Government Walls is track two on the 1990 James album Gold Mother (track three on the reissued version).
It was first aired in Spring 1989 and is one of James’ most direct protest songs damning the secrecy of government.
References are made to the John Stalker affair where the police officer had uncovered a shoot to kill policy of the RUC in Ireland and was silenced by an unrelated and fabricated scandal.
Details
LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
Break down the government walls
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
I can hear the sound of falling masonry
As they try to plug that leak
I am tempted by their cloak of secrecy
To find out what their games are about
Ask a question and they'll talk of secret services
Secrets from the people they should serve
When they can hide their crimes in a legal disguise
Truth will not be seen nor heard
Break down the government walls
Bring them down within my lifetime
Let's see the curtain drawn
See what they're concealing
Break down the government walls
Secrecy suggests deception
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
Bring down the government walls, bring down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls, walls
While in Ireland they shoot to kill without warning you
And lock you away for a while without trial
And if an honest cop gets to close to the truth of it
They'll set him up in style
In style
Bring down the government walls, break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls
Bring down my government walls
Break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime, it's a crime
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
I can hear the sound of falling masonry
As they try to plug that leak
I am tempted by their cloak of secrecy
To find out what their games are about
Ask a question and they'll talk of secret services
Secrets from the people they should serve
When they can hide their crimes in a legal disguise
Truth will not be seen nor heard
Break down the government walls
Bring them down within my lifetime
Let's see the curtain drawn
See what they're concealing
Break down the government walls
Secrecy suggests deception
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
Bring down the government walls, bring down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls, walls
While in Ireland they shoot to kill without warning you
And lock you away for a while without trial
And if an honest cop gets to close to the truth of it
They'll set him up in style
In style
Bring down the government walls, break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls
Bring down my government walls
Break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime, it's a crime
Song: | Government Walls |
Released: | 4th June 1990 |
Main Associated Album (or Single): | Gold Mother |
First Heard Live: | Bristol Bierkeller – 19th June 1989 |
- Gold Mother (white label) :Promo, Album, 1990
- Gold Mother (Japan) :Studio, Album, 1990
- Gold Mother :Studio, Album, 1990
- Come Home Live :Live, VHS, 1991
- James (USA Promo) :Studio, Album, 1991
- James (USA, Canada) :Compilation, Album, 1991
- James (Japan) :Compilation, Album, 1991
- Snub TV Volume 2 (VHS) :Compilation (non James), VHS, 1991
- Gold Mother (reissue CDR) :Promo, Album, 2001
- Gold Mother (Simply Vinyl white label) :Promo, Album, 2002
- The Gathering Sound (full promo) :Promo, Box Set, 2012
- The Gathering Sound :Compilation, Box Set, 2012
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- Portsmouth Guildhall – 22nd October 1991
- Leicester De Montfort Hall – 9th October 1991
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- London Brixton Academy – 6th December 1990
- Glasgow Barrowlands – 4th December 1990
- Dusseldorf Phillipshalle – 24th November 1990
- Paris La Cigale – 18th October 1990
- London Crystal Palace Bowl – 11th August 1990
- Blackpool Empress Ballroom – 4th August 1990
- Blackpool Empress Ballroom – 3rd August 1990
- Glastonbury Festival – 23rd June 1990
- London Kilburn National – 19th June 1990
- Norwich UEA – 17th June 1990
- Liverpool Royal Court – 15th June 1990
- Sheffield University – 14th June 1990
- Bristol Studio – 10th June 1990
- Exeter University – 9th June 1990
- Hull City Hall – 8th June 1990
- Lancaster University – 6th June 1990
- Glasgow Barrowlands – 5th June 1990
- St Andrew’s University – 4th June 1990
- Brighton The Event – 14th May 1990
- Cambridge Corn Exchange – 13th May 1990
- Nottingham Trent Polytechnic – 2nd December 1989
- London Town And Country Club – 28th November 1989
- Edinburgh Carlton – 17th November 1989
- London Town And Country Club 2 – 28th September 1989
- London Marquee Club – 4th July 1989
- Bristol Bierkeller – 19th June 1989
James - Government Walls
Taken fromt the album Gold Mother
Written and performed by James
Riff 1:
e--------------------5-3--------------------------------
B--------------------6-5--------------------------------
G--------------------7-5--------------------------------
D----7----------7----7-5--------------------------------
A--5----5-5-5-5------5-3--------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Riff 2:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D----7----------7-----7---------------------------------
A--5----5-5-5-5-----5-----3-3-3-3/5---------------------
E-----------------------5-------------------------------
Riff 3:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------6-6p5------------------
G--5h6h7--5h6h7-7---5h6h7-5h6h7-------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Song Structure:
The song begins with Riff 1, which also crops up throughout the song, as does similar the similar Riff 2. Riff 3 makes an appearance when Tim's not singing.
During the "choruses" ("Bring down the Government Walls") Larry plays a chord of Dm occasionally hammering-on to Dsus4 .
The song never deviates from a chords progression of Dm F C.
Lyrics/Chords:
Dm
Break down the government walls
F C
Speak in tongues, power is money
Dm
I see our interests fall
F C
Well behind their curtain
Dm
Break down the government walls
F C
Infiltrate our television
Dm
Break down the government walls
F C
Crime to be outspoken
I can hear the sound of falling masonry
As they try to plug that leak
I am tempted by their cloak of secrecy
To find out what their games are about
Ask a question and they'll talk of secret services
Secrets from the people they should serve
When they can hide their crimes in a legal disguise
Truth will not be seen nor heard
Break down the government walls
Bring them down within my lifetime
Let's see the curtain drawn
See what they're concealing
Break down the government walls
Secrecy suggests deception
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
Bring down the government walls, bring down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls, walls
While in Ireland they shoot to kill without warning you
And lock you away for a while without trial
And if an honest cop gets to close to the truth of it
They'll set him up in style
In style
Bring down the government walls, break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls
Bring down my government walls
Break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime, it's a crime
Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.
alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk
Taken fromt the album Gold Mother
Written and performed by James
Riff 1:
e--------------------5-3--------------------------------
B--------------------6-5--------------------------------
G--------------------7-5--------------------------------
D----7----------7----7-5--------------------------------
A--5----5-5-5-5------5-3--------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Riff 2:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D----7----------7-----7---------------------------------
A--5----5-5-5-5-----5-----3-3-3-3/5---------------------
E-----------------------5-------------------------------
Riff 3:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------6-6p5------------------
G--5h6h7--5h6h7-7---5h6h7-5h6h7-------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Song Structure:
The song begins with Riff 1, which also crops up throughout the song, as does similar the similar Riff 2. Riff 3 makes an appearance when Tim's not singing.
During the "choruses" ("Bring down the Government Walls") Larry plays a chord of Dm
The song never deviates from a chords progression of Dm F C.
Lyrics/Chords:
Dm
Break down the government walls
F C
Speak in tongues, power is money
Dm
I see our interests fall
F C
Well behind their curtain
Dm
Break down the government walls
F C
Infiltrate our television
Dm
Break down the government walls
F C
Crime to be outspoken
I can hear the sound of falling masonry
As they try to plug that leak
I am tempted by their cloak of secrecy
To find out what their games are about
Ask a question and they'll talk of secret services
Secrets from the people they should serve
When they can hide their crimes in a legal disguise
Truth will not be seen nor heard
Break down the government walls
Bring them down within my lifetime
Let's see the curtain drawn
See what they're concealing
Break down the government walls
Secrecy suggests deception
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
Bring down the government walls, bring down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls, walls
While in Ireland they shoot to kill without warning you
And lock you away for a while without trial
And if an honest cop gets to close to the truth of it
They'll set him up in style
In style
Bring down the government walls, break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls
Bring down my government walls
Break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime, it's a crime
Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.
alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk