, for their own ends, really.
Basically, it's not really horrible at all.
In fact, everyone [Ab] always talks about how [F] the satanic [G] side of it and all that stuff,
with all those [Ab] crosses, but they don't realise the cross is a symbol of life.
And young people these days have got [C] more life than ever.
And I think that's what [Ab] this music's all [F] about.
And they don't see the horror visions in that, they see the [Ab] truth.
To them, that's not [G] horrible at all, it's real.
To me, it's not horrible, it's nice.
I think that's the truth.
All I ever see is men beating women up.
Well, things like Ribble Yell, um_
She says, I love women, she [E] doesn't want slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
In fact, really, it's about me coming to the New World,
and a time when I was real down and out, and the New World took me in.
She don't like slavery, she wants to sit and beg.
[Gb] But when I was tired and [A] lonely, she gave me a bed.
That's the United States of America.
And people find it very easy in [E] some places to put the United States down,
but they forget there's a lot of [C] working-class people,
[Abm] ordinary people who struggle every day and have nothing to do with the ruling class.
And, um, who, you know, die for the same [G] things Australians and everybody else and New Zealanders do.
And I find there's a lot of prejudice against those people.
And people should cut it out, get into it.
Just hate Reagan, but don't hate the other people, you know.
Or hate politics, but don't hate ordinary people,
just because of their nationality, their colour, their race or their creed.
I mean, it's a waste of time.
Punk rock was about getting rid of all that.
I wanted to stop all that silly rock star nonsense.
[Abm] Nonsense which our world don't need anymore.
I come here because I [Ab] make music for the sheer hell of it.
I like music.
I think it's [N] fun.
I want records to mean a little bit more than just a little piece of epoxy, a bit of cardboard, you know.
I want it to mean a bit of plastic.
When you put it on your _ turntable, man, it gets to your soul.
I guess for mine, Creedence Knit and Mike Bolan.
You like Mike Bolan?
Yeah, and the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls and Jim Morrison and Elvis Presley
and everything that ever meant anything.
Talking about Elvis Presley, do you ever consider that you've modelled yourself on him in any way?
No way, man.
I don't take as many drugs as he did.
_ [A] Great.
I love music so many ways.
[B] That's the last bastion of good fun.
[A] Right.
Well, we're going to have a look at two bands now from [E] where you used to come from, England.
[B] I guess I will.
Billy Idol, nice to meet you.
Thanks a lot.
When are you coming back for a tour?
November.
November I'm going to play again.
Great.
Rock on, New Zealand.
Excellent.
You want to give us a rebel yell?
You've got one already, haven't you?
I'll go on.
Alright.
_ Rock on,