"Department of Youth" by Alice Cooper
Words and music by Alice Cooper, Dick Wagner, and Bob Ezrin
From the album Welcome To My Nightmare (1975)
Transcription by Brian Gaddis
b= bend rb= release bend x= mute ( )= carried note /= slide up
\= slide down
Note: Some parts of this song are not transcribed due to the difficulty
in hearing them.
Intro (play twice)
Rhythm figure one
Guitar one
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|--10-10-10\------------------------10-10-10--------------------------------|
G-|--10-10-10\-----------3--3--3--5---10-10-10-----------3--3--3--5-----------|
D-|--10-10-10\-----------3--3--3--5---10-10-10-----------3--3--3--5-----------|
A-|---8--8--8\-----------1--1--1--3----8--8--8-----------1--1--1--3-----------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|---------------------3--3--3--5----------------------3--3--3--5------------|
D-|--3--3--3------------3--3--3--5---3--3--3------------3--3--3--5------------|
A-|--3--3--3------------1--1--1--3---3--3--3------------1--1--1--3------------|
E-|--1--1--1-------------------------1--1--1----------------------------------|
Verse
"We're in trouble all the time, you read about us all in the papers."
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|-------------1-1-1---------------------------------------------1-1-1-------|
G-|-------------2-2-2--------------------3--3-------3------5------2-2-2-------|
D-|-------------3-3-3--------------------3--3-------3------5------3-3-3-------|
A-|-------------3-3-3--------------------1--1-------1------3------3-3-3-------|
E-|-------------1-1-1---------------------------------------------1-1-1-------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|--------------------------------------3--3-------3------5------------------|
D-|-------------3-3-3--------------------3--3-------3------5------3-3-3-------|
A-|-------------3-3-3--------------------1--1-------1------3------3-3-3-------|
E-|-------------1-1-1---------------------------------------------1-1-1-------|
"We walk around and bump into
Guitar one
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|-------------------------------------------1-1-1---------------------------|
G-|------------------------3--3-------3--5----2-2-2---------------------------|
D-|------------------------3--3-------3--5----3-3-3---------------------------|
A-|------------3--5p3------1--1-------1--3----3-3-3---------------------------|
E-|--1----3/5----------5----------------------1-1-1---------------------------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|------------------------3--3-------3--5------------------------------------|
D-|------------------------3--3-------3--5----3-3-3---------------------------|
A-|------------3--5p3------1--1-------1--3----3-3-3---------------------------|
E-|--1-1--3/5----------5----------------------1-1-1---------------------------|
"walls, a blind delegation, yeah."
Guitar one
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------1-1-1-------------------------------------------|
G-|-------3--3---3-----5------2-2-2------------------------------3--3---3--3--|
D-|-------3--3---3-----5------3-3-3------------------------------3--3---3--3--|
A-|-------1--1---1-----3------3-3-3------------------3--5p3------1--1---1--1--|
E-|---------------------------1-1-1--------1-1--3/5----------5----------------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|-------3--3---3-----5-----------------------------------------3--3---3--3--|
D-|-------3--3---3-----5------3-3-3------------------------------3--3---3--3--|
A-|-------1--1---1-----3------3-3-3------------------3--5p3------1--1---1--1--|
E-|---------------------------1-1-1--------1-1--3/5----------5----------------|
Pre-chorus
1. "And we ain't afraid of high power, we're bullet proof. And we
2. "But we'll make it through our blackest hour, we're livin' proof."
Guitar one
E-|-----------5--------------------------(5)----------------------------------|
B-|-----------5--------------------------(5)----------------------------------|
G-|-----------5--------------------------(5)----------------------------------|
D-|-----------7--------------------------(7)----------------------------------|
A-|-----------7--------------------------(7)----------------------------------|
E-|----0------5--------------------------(5)----------------------------------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|-----------5---------------5----5------5---------------5-------------------|
B-|-----------5------5--------5----5------5--------5------5------5------------|
G-|-----------5------5-------------5---------------5-------------5------------|
D-|------------------7-----------------------------7-------------7------------|
A-|----2-------------7-----------------------------7-------------7------------|
E-|----0----------------------------------------------------------------------|
"never heard of Eisenhower, missle power, justice or truth."
"And we never heard of Billy Sunday, Damon Runyon, manners, or couth."
Guitar two
E-|--------1--------0----0-------------1------1-------1---------3-----3-------|
B-|--3-----3--------1----1------3------3------1-------1---------3-----3-------|
G-|--2-----2--------0----0------3------3------2-------2---------4-----4-------|
D-|--0-------------------2------3------3--------------3---------5--5--5--5----|
A-|----------------------3------1---------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Guitar one
E-|-----------------------------------|
B-|---------------9b--<9>--<9>rb--8\--|
G-|-----------------------------------|
D-|-----------------------------------|
A-|-----------------------------------|
E-|-----------------------------------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|--3-----3--------------------------|
B-|--3-----3------6b--<6>--<6>rb--5---|
G-|--4-----4--------------------------|
D-|--5--5--5--------------------------|
A-|-----------------------------------|
E-|-----------------------------------|
Chorus
"We're the Department of Youth, you're new
Guitar two
E-|--------------10----------10----------10-------9---------9------------9----|
B-|------------------11----------11------------------10--------10-------------|
G-|----------------------10----------10------11----------9---------9----------|
D-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
"De-partment of Youth. We're the De-
Guitar two
E-|-----10----------10----------10----------10---------------10---------------|
B-|---------10----------10----------10----------10---------------10-----------|
G-|--9----------10----------10----------------------10------------------------|
D-|-------------------------------------12---------------10-------------------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
(After second time, go to End)
"partment of Youth, just me an youth."
E-|--10----------10----------10--------9---9----------------------------------|
B-|------11----------11---------------10--10----------------------------------|
G-|----------10----------10------10----9---9----------------------------------|
D-|-----------------------------------11--11-------------------------3~~~-----|
A-|-----------------------------------------------------5---5--3--5-----------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Guitar one (Go to Verse two)
E-|--5------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|-----6/8--6--5------6---------------------3--5\----------------------------|
G-|----------------7-------------------------3--5\----------------------------|
D-|------------------------------------------3--5\----------------------------|
A-|------------------------------------------1--3\----------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|---------------------------------------------5\----------------------------|
D-|------------------------------------------3--5\----------------------------|
A-|--5--3--5---5p3\1--1--0--1--5~~~----1--0--1--3\----------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|Guitar three |
E-|--5------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|-----6/8--6--5-------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|----------------7----------------------------------------------------------|
D-|-------------------8-------------------------------------------------------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Verse two
"We talk about this whole stupid world and still come out laughing,
Arranged for one guitar
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|------------------------------------3--3-----3--------5--------------------|
D-|-----3-3-3------------------x-x-x---3--3-----3--------5--------------------|
A-|-----3-3-3------------------x-x-x---1--1-----1--------3---------3-3-3------|
E-|-----1-1-1------------------x-x-x-------------------------------1-1-1------|
ha! We never make any sense,
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------x-x-x-x-x-x-------|
G-|------------------------3--3-------3--5------------------x-x-x-x-x-x-------|
D-|------------------------3--3-------3--5----3-3-3---------x-x-x-x-x-x-------|
A-|------------3--5p3------1--1-------1--3----3-3-3---------x-x-x-x-x-x-------|
E-|--1-1--3/5----------5----------------------1-1-1---------x-x-x-x-x-x-------|
"but hell, that never mattered." (Go to Pre-chorus two)
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|-----3--3--------3-------5------------------------------------3--3---3--3--|
D-|-----3--3--------3-------5------3-3-3-------------------------3--3---3--3--|
A-|-----1--1--------1-------3------3-3-3--------------3--5p3-----1--1---1--1--|
E-|--------------------------------1-1-1----1-1--3/5----------5---------------|
End
Guitars one and two
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D-|----------------3~~~---------------------3~~~----------------------3~~~----|
A-|--3h5--5--3--5-------------3h5--5--3--5--------------3h5--5--3--5----------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|Guitar three |
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-|----------------5~~~-----------------------------------------------5~~~----|
E-|--5h6--6--5--6---------------------------------------5h6--6--5--6----------|
Continue above rhythm figure
"We're the Department of Youth. You're new Department of Youth."
"We're the Department of Youth. You're new Department of Youth."
Guitar one
E-|------------|
B-|--3---5\----|
G-|--3---5\----|
D-|--3---5\----|
A-|--1---3\----|
E-|------------|
| |
|Guitar two |
E-|--6---8\----|
B-|--6---8\----|
G-|--7---9\----|
D-|--8--10\----|
A-|------------|
E-|------------|
