Red Shift - Peter Hammill

Red Shift

View chords used in this chart
Intro: Em
 
Once all the stars in the sky were bright, now they're red and fading
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|
G|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|
D|---------5---7--|-9---7---5---7--|-5---7---9---7--|-5---7---9---9--|
A|-7--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Em
and all the colours we wore, the shades that we bore have moved
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|
G|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|
D|---------5---7--|-9---7---5---7--|-5---7---9---7--|-5---9----------|
A|-7--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
G F Em
And the gold turns to red with no time for changes?
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|---------5------|-----(7)-(5)--3-|----------------|----(5)-(3)--2--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Em
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Em
Red
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
D
Shift,
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
D
it's moving away
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Em
from me.
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Em
Red
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
D
Shift,
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Bm Am
all moving away from
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|--3h5-5-5-5--5--|
 
Em
me.
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|-12p10----------|
G|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|---------12p11--|
D|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Once, constellations were holy, now darkness
 
pervades all the older ones
 
and in the brunt of implosion, all yesterday's golden
 
now reddened suns
 
and hope is a word with no space for blame in.
 
Red Shift, displaced now in time and relativity,
 
Red Shift, all moving away from we.
 
(Improvisation)
 
Em F#m G
 
So here I am, though I might well be with me,
 
E|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-2---4---5------|-5-----7-----9--|---7-----5-----7|----5-----------|
A|-2--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
I'm fall - ing down deep to the rim of the wheel.
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-7-----9-----7--|---5-----7-----5|----4-----5----4|-----0-----2----|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Em F#m G
 
Is it sham? Does the world have a mean - ing?
 
E|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-2---4---5------|-5-----7-----9--|---7-----5-----7|----5-----------|
A|-2--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
The more that we know, the grea ter con fus ion grows:stars are like a-
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-7---9---7---5--|-7---5---4---5--|-4---2---4---2--|-0---9---7---5--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
toms and a- toms are patterns and pro ba bly in the end may be
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-7---5---4---5--|-4---2---4---2--|-0---9---7---5--|-7---5---4---5--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
its all been a dream ...etc.
 
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-4---2---4---2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|--0h2-2-2-2--2--|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
 
Time locked in negative matter
 
all theories shatter beneath the weight
 
Happy is the man who believes that the world
 
is a dream and all reason, fate
 
And time moves on with no time
 
the eye moves on with no rhyme
 
and I'm a song in the depth of the galaxies
 
Red Shift is taking away my sanit
 
Red Shift, all moving away from w

How to play Red Shift

Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.

What is the starting chord?

The first identified chord is Em. You can transpose without leaving the page.

Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?

Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.

More chords by Peter Hammill

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