• Song:

    The Man In The Iron Mask

  • Artist:

    Billy Bragg

  • Album:

    Going to a Party Way Do...

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Billy Bragg's "The Man in the Iron Mask". pretty correct as far as I can
tell but I'm sitting here in the dark with my 12-string, which is no fun
to pick on, and no cd player... so.

intro/verses:
    (much easier to play this C| in position I but you lose the slide)
Am7         F C     G          C     Em7    Em         Am
----------0-1-0---0--------------------------------------|
----------------1---------0---------------0--------------|
-------0----2-0--------------------5-----------------0---|
----2-----------------------------------0---------2------|
-0----------------------2---2----7---\2--------2-------0-|
--------------------3-3-------\8------------0------------|
    when....off...I will not   say                who..that

 Am  Em            Am  Am7
-------------------------------|
-1-1p0-----------0-----0h1p0---|
-2-1p0-------------2-2-------0-|
-------h2-------2--2-2---------|
--------------2----------------|
-----------0-------------------|
  who so quickly...


When he drops you off I will not say
Who was that who so quickly drove away

The things you've done and the places you've been
When I open the door for you I will not let them in

As long as you come back to me I will never ask
For you I will be the man in the iron mask

then this bridge part:
(octaves optional-not sure if they belong or not but I like them)
       C      G      Em          C G     Em   E7
----------------------------------------------0-------|
----0--1---1------0--------------1----0-------0-------|
-2---------0------0--------------0----0-------1-------|
---------2-----------2-----------2-------2----0-------|
-0--2--3--------2----2-2.......2----2----2----2-----2-|
--------------3------0-0.......0---3-----0----0-------|
           ^      ^              ^    ^
Listen to the record... Hit the C, G, hard where indicated... The first Em
mute E&A and go at it for an extra beat before the C.  The second time let
the Em ring, then strum the E7 slowly, hit the B, and back into the verse.

You said you loved me and it broke my heart
I was always your prisoner right from the start

The nights you spend without me this house is like a dungeon
And you only return to torture me more

You must have your reasons, I will not ask
For you I will be the man in the iron mask

It ends with a variation of the verse, mostly playing an arpeggiated Em with
those little Am things... the last chord is an A (major) on the B&G (or maybe
B&D) strings.
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