Cough Syrup chords by Butthole Surfers (Official Version)

GuitarPianoUkulele

E
Em
Em/G
G
D
C

Intro 1

Verse 1
E 
Em/G 
 (E major) She played for the angels  (E minor/G) 
E 
Em/G 
 (E major) I  played for the tribe  (E minor/G) 
E 
The  (E major) summer had been stolen
Em/G 
and the bases were  (E minor/G) all    loaded
E 
Em/G 
There was  (E major) big my arm a line  (E minor/G) 
E 
Em/G 
 (E major) Big my all the time,  (E minor/G) yeah
E 
Em/G 
There was  (E major) big my arm a line  (E minor/G) 

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Chorus 1

I can't walk

so I guess I'm gonna stay at home

They can have my legs

just leave my head alone

Verse 2
E 
Em/G 
 (E major) I  was in the kitchen  (E minor/G) 
E 
Em/G 
The  (E major) year was in the fall  (E minor/G) 
E 
A  (E major) friend of mine had told me
Em/G 
that there where no point  (E minor/G) in     mopin'
E 
Em/G 
No there  (E major) were no point at all  (E minor/G) 
E 
Em/G 
There was  (E major) big fire in the hall,  (E minor/G) yeah
E 
Em/G 
There  (E major) weren't no points at all  (E minor/G) 

Chorus 2
G 
And  (G major) I  can't walk
D 
Em 
so I  (D major) guess I'm gonna stay at  (E minor) home
D 
They can  (D major) have my legs
C 
Em 
just  (C major) leave my head alone  (E minor) 
G 
And  (G major) I  can't talk
D 
Em 
so I  (D major) guess I got nothin' to say  (E minor) 
D 
I'll  (D major) keep my eyes
C 
Em 
just  (C major) take these tears a (E minor) way

Verse 3
E 
 (E major) Lock stuck in barrel
Em 
all the dogs were gone  (E minor) in  farrel
E 
Em 
and the  (E major) car ran like a broken perculator  (E minor) 
E 
His  (E major) liver had gone hard
Em 
and he wouldn't mow  (E minor) the yard
E 
Em 
There was  (E major) big my arm a line  (E minor) 

Bridge 1
C 
D 
Em 
And I  (C major) heard that his  (D major) brother was a  (E minor) viking
G 
D 
Em 
He  (G major) liked to solve a  (D major) problem with a gun  (E minor) 
C 
D 
If you  (C major) want to know the  (D major) facts
Em 
you gotta  (E minor) teach him how to act
G 
D 
Em 
And I  (G major) hate cough  (D major) syrup don't  (E minor) you
C 
D 
Em 
I'd  (C major) rather be a  (D major) sailor than a  (E minor) fighter
G 
D 
Em 
I'd  (G major) like to sail a  (D major) ship into the  (E minor) sun
C 
D 
If you  (C major) want to know the  (D major) truth
Em 
you gotta  (E minor) dig up Johnny Boon
G 
D 
Em 
And I  (G major) hate cough  (D major) syrup don't  (E minor) you
C 
D 
Em 
I  (C major) know that your  (D major) mother is a  (E minor) farter
G 
D 
Em 
I  (G major) heard she's got connections  (D major) with the mob  (E minor) 
C 
D 
If you  (C major) want to learn the  (D major) fight
Em 
you gotta  (E minor) drink up all the light
G 
D 
Em 
And I  (G major) hate cough  (D major) syrup don't  (E minor) you
C 
D 
Em 
I'd  (C major) rather be a matchstick  (D major) than a  (E minor) lighter
G 
D 
Em 
I'd  (G major) like to see the wood  (D major) curl up and  (E minor) burn
C 
D 
If you  (C major) want to touch the  (D major) sky
Em 
you must  (E minor) be  prepared to die
G 
D 
Em 
And I  (G major) hate cough  (D major) syrup don't  (E minor) you
C 
D 
I  (C major) hate cough  (D major) syrup
Em 
and I  (E minor) hate the food in Europe
G 
D 
Em 
And I  (G major) hate cough  (D major) syrup it's  (E minor) true
C 
D 
You  (C major) wanna know the  (D major) truth
Em 
you gotta  (E minor) dig up Johnny Boof
G 
D 
Em 
And I  (G major) hate cough  (D major) syrup don't  (E minor) you
C 
D 
Em 
I  (C major) hate cough  (D major) syrup it's  (E minor) true

Outro 1
G 
D 
Em 
C 
D 
Em 
 (G major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (C major)  (D major)  (E minor) 
G 
D 
Em 
C 
D 
Em 
 (G major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (C major)  (D major)  (E minor) 
G 
D 
Em 
C 
D 
Em 
 (G major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (C major)  (D major)  (E minor) 
G 
D 
Em 
C 
D 
Em 
 (G major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (C major)  (D major)  (E minor) 
G 
D 
Em 
C 
D 
Em 
 (G major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (C major)  (D major)  (E minor) 
G 
D 
Em 
 (G major)  (D major)  (E minor) 

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GuitarPianoUkulele

E
Em
Em/G
G
D
C

Tuning: E A D G B EDifficulty: BeginnerKey: E minorBPM: 118

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Finger positions, low to high (E A D G B e). 0 is open, x is muted.

E: 0-2-2-1-0-0
Em: 0-2-2-0-0-0
Em/G: 3-x-2-4-0-0
G: 3-2-0-0-0-3
D: x-x-0-2-3-2
C: x-3-2-0-1-0

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

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This is the definitive original version of Cough Syrup by Butthole Surfers, transcribed exactly as it was recorded in the studio. Unlike our simplified arrangement, this chart preserves the precise chord voicings and progressions in the original key of E minor. It suits players who want to learn Cough Syrup the way Butthole Surfers intended, without oversimplifying the arrangement.