Shot By Both Sides: Guitar Chords/Lyrics

This track gives students a genuine entry point into post-punk songwriting that respects both the era's political edge and its melodic sophistication. The chord progression and lyrical structure reward close listening, making it ideal for discussions about how rock music engages with current events and social commentary.

Tense and propulsive, with an almost journalistic urgency beneath its sleek surface. The song channels anxiety and political observation into controlled, angular guitar work that feels both urgent and deliberate.

Guitar students exploring post-punk and new wave, particularly those ready to engage with era-specific production choices and more complex rhythmic relationships. It works equally well for intermediate players developing comfort with articulate strumming techniques and advanced students studying how punk and art rock idioms merged.

• Study the original recording's vocal phrasing to understand how rhythmic tension lives between the guitar part and the melody line; this relationship shapes the song's propulsive feeling.
• Anchor the strumming pattern in the rhythm section's pocket rather than playing metronomically; Magazine's production intentionally sits slightly off the beat.
• Balance clarity in the chord voicings with the aggressive attack the arrangement demands; avoid letting distortion muddy harmonic movement.
• Pay attention to dynamic shifts between verses and chorus; they're subtle but essential to the song's building intensity.

Include this alongside other new wave and post-punk standards when teaching rock history or exploring how late-1970s art school influence shaped alternative music. It pairs naturally with Magazine's broader catalogue for a unit on lyrical sophistication in rock, or stands alone as a single-song reference for discussing guitar production and tone in recorded rock.

• Reading and playing chord charts with attention to voicing and inversions
• Interpreting rhythmic notation in post-punk contexts, including syncopated strumming patterns
• Balancing articulate playing with aggressive tonal production
• Connecting lyrical phrasing to melodic and harmonic structure
• Understanding recorded rock production choices and their impact on instrumental performance