Burning Down The House
Talking Heads (1983)


Play hits on 1 & 4 - Muted strumming in between
Strummed parts:  4/4 | d u d u d u d u |

Ah, [G↓↑] watch out, [G↓↑] [F↓↑] you might get what you're after
[G↓↑] Cool babies, [G↓↑] [F↓↑] strange but not a stranger
[G↓↑] ... I'm [G↓↑] an [F↓↑] ord-i-nary [G↓↑] guy
[A7] Burning down the [F↓] house

[G↓↑] Hold tight [G↓↑] [F↓↑] wait till the party's over
[G↓↑] Hold tight, [G↓↑] [F↓↑] we're in for nasty weather
[G↓↑] ... There [G↓↑] has [F↓↑] got to be a [G↓↑] way
[A7] Burning down the [F↓] house

Strum
[G] Here's your ticket pack your bag, [F] time for jumpin' overboard
The [G] transportation is [F] here
[G] Close enough but not too far, [F] maybe you know where you are
[G] Fightin' fire with [F] fire

[G↓↑] All wet, [G↓↑] [F↓↑] hey you might need a raincoat
[G↓↑] Shakedown, [G↓↑] [F↓↑] dreams walking in broad daylight
[G↓↑] Three hun- [G↓↑] dred [F↓↑] sixty-five de- [G↓↑] grees
[A7] Burning down the [F↓] house

Strum
[G] It was once upon a place, [F] sometimes I listen to myself
[G] Gonna come in first [F] place
[G] People on their way to work, [F] baby what did you expect
[G] Gonna burst into [F] flame

Instrumental
| [G↓↑] ...  [G↓↑] | [F↓↑] ... |
| [G↓↑] ...  [G↓↑] | [F↓↑] ... |
| [G↓↑] ...  [G↓↑] | [F↓↑] ... |
| [G↓↑]   [A7] Burning down the | [F↓] house

[G↓↑] My house, [G↓↑] [F↓↑] it's out of the ordinary
[G↓↑] That's right, [G↓↑] [F↓↑] don't want to hurt nobody
[G↓↑] Some things sure [G↓↑] can [F↓↑] sweep me off my [G↓↑] feet
[A7] Burning down the [F↓] house

Strum
No [G] visible means of support, and [F] you have not seen nothin' yet
[G] Everything's stuck to- [F] gether
[G] I don't know what you expect, sta- [F] ring into your TV set
[G] Fightin' fire with [F] fire

Instrumental
| [G↓↑] ...  [G↓↑] | [F↓↑] ... |
| [G↓↑] ...  [G↓↑] | [F↓↑] ... |
| [G↓↑] ...  [G↓↑] | [F↓↑] ... |
| [G↓↑]   [A7] Burning down the | [F↓] house


#Play with original in this key. Try Slowing it to .75 speed to get the hang of it.
#Last Updated 12/1/17 JJ
Visit UkeboxLessons