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Roulette

Bruce Springsteen

RockMedium for beginners10 chords

How to play it

Fingering diagrams for the shapes in this song. × = don't play, ○ = open string.

Dm××
C×
BbDiagram coming soon
A×
Am×
F
Em
G
D××
GmDiagram coming soon

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

Text size
 
              (Drums only) 
|   |   |   | A4 | A4 | A4 | A4 | A4 | 
 
hide this tab Dm               C                Bb                 A 
-----|----------|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------| 
-----|----------|-----|--------5-|-6---|---5-|-6--6-|-5--5--| 
-----|----------|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------| 
-----|--------7-|-5---|-5-7-8----|-----|-----|------|-------| 
--5--|-5-7-8----|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------| 
-----|----------|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------| 
 
Dm               C                Bb                 A       Dm 
-----|----------|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------|-------| 
-----|----------|-----|--------5-|-6---|---5-|-6--5-|-------|-3-----| 
-----|----------|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------|-------| 
-----|--------7-|-5---|-5-7-8----|-----|-----|------|-------|-------| 
--5--|-5-7-8----|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------|-------| 
-----|----------|-----|----------|-----|-----|------|-------|-------| 
                                                               We left... 
                            C    Bb 
We left the toys out in the yard 
                            A                      Dm 
I took my wife and kids and left my home unguarded 
                                 C   Bb 
We packed what we could into the car 
                  A              Dm 
No one here knows how it started 
 
Suddenly everything was just so out of control 
      Am 
Now I want some answers, mister, I need to know 
  Bb 
I hear all the talk but I don't know what you're sayin' 
 
But I think I got a good idea of the game that you're playin' 
 
C             Dm 
Roulette, that's the name 
C             Bb 
Roulette, that's the game now 
C                 Dm 
Roulette, I don't know what they're sayin' 
C             Bb                 | F C | Dm 
Roulette, and everybody's playin' 
 
                       C                                  Bb 
I grew up here on this street where nothin' moves, just a strange breeze 
                   A                Dm 
In a town full of worthless memories 
                           C 
There's a shadow in my backyard 
           Bb 
I've got a house full of things that I can't touch 
                               A 
Well all those things won't do me much good now 
Dm 
I was a fireman out at Riker's, I did my job 
Am 
Mister, I've been cheated, I feel like I've been robbed 
Bb 
I'm the big expendable, my life's just cancelled, null and void 
 
But what are you gonna do about your new boy 
 
C             Dm 
Roulette, you're playin' with my life 
C              Bb 
Roulette, with my children and my wife 
C                Dm 
Roulette, every day the stakes get bigger 
C              Bb                          | F C | 
Roulette, a different finger on the trigger 
 
hide this tab Am             Em             G                 D              F 
-17--|-----17-|-15--|-----15-|-14--15-|-14--15-|-14--|-----14-|-15-----|--------| 
-----|--17----|-----|--17----|--------|--------|-----|-15-----|-----15-|-13--12-| 
-----|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------| 
-----|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------| 
-----|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------| 
-----|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------|-----|--------|--------|--------| 
 
G                 Dm                C 
-15-----|--------|-13--12-|--------|-----------| 
-----15-|-13--12-|--------|-15--13-|-13>15-----| 
--------|--------|--------|--------|---B(slow)-| 
--------|--------|--------|--------|-----------| 
--------|--------|--------|--------|-----------| 
--------|--------|--------|--------|-----------| 
 
Dm                     C           Bb 
Down by the river that talks the night speaks in searchlights 
     A                     Dm 
And shortwave radios squawk, 
                        C 
The police patrol the streets 
          Bb 
But I've left behind the man I used to be, 
                              A 
Everything he believed in and all that belonged to me 
Dm 
I tried to find my way out to somewhere where I thought it'd be safe 
      Am 
They stopped me at the roadblock they put up on the interstate 
  Bb 
They put me in detention but I broke loose and then I ran 
  Gm                                                                          Bb 
They said they want to ask me a few questions but I think they had other plans 
                                                                 A4 
Now I don't know who to trust and I don't know what I can believe 
 
They say they want to help me but with the stuff they keep on sayin' 
 
I think those guys just wanna keep on playin' 
 
C           Dm 
Roulette, with my life 
C           Bb 
Roulette, with my kids and my wife 
C               Dm 
Roulette, the bullet's in the chamber 
C                Bb 
Roulette, who's the unlucky stranger 
C              Dm 
Roulette, surprise, you're dead 
C              Bb 
Roulette, the gun's to your head 
C                      Dm 
Roulette, the bullet's spinning in the chamber 
C                   Bb 
Roulette, pull the trigger, feel the click 
F            C 
No further danger 
 
 A4 Dm C  Bb A  F  Am Em G  D 
-0--1--0--1--0--1--0--0--3--2-| 
-3--3--1--3--2--1--1--0--0--3-| 
-2--2--0--3--2--2--2--0--0--2-| 
-2--0--2--3--2--3--2--2--0--0-| 
-0-----3--1--0--3--0--2--2----| 
----------------1-----0--3----| 
 
b....bend 
rb...release bend 
/....slide up 
....slide down 
>....hammer 
<....pull 
=....fast strokes 
vvv..vibrato 
          
 

Details

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Chord set

Dm · C · Bb · A · Am · F · Em · G · D · Gm

Practice tip

Loop the first two chords slowly until the change is clean, then add the rest.