Title: Break Me Down
Artist: Alter Bridge
Album: Blackbird
For 5-string bass, tabbed by jjhand


Intro, after 2 beats of drum fill
G|---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------------------------------|
D|---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------------------------------|
A|-2-------------|---------------|-2-------------|----4--------4------4--------4-------|
E|----------0--0-|---------------|----------0--0-|-------4---------------4-------------|
B|---------------|-2--------0--0-|---------------|-2--------2------2--------2-------2--|


G|----------------|---------------|----------------|--------|
D|----------------|---------------|----------------|--------|
A|-2--------------|---------------|-2--------------|--------|
E|-----------0--0-|---------------|-----------0--0-|--------|
B|----------------|-2--------0--0-|----------------|-2------|



Verse 1
G|---------------|-------------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------|
D|---------------|--------2----------|------------------|-----------------|---------------|
A|-4-3---6-------|------2------------|----4--6----------|-7---------------|-4-3---6-------|
E|---------5\----|-0--------0--------|-7----------------|-----7-----------|---------5\----|
B|---------------|-------------------|----------7-------|---------2-------|---------------|
"It's too late the time has come      I've kept this inside me for way too long. 
                                                        Silence will leave me"



G|------------------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------------4/6--------|-----------------------|-2-----------------------|
A|----------7-------------------|-----4---6-------------|--------2--4-------------|
E|-------7-----7----------------|-7---------------------|----4--------------------|
B|-5--------------5-------------|-------------7-----7---|----------------2--------|
 "cold                           Lost on a highway that never takes me home"



Chorus 1 - Same as Intro
Lyrics:
"I want to step aside, I want to give it up before I lose it all
It's tearing me inside The way you break me down

Oh there will come a time when I will come undone and you will let me fall
I'll leave it all behind before you break me down"




Verse 2
G|---------------|-------------------|------------------|-----------------|
D|---------------|--------2----------|------------------|-----------------|
A|-4-3---6-------|------2------------|----4--6----------|-----------------|
E|---------5\----|-0--------0--------|-7----------------|-0--2-4-5--------|
B|---------------|-------------------|----------7-------|----------2------|
  "Oooo...."

G|---------------|------------------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|---------------|--------------4/6-------|-----------------|-2------------------|
A|-4--3---6------|--------7---------------|----4--6---------|------2-4-----------|
E|----------5\---|------7---7-------------|-7---------------|---4----------------|
B|---------------|-5----------5-----------|----------7------|-----------2--------|
"The weight of a thousand lies            Promises broken haunt me all the time"

G|-------------------|----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
D|-------------------|----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
A|-------------------|----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
E|------------5------|-0------0---0---|----------2------|----0-2-4----------|
B|-2--1----4---------|----------------|-0--2--4---------|-4--------2**------|
"You say that you're sure to change,  but that black heart reveals that 
                                                    you'll always stay the same"
**hold out final note for 2 extra beats


Chorus 2 - Play Intro Again

Chorus 2 Ending
G|---------------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------------|------------------------------|
A|---4-----4-----4-----4-----|---4-----4-----4--------------|
E|-----4-----------4---------|-----4-----------4------------|
B|-2-----2-----2-----2----2--|-2-----2-----2-----2--2---4---|



Bridge
G|-----------------------|----------------------------|
D|-----------------------|----------------------------|
A|-----------------------|-2----2---2-2-1-2----2------|
E|-----------------------|------------------------2---|
B|-5----5---5-5-5---5----|----------------------------|
"I realize                 forgiveness"

G|--------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------|
D|--------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------|
A|--------4---4-4--4--------|--------4---4-4--4-----|------------------------|
E|-(2)------------------2---|-(2)-------------------|------------------------|
B|----2---------------------|----2------------------|-5----5---5-5-5----5----|
  "Is calling               It's calling            I've denied" 

G|----------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
D|----------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
A|-2----2---2-2-1-2----2------|--------4---4-4--4--------|-------4---4-4--4-----|
E|------------------------2---|-(2)------------------2---|-(2)------------------|
B|----------------------------|----2---------------------|----2-----------------|
  "The reason                 I'm falling                I'm falling"

G|------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------|
D|------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|------------------------|-2----2---2-2-1-2---2---|---4-----4----4-----4--------|
E|------------------------|------------------------|-----4----------4------------|
B|-5----5---5-5-5----5----|------------------------|-2-----2----2-----2-----2----|
  "So let go!"


G|-------------------------|---------|---------|-----------------|
D|-------------------------|---------|---------|-----------------|
A|---4-----4----4-----4----|---------|---------|-----------------|
E|-----4----------4--------|---------|---------|-----------------|
B|-2-----2----2-----2------|---------|---------|------------7\---|
                          
"I want to step aside, I want to give it up before I lose it all.
                 It's tearing me inside The way you break me down"


G|---------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|----4--------4------4--------4---------|
E|-------4---------------4---------------|
B|-2--------2------2--------2-------2----|


Final Chorus - Play first four bars of Intro through twice (8 bars)


Ending
G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------|
A|-2------------------|--------------------|-2------------------|-------------|
E|----------0----0----|--------------------|----------0----0----|-------------|
B|--------------------|-2--------0----0----|--------------------|-2-----------|