TabScout.

Notice

Transcribed from Guitar Magazine, August 1992, and Guitar World, April 1999

Hendrix' magnum opus, "Machine Gun" is the culmination of all of Jimi's aural experimentation, songwriting development, technical skill, and sheer bravado. Even after Woodstock and "The Star Spangled Banner", I doubt anyone besides Jimi would think an electric guitar could replicate the sound of artillery fire and aircraft strafing backed by a funk beat.

For effects, Hendrix used the following:
1. Vox wah-wah pedal
2. Fuzzface distortion unit
3. Univibe vibrato unit, which simulates the sound of a Leslie speaker
4. Octavia octave doubler
...all channeled through huge wall of Marshall speakers.

Hendrix' sustain is out-of-this-world -- just listen to the notes he hits on measures 66-68. The sustain is made through the Univibe and overloading the Marshall speakers. Jimi's rig was LOUD.

Throughout the piece, narrow vibrato indicates natural vibrato, while wide vibrato indicates use of the tremolo bar.

This might be the most overwhelming piece ever written - and it was recored live. Good luck.
Transcribed from Guitar Magazine, August 1992, and Guitar World, April 1999

While Jimi never meshed with Buddy Miles on drums, Billy Cox was an old friend of his and a kindred spirit. After The Experience dissolved, Hendrix was burnt out and creatively exhausted. Cox' role was to give him a new beat to work with. Cox' bass is the glue of "Machine Gun", keeping the band tight and Jimi focused without losing the funky groove.

Lyrics

INTRO:
"Happy New Year, first of all. An' I hope you have about a million or two million more of 'em, if we can get over this summer. Nyeh, heh, heh. We'd like to dedicate this one to, uh, sort of a draggy scene that's goin' on, all the soldiers that are fightin' in Chicago and Milwaukee and New York... oh, yes, and all the soldiers fighting in Vietnam. Like to do a thing called 'Machine Gun'."

1ST VERSE:
Machine gun
Tearin' my body all apart

Machine gun, yeah
Tearin' my body all apart

Evil man make me kill you
Evil man make you kill me
Evil man make me kill you
Even though we’re only families apart

2ND VERSE:
Well I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer
(you know what I mean)
Weh hey! and your bullets keep knocking me down

Hey, I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer now
Yeah, but you still blast me down to the ground

The same way you shoot me down, baby
You’ll be goin' just the same
Three times the pain,
And your own self to blame
Hey, machine gun

3RD VERSE:
I ain’t afraid of your bullets no more, baby
Ain’t afraid no more
After a while, your... your cheap talk won’t even cause me pain,
So let your bullets fly like rain

’Cause I know all the time you’re wrong baby
And you’ll be going just the same

Machine gun
Tearin' my family apart
Hey, yeah, alright
Tearin' my family apart

4TH VERSE (Buddy Miles):
Don’t you shoot him down
He’s not to leave here
Don’t you shoot him down
He’s got to stay here
He ain’t goin' nowhere
He’s been shot down to the ground
Oh where he can’t survive, no, no