Something for Nothing

Background and Commentary

“2112 closes with perhaps the clearest and most concise statement of purpose the band ever recorded. ‘Something for Nothing’ sounds like a call to action: ‘You don’t get something for nothing / You don’t get freedom for free / You won’t get wise with the sleep still in your eyes / No matter what your dream might be.'”—Bill Banasiewicz, Rush Visions

“The point of the whole song, though expressed in different ways, is you must be inner-directed if you are ever to follow your dreams to fruition. That doesn’t mean automatic rebellion against self-proclaimed authorities. If you felt you had to do the opposite of whatever they say to you, your action would still be controlled, albeit in a perverse way, by their commands. . . . This point is made strikingly by the clear allusion to the closing doxology of the Lord’s Prayer (‘For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.’) Here the phrases are reapplied: you are to seek your own kingdom, your own glory, your own power, your own story.”—Carol Selby Price and Robert Price, Mystic Rhythms

“An important example of individualsm as a motivational theme. . . . The values of self-reliance and responsibility for the self are urgently expounded and laziness is criticized.—Christopher McDonald, Rush, Rock Music, and the Middle Class

Neil in his book Traveling Music says he adapted the concept of “Something for Nothing” from a line, “Freedom isn’t free,” he found scrawled on a building wall in the 1970s near the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles

Lyrics

Waiting for the winds of change
To sweep the clouds away
Waiting for the rainbow’s end
To cast its gold your way
Countless ways
You pass the days

Waiting for someone to call
And turn your world around
Looking for an answer
To the question you have found
Looking for
An open door

You don’t get something for nothing
You can’t have freedom for free
You won’t get wise
With the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what your dreams might be

What you own is your own kingdom
What you do is your own glory
What you love is your own power
What you live is your own story
In your head is the answer
Let it guide you along
Let your heart be the anchor
And the beat of your own song

You don’t get something for nothing
You can’t have freedom for free
You won’t get wise
With the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what your dreams might be

Tablature

By Karl Schmidt (packers_rock@sbcglobal.net)

Excerpted from Ultimate Guitar.

Tuning:

e[–
B[–
G[–
D[–
A[–
E[–

Intro
Acoustic

Am G D E G Am
e[——–0——-|–3——2——|——–0——|–3—-0——–]
B[———–1—-|—-3——3—-|————0–|—-3—-1——]
G[——2——2–|—————-|——1——–|————-2–]
D[—-2———–|—————-|—-2———-|———–2—-]
A[–0————-|—————-|—————|—————-]
E[—————-|—————-|–0————|—————-] *X4*

1st and 2nd time through, Electric doubles acoustic.
3rd and 4th time through, Electric guitar plays this. (lined up with intro tab)

Am G D E G Am
e[——–0——-|———14—–|——–0——|———0——–]
B[———–1—-|–15——–15–|————0–|–12——-1——]
G[——2——2–|—–12———|——1——–|—–12——–2–]
D[—-2———–|—————-|—-2———-|————-2—-]
A[–0————-|—————-|—————|——————]
E[—————-|—————-|–0————|——————]

VERSE
Acoustic

E G
e[——–0——-|————3———|—————-|—————-]
B[——0—-0—-|—————-3—–|—————-|—————-]
G[—-1——–1–|———-0——–0–|—————-|—————-]
D[–2————-|——–0————-|—————-|—————-]
A[—————-|———————-|—————-|—————-]
E[—————-|–0-2-3—————|—————-|—————-] *X2*

Acoustic stops playing

Electric

G D G
e[—————-|———14—–|—————|—————-]
B[—————-|–15——–15–|—————|–12————]
G[—————-|—–12———|—————|—–12———]
D[—————-|—————-|—————|—————-]
A[—————-|—————-|—————|—————-]
E[—————-|—————-|—————|—————-] *X2*

Am D Am D Am
e[—————-|———————|–0-0–0–2–0–2–0-0–|———]
B[—————-|———————|–1-1–1–3–1–3–1-1–|———]
G[—————-|———————|–2-2–2–2–2–2–2-2–|———]
D[—————-|———————|–2-2–2—–2—–2-2–|———]
A[—————-|———————|————————|———]
E[—————-|———————|————————|———] *X2*

A C D Esus4 E D C G C
e[—————–|–0—0—————-]
B[—————–|–0—0—————-]
G[———–5–7–|–2—1—-7–5—–5–]
D[–7—7—-5–7–|–2—2—-7–5–5–5–]
A[–7—7—-3–5–|–2—2—-5–3–5–3–]
E[–5—5———-|–0—0———-3—–] *X2*

For complete tab, go to Ultimate Guitar.