• Song:

    Independence Day

  • Artist:

    White Heart

Independence Day
                         White Heart
                   From the CD "PowerHouse"
Words and Music by Mark Gersmehl, Billy Smiley and Rick Florian
            
                  
            using the standard tuning conventions: 

           /  =  Slide up       /w  =  Whammy bar up
           \  =  Slide down     \w  =  Whammy bar down
           #  =  Harmonic        ~  =  Vibrato
           p  =  Pulloff         ^  =  Bend (up pitch) 
           h  =  Hammer On       v  =  Bend (down pitch)   
           * =   Natural Harmonic                 

  Em            G      D       Em    G    D   (Repeat)
|---------------3------2-------0-----3----2-------------------------------|
|---------------0------3-------0-----0----3-------------------------------|
|-----0---------0------2---0-0-0-----0----2-------------------------------|
|-2---2---------0--0-0-0---0h2-2-----0----0-------------------------------|
|-2---2---------2---- -----0h2-2-----2------------------------------------|
|-0-0-0---0-2-3-3---- -----0-0-0-0-2-3------------------------------------|


Em            G    D       Em            G    D
Listen to our declaration  listen to our testament

Em                 G   D       Em             G        D
We've been given a revelation  We are sure of where we stand

Am                   G   D     Am                       G         D     Em
So let the banner be unfurled  We've found the light of hope in a dying world



Em               G      D    Em                G        D
Hear the myth of modern man  you're the god of your own land

Em                    G         D               Em            G        D
They call you weak, a spineless fool,say you've given up your right to rule

Am                     G       D   Am               G     D
But I have been to the land of me  and I know I was never free

Am                  Am/B        C
Freedom came when I gave it all away

(Chorus)
                               G    G  G       D    Em     G G D D    Em
|------------------------------3----3--3-------2----0------3-3-2-2-----0--|
|------------------------------0----0--0-------3----0------0-0-3-3-----0--|
|-------0----------------------0----0--0-------2----0------0-0-2-2-----0--|
|-0-h-2----0h2p0---------------0----0--0-------0----2--0h2-0-0-0-0-----2--|
|--------------2p0-------------2----2--2------------2--0h2-2-2---------2--|
|-----------------3------------3----3--3------------0------3-3-----3-2-0--|
              That's   why  I  call it Independence Day                  


   
   G   G   G       D D    Em     G G D D     Em
|--3---3---3-------2-2----0------3-3-2-2-----0----------------------------|
|--0---0---0-------3-3----0------0-0-3-3-----0----------------------------|
|--0---0---0-------2-2----0------0-0-2-2-----0----------------------------|
|--0---0---0-------0-0----2--0h2-0-0-0-0-----2----------------------------|
|--2---2---2--------------2--0h2-2-2---------2----------------------------|
|--3---3---3--------------0------3-3-----3-2-0----------------------------|
   Call it Independence Day

            Am                     G     Am                        G
|---------0-0----------------------3---0-0-------------------------3------|
|-------0h1-1----------------------0-0h1-1-------------------------0------|
|-------0h2-2----------------------0-0h2-2-------------------------0------|
|-------0h2-2----------------------0-0h2-2-------------------------0------|
|-----------0----------------------2-----0-------------------------2------|
|----------------------------------3-------------------------------3------|
  Let the rockets blaze across the sky  raise the flag of faith up high

  C                                  D
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-5----------------------------------7--------------------------------------|
|-5----------------------------------7--------------------------------------|
|-5----------------------------------7--------------------------------------|
|-3----------------------------------5--------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  Let the doubters call it what they may

                    Em
|-------------------0------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------0------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------0------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------2------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------2------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------0------------------------------------------------------|
  It's Independence Day


Em                          G       D      Em                 G      D
The world can crown another hundred kings  but I believe in a better dream

Em               G    D   Em                      G        D
They may call it slavery  but the biggest chain I knew was me

Am               G      D     Am                G              D
So let the idols tumble down  the walls of lies crumble to the ground

Am                     Am/B   C
I know where salvation can be found

C
Let the idols tumble down

(Repeat Chorus)


 Brian's Guitar Solo
|------------------------------------------------------0h3p0--------------|
|--15^19v\s--10^12-10p8--------------------------------------3-0----------|
|-----------------------9~~~\s--2h4p2p0--2h4p20------------------0-5*-\w--|
|-------------------------------------2p0------2p0-2~~~-------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------5*---------------------------------------------------------|
|-----5*---5*-----------------------21^24\s--10^12-10p8-------------------|
|--------5*--------------------------------------------9~~~~~\s-----------|
|----5*-----------5*/w\w/w\w/w\w-----------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------5-7-8-|
|-8-7-5---------------------------------------------5-7-8-----5-7-8-------|
|------7--9-7-5\2--4-2-0------------------4-7-4-5-7-------5-7-------------|
|-----------------------2-------4-5-7-4-7---------------------------------|
|------------------------3HM~~~7------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  Am                G   D        Am                  G    D           
|-8~----------------7---5--------8~------------------7----5---------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  So join us in the celebration  it's the birth of a holy nation


  Am                        Am/B     C              
|-8~------------------------7---------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------8~~~---------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  As people of light we are proud to say

  
(Repeat Chorus)


(After Last Chorus)
                        Em       G           D     Em
|-----------------------0--------3-----------2-----0----------------------|
|-----------------------0--------0-----------3-----0----------------------|
|---------0--0--0-------0--------0-----------2-----0----------------------|
|--------2--0--0--------2--------0-----------0-----2----------------------|
|---0-2-3--2--0---------2--------2-----------------2----------------------|
|--3-------------3-2-0--0----0-2-3-----------------0----------------------|
                        Oh       it's Independence Day


 Ending Guitar Solo
|----------------------------------------------------12-15^17-15--12--12--|
|--------12-15----------------------------12~~-12-15^---------------15----|
|--14^16-------14^16---14-12-14--14-12-14---------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------12----------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------15p12--12-------------------------------------------------------|
|--14^16-------14--14-12---12-14p12----12-14p12---------------------------|
|------------------------14----------14----------12-14-----------------12-|
|----------------------------------------------14-----------12-12-12-14---|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------11-12-12-11----------14^16--14p12h14--12p11h12---|
|---12p14~~-----14-14--14-----------14-12-14------------------------------|
|-14----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------15/ww\17\ww/15/ww\17~~-----|
|---11-12-11--------------------------------------------------------------|
|-14--------14-12--14^16-14~~---------------------------------------------|
|----------------14-------------14p12-14-14~~-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-----15-14-14--14-15-17--15-17-17^19~\s---19p17p15--17p15p14--15p14p12---|
|--17---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------------------14-15-15-15-14------------|
|-15p14p12---------------------------17-17----17--------------17-15-17----|
|---------14p12--12-14p12----------16-------------------------------------|
|--------------14-----------12-14-----------------------------------------|
|-------------------------14----------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Ron's Guitar Notes:
===================
You'll find the beginning chord progression of:
  Em          G     D   Em        G G G   D D D 
repeated throughout the song, usually right after the chorus.
This part is shown in more detail at the beginning of this tab.

 ----------------

I've also found it more "authentic" sounding to "hammer-on" most all of 
the Am and Em chords found throughout the song. Both chords are hammered
onto "open" strings, so it's usually "kind" of easy. Definetely builds
up those hand muscles! 

 ----------------

About the guitar solo... Whew! What can I say? I've poured over this 
sizzler for more time than I care to admit, and I've tried my best... 
but, I have to admit, I could still be missing some of the finer points.
Especially some of the harmonics(?) at the end of each "segment" 
point of Wooten's first solo. Tough stuff! He could be pinching his
fingers close to the pick and strings, giving an artificial harmonic...
but sometimes I'm just not sure. Any help from anyone? 

I remember while at Walt Disney World's Nite of Joy '94, I found myself 
standing in the front row, just 15 feet from where Wooten was positioned
on stage. (And yes, I can attest that at no time did Brian's fingers ever
leave his hands!) I remember thinking: "Watch the positioning of his 
hands...Watch how he uses the whammy bar...Watch how..." Of course, 
I was doing this for *ALL* of White Heart's songs that night, and those
finer guitar techniques can sometimes all run together...
Oh, well.  Enjoy.   :>

 ----------------

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