A Man's a Man

**berserkbishop** · 18th January 08, 02:12 AM

Ok, after searching the forums as best I could, I still was not able to find a good answer to my question. I really want to learn Burn's "A Man's a Man for a' That" on guitar. I have googled it and exhausted about every resource i could to find GOOD chords. I dont need the melody line, just some reliable chords. Maybe I have missed something. I found one site with chords online but they dont really seem to fit the song. Any help is appreciated!

**Coemgen** · 18th January 08, 03:45 AM

**berserkbishop** · 18th January 08, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by Coemgen

Appreciate it, but that is one of those versions that I have tried, and didnt sound right. Could be my transcription, I moved it to the key of C, still ended up with a few bar chords. Guess I will mess with it some more.

Bishop

**berserkbishop** · 18th January 08, 02:04 PM

Ok, so after screwing my head on straight (I have a tendency to do all music theory work late at night or is it early in the morning?), I transposed it into G Maj and for the MOST part, it seems right now. A few chords dont fit or it seems like some chords need to be added but I at least have enough of a structure to get moving, as this song does not follow a simple I IV V pattern as many do. Anyway thanks for the help.

Bishop

**BonnieT100** · 19th January 08, 09:06 PM

Try checking on youtube - there is a guy on there singing it with a guitar. Might help you out a bit.

**wgority** · 20th January 08, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by BonnieT100

Try checking on youtube - there is a guy on there singing it with a guitar. Might help you out a bit.

If this video is the one you're speaking of, that "guy" is Jim Malcolm - former lead singer of Old Blind Dogs. OBD's cover of this song is the superlative version to my mind. It has the drive and fire that Burns was writing of in his radical paen to the common man. In his verses Burns espouses the homely values of the commoner over the glitz and glamour of the wealthy and the titled - surely a radical position to hold in Britain at the time of the French Revolution. This sort of thought was enough at that time, and in certain quarters, to warrant the death of the speaker.

**Kiltedmusiclover** · 20th January 08, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by wgority

If this video is the one you're speaking of, that "guy" is Jim Malcolm - former lead singer of Old Blind Dogs. OBD's cover of this song is the superlative version to my mind. It has the drive and fire that Burns was writing of in his radical paen to the common man....
..........

OBD's version with Jim at the helm is my favorite version.

I agree whole heartedly that they put the passion into that song.
I think Burn's himself would be quite proud of it.