Beast Of Burden chords

by The Rolling Stones

Song Key: E Major

Key Signature: 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#)

Time Signature: 4/4 (♩)

Tempo: 100 bpm (Andante)

Vocal Range: A4 - C#6


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Intermediate

Chords: E, B/D#, C#m, A, B, E/G#, A/B

Extras: Guitar Tab Intro below

Chord Chart Legend
E Major B/D# Major C#m A Major E/G# B Major A/B
Lefties Chord Chart Legend
E Major B/D# Major D/C# A Major E/G# B Major A/B

Beast Of Burden

Intro:
The Rolling Stones

Intro: 4/4 (This timing pattern and chords run throughout the song)

Timing: 1&2&3 &4    &      1&2&    3&4 &   1&2&3 &4    &&     1&2&    3&4&
    ||: E     B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A   B | E     B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A  :||

  E              B/D#      C#m      A
1. I'll nev-er be    your  beast of bur-den
  E           B/D#   C#m            A
   My back is broad      But it's a hurt-ing
  E         B/D#  C#m             A     | E    B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A  | 
   All I want  is for you to make love to me

  E              B/D#      C#m      A
2. I'll nev-er be    your  beast of bur-den
  E                B/D#  C#m            A
   I've walked for miles    My feet are hurt-ing
  E         B/D#  C#m             A     | E     B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -   A  | 
   All I want  is for you to make love to me                          (Am I)

             A                    E/G#
Chorus: Am I hard e-nough    Am I rough e-nough
             A                   E/G#          A   B
        Am I rich e-nough    I'm not too blind to  see

  E                   B/D#  C#m      A
3. I'll nev-er be your      beast of bur-den
  E            B/D#  C#m              A
   So let's go home      And draw the cur-tains
   E             B/D#   C#m
   Mu-sic on the ra-di-o        
                 A                | E     B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A  | 
   Come on ba-by make sweet love to me                         (Am I)

             A                    E/G#
Chorus: Am I hard e-nough    Am I rough e-nough
             A                   E/G#          A   B
        Am I rich e-nough    I'm not too blind to  see

   B               E          B/D#     C#m                   A
**  Oh lit-tle sis-ter   Pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty, girl

      1&2&3 &4    &      1&2&    3&4&   1&2&3 &4    &      1&2&    3&4&
    | E     B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A    | E     B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A  |
      1&2&3 &4     &     1&2&    3&4&
    | E     B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A  | 
                                  (You're a) 

             E                                   A
*** You're a pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty girl
             E                        A
    Pret-ty, pret-ty, Such a pret-ty, pret-ty, pretty girl
    E             A               E
    Come on ba-by please, please, please

        A             E                B/D#  C#m        A
Spoken: I'll tell ya    You can put me out       On the street
      E           B/D#  C#m                A
        Put me out           With no shoes on my feet

             E               B/D#   C#m             
Sung:   But, put me out, put me out
                      A     E  | E   B/D#  C#m  | C#m  -  A  |
        Put me out of mi-se-ry                    Yeah
         E            B/D#      C#m | C#m   -   A  |         
        All your sick-ness    I can   suck it up
        E                 B/D#  C#m | C#m    -    A  |  
        Throw it all at me    I can   shrug it off
 
          E                         B/D#  C#m               A
Bridge: There's one thing ba-by that         I don't un-der-stand
        E           E/G#          A
        You keep on tel-ling me I ain't your kind of man
                E             B/D#  C#m
        Ain't I rough e-nough       
           A        E            B/D#  C#m
        Oh! ain't I tough e-nough
       A        E                     B/D#    C#m
        Ain't I rich e-nough, in love e-nough
             A     E     B/D#    C#m  |   A   |
        Ooh Ooh    Please

     E                     A
Outro: I'll nev-er be your beast of burden
     E                     A
       I'll nev-er be your beast of burden
     E               B/D#            C#m               A
       Nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er be
       |  E      B/D#  C#m  |  C#m  /  A   A/B  |    
         (be)

     E                     A
       I'll nev-er be your beast of burden
     E                             A
       I've walked for miles and my feet are hurt-ing
     E       B/D#    C#m         A
       All I want is you to make love to me
       |  E      B/D#  C#m  |  C#m  /  A   A/B  |
         (me)
     E                 A
       I won't need no beast of burden
     E                     A
       I need no fussing    I need no nurs-ing
       E               B/D#            C#m             A
       Nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er, nev-er be
       |  E      B/D#  C#m  |  C#m  /  A   A/B  |
         (be)                                         ...(repeat to fade)

Notes

If you find some of these chord changes a little difficult, you can play the alternative chords below. This may be useful for beginner guitarists... simply avoid the leading bass note after ther forward slash and play the major chord instead. You will notice the guitar tab intro uses a B chord instead of B/D#. If you find it difficult to play the bass notes with the chords simply play the chord itself like so:

  • Replace: B/D# with B
  • Replace: E/G# with E
  • Replace: A/B with A
  • Replace: E/G# with E

Guitar Tab - Intro

The Rolling Stones

x - play 'note' with heavy damping - percussive sound made by dampening the strings, in this case with your fretted hand as you are only dampening 3 notes - when played, the strings make a 'deadened' sound... an excellent technique for this style of playing.

Song Details:
  • Songwriters: Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
  • Date: 1978
  • Lyrics Begin: I'll never be your Beast of Burden.
  • Artists: The Rolling Stones
  • Album: Some Girls
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