Hey Wes, I noticed in a post about your new band you've been playing the old Argent hit, "Hold Your Head Up."
Now that's a song I've loved ever since it came out back in the early 70's. I remember hearing it on the radio over and over again when it was in the charts - never even knew there was a longer version till later....I'll come to that in a minute.
So you inspired me to have a go at working the song out. What I've got so far is something that's fairly recognisable for the verses and the choruses.....but I'm only playing about with the top 3 strings. What I've got so far is.....Verse
E |--5-5-5-5--3-3-3-3--5-5-5-5--5-7-7-5---|
B |--8-8-8-7--5-5-5-3--8-8-8-7--8-5-5-5---|
G |--7-7-7-7--5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7--7-5-5-5---|
D |---------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------|
E |--5-5-5-5--3-3-3-3--5-5-5-5--5-7-7-5---|
B |--8-8-8-7--5-5-5-3--8-8-8-7--8-5-5-5---|
G |--7-7-7-7--5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7--7-5-5-5---|
D |---------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------|
Chorus
E |-2-2-2-2---6--2-2-2-2--6--2-2-2-2---6--5-5-5-4-----|
B |-3-3-3-3---6--3-3-3-3--6--3-3-3-3---6--5-5-5-5-----|
G |-2-2-2-2---5--2-2-2-2--5--2-2-2-2---5--4-4-4-4-----|
D |---------------------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------|
As I say, recognisable - but it sounds a bit thin. Maybe you've got a "meatier" tab? As for the middle eight - well, I don't know if your band's playing the long (with all the neo-classical organ) version, or the single (as in 45RPM!) edit....but I'd really like some help with this one if you could spare the time. Nothing fancy, just the rhythm guitar part. The part I'm especially having trouble with is the bit where the singer (Russ Ballard?) repeats "Hold your head up" over and over and over again AFTER the long organ solo, before it comes to the final chorus and fade-out......
Ah, memories.....the reason this one strikes a chord (sorry!) is all to do with football......so if you aren't interested in football in general, or Liverpool FC in particular, or are a M. Utd fan, look away now.....
Back in 72 (the year "Hold Your Head Up" was released...) Liverpool were in with a good chance of winning the League Championship for the first time in eight years. Me and my friend Pete were desperate to see the Man U v Liverpool game on Easter Monday - but the only way we could get tickets was through a local travel agency, Eavesway, in Newton-le-Willows, and travel by coach, which was more expensive by far - we were still both schoolkids. We managed to scrape the money together, but with some trepidation - you have to remember, football hooliganism was at its peak back then, and Man U fans had a bad reputation. Worse, Eavesway travel was associated with Man U - there were 44 seats on that coach, and me and Pete were the only two Liverpool fans. Worse still, we had tickets for the Stretford End - where the Man U fanatics stand.
We bit the bullet, AND we wore our Liverpool scarves - the banter was fairly good-natured on the coach going, the Man U fans were telling us how many goals we were going to get slaughtered by, etc etc....myself and Pete were almost hoping the game would be drawn, honours even so to speak, then the mood would be OK on the way back....but really hoping for the win.
Anyway as it happened, Liverpool won 3-0 - we were quiet coming out of the ground, we were surrounded by Man U fans. Back on the coach, we decided we'd keep VERY quiet indeed - we didn't want to cause any trouble. 2 against 42? Forget it!
We were listening to the man U fans moaning about bad refereeing decisions, and how crap Liverpool were, and how lucky they were to get a referee with bad eyesight etc etc etc....we stood it for about 15 minutes, then "Hold Your Head Up" came on the radio - and my mate Pete stood up, looked at me and said, "Well at least WE can hold our heads up today... we won 3-0 and we're going to win the league." Then he started singing the chorus.....well what could I do? I had to join in with him....thinking all the time, we are NOT going to get off this coach. At least not in one piece.
Then this HUGE bloke stands up and laughs...."Good on yer, lad," he says to Pete, "at least you're not scared to admit who you support. We were crap today - you deserved to win. But if you even think about singing "You'll Never Walk Alone," we will kill you......."
Well we made it home unscathed, apart from my scarf - that got robbed somewhere. And we didn't win the league - it went right down to the last game, and a bad refereeing decision cost Liverpool a win at Arsenal. But we did win it next year - and finished top, or second, and picked up a couple of FA Cups and European Cups, every year for the next seven or eight years....
Good times.
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Vic
Sorry, this post was down at the bottom, I simply missed it.
I will tab the song out for you, I play it much differently than that tab, but I think it is correct. You will like it, it is simpler than you think.
Give me an hour or so and I'll be back.
Wes.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
OK Vic, here you go. This song has one dominant feature, it plays a open D string throughout the Main Riff and Chorus. This gives the song a psychedelic Eastern feel that is really important to capture this song.
For the younger folks, here is the song on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBnSWJHawQQ
This song is played on the bottom four strings (except the descending chord line after the solo). For the descending chord line, it is probably best to use barre chords.
Here is the tab:
Main Riff
Dsus4 D C/D Csus2/D Dsus4 D Dsus4 Am9/D Am/D
e-3p-3--3--2-----3i-3--3—-3i-----3--3--3--2----3-----7-7-—5-
b-3r-3--3--3-----5p-5--5—-3i-----3--3--3--3----3-----5-5-—5-
g-2i-2--2--2-----5r-5-—5--5r-----2--2--2--2----2-----5-5-—5-
d-0--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0------0--0--0--0----0-----0-0-—0-
a-----------------------------------------------------------
e-----------------------------------------------------------
Chorus
D Fsus4/D
e-2--2-2-2---6p------
a-3--3-3-3---6r------
g-2--2-2-2---5i------ play 3 times then…
d-0--0-0-0---0-------
a--------------------
e--------------------
Esus4/D E/D
e-5p-5--5—-4m------
b-5r-5--5—-5r------
g-4i-4--4—-4i------
d-0--0--0--0-------
a------------------
e------------------
Descending chord progression after solo (starts at 4:37 in the video). Actually, I believe the guitar stays on a D chord, the keyboard plays the descending chords, but this will work if you don't have a keyboard player.
D, C, Bb, Ab, G, E, C, A, F (all Major chords)
For that wierd Fsus4/D chord, just move a Dsus4 chord up to the 5th fret. Easy. :D
Edit- Here is the descending chord progression played on the D, G, and B strings only, I believe this sounds much closer to the recording.
D C/D Bb/D Ab-5 G/D E/D C/D A/D F/D
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
b--3-3-3----1-1-1----3-3-3----1-1-1----0-0-0----0-0-0----1-1-1----2-2-2----1-1-1-
g--2-2-2----0-0-0----3-3-3----1-1-1----0-0-0----1-1-1----0-0-0----2-2-2----2-2-2-
d--0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0-
a--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here are the lyrics, this is the correct version where they say "woman!"
And if it's bad
Don't let it get you down, you can take it.
And if it hurts
Don't let them see you cry, you can make it.
Hold your head up (woman), hold your head up (woman)
Hold your head up (woman), hold your head high.
And if they stare
Just let them burn their eyes on you moving.
And if they shout
Don't let it change a thing that you're doing.
Hold your head up (woman), hold your head up (woman)
Hold your head up (woman), hold your head high.
Well, that's it, hope you enjoy.
Wes
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Descending chord progression after solo (starts at 4:37 in the video). Actually, I believe the guitar stays on a D chord, the keyboard plays the descending chords, but this will work if you don't have a keyboard player.
D, C, Bb, Ab, G, E, C, A, F (all Major chords)
Ah great mate, that's the bit I couldn't quite work out - just tried it (un un-amplified electric, it's 1.32 AM here!) ad it sounds fine - I'll try the whole thing tomorrow.
Once again, I'm in your debt!
Thanks, Wes!
Umm - EDIT - just a thought, you might want to stick this in easy songs - just the way you've tabbed it here. That way it won't get lost - it'll always be in the index, right?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Glad you liked it Vic, your version was very close, just missing the open D string basically. :D
I do believe it is a Fsus4 in the chorus, not Bb, one note different, but sounds much different. I also see your third chord is a little different, I have G/D. You might be correct on that, again, one note different. I'll have to listen more.
It is already in Easy Songs.
I was a big fan of this song as well. Argent was an offshoot of the Zombies, another great group I liked.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Vic,
I went back and listened carefully to that G/D chord. I think your version is correct. I think that would make a Csus2/D. So I corrected it. :D
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
WOW! Wes, you are a genius! I thought I mapped out that song 3 years ago and could never, ever get it right. Oh my, I'm pumped. I will try it again with your tab. Life is good... :D
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Nicely tabbed there, Wes and a good song.
Thanks.
Very well tabbed. Thanks
Jack
Thanks everyone, glad you enjoyed it. I always liked this song because it had such odd dissonant sounding chords. :D
I have worked out that descending chord progression better. If you listen carefully you always hear the bass D note especially, but the chords are going down. I figured out how to play this on the D, G, and B strings and have added it to the tab. I think this sounds much better than playing full barre chords. Hope you like it, I especially like the Ab chord with a flatted 5th, very cool dissonant chord.
Wes
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Man, talk about memories!!!
I remember when this song came out. We all used to sing the chorus as loud as we could. I can remember listening to it on AM radio. This and a song called "Tell Me Somethin Good" by Rufus with Chaka Khan. That song had a great funk feel to it.
Hmmmm...I'm thinking a good remake of that tune could work nowadays.
Anyone up for the task?
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
Wes, I just looked at your tab again and listened to the song a few times. Very cool and much easier than the tab on the Net.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
