Written about Newtown in Sydney’s Inner West, this song deals with a perennial problem for working class people all over the world. Gentrification, as it’s commonly called, has threatened many communities as spiralling rents price the original inhabitants out of their neighbourhoods and into the schemes. From San Lorenzo in Rome and Newtown in Sydney to Partick and Govanhill in my own city of Glasgow, Yuppietown seems to replicate itself virtually everywhere I go. I guess there’s not really any solution other than taking the profit element out of social housing. After the revolution…
D G
People who live round here they don’t have that much
D G
They make do with things others wouldn’t even touch
D G
People who live round here they work in the factory
D G
And they don’t have to choose they’re ruled by necessity
A
And they better watch out
Em G
There’s a new breed taking over
A
Driving us out
Em G
They’ve been giving us the old once over
Em G D
They wanna tear the place down and turn it into Yuppietown
G/B G D
Tear the place down and turn it into Yuppietown
People who live round here remember how it used to be
Natter to your neighbour on the street or stop in for a cup of tea
People who live round here they like to have a beer and all
But since the old pub changed hands they can’t get in in overalls
People who live round here they’re gonna have to push off west
Funny how the powers that be they always think they know what’s best
People who live round here they’ve got the place in such a state
People who live round here pull down the price of real estate
Chord Chart:
D / / / I D / / / I G / / / I G / / / I x 4
A / / / I A / / / I Em / / / I G / / / I
A / / / I A / / / I Em / / / I G / / / I
G/B / / / I G / / / I D / / / I D / / / I
Em / / / I G/ / / I D / / / I D / / / I
Playing Tips:
These are the chords I use for the acoustic version on Dance Of The Underclass. I tune the guitar to DADGAD and put a capo at the 3rd fret. This means the song is actually pitched in F. I often leave the top A (2nd) string open when playing the G chord, which means it’s actually a Gsus2. It’s easier to play as well. G/B is just a G with a B on the bass and up the top as well. Again, it’s dead easy to play in DADGAD. X20020 is how it looks.
The electric version with Roaring Jack on Street Celtabillity is played in G shapes using standard tuning, and the chord progression is slightly different, with a G to F motif between the vocal lines. It’s an arrangement that really only works with a full band. I think the version shown here is the best one for doing on an acoustic guitar, either using DADGAD or Standard Tuning.
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