Chords + Lyrics | I Predict A Riot
Intro
| N.C E | Db G |
||: Cm | Eb D5 | Cm | Eb D5 |
| Ab | Gm | Fm | Eb D5 :||
Verse 1
||: Cm | Cm | Eb | F :||
Ah, watching the people get lairy, it’s not very pretty I tell thee.
Walking through town is quite scary, not very sensible either.
A friend of a friend he got beaten, he looked the wrong way at a Policeman.
Would never have happened to Smeaton, an Old Leodensian.
Bridge 1
| Cm | G/B | Bb | F |
La, ah-ah. La, la, la, la, la, la.
| Cm | G/B | Bb | F | F |
Ah-ah, ah, ah, ah. Oh-la, la, la, la, la, la.
Chorus 1
||: Ab | Ab Db | Ab | Ab :||
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
Verse 2
Oh, I tried to get to my taxi. A man in a tracksuit attacks me.
He said that he saw it before me and wants to get things a bit gory.
Girls scrabble ’round with no clothes on, to borrow a pound for a condom.
If it wasn’t for chip fat they’d be frozen, they’re not very sensible.
Bridge 2
La, ah-ah. Oh-la, la, la, la, la, la.
Ah-ah, ah, ah, ah. Oh-la, la, la, la, la, la.
Chorus 2
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
Chorus tag 1
| D | C |
And if there’s anybody left in here.
| Bb | Ab | Ab | Ab | Ab |
Who that doesn’t want to be out there, oh.
Instrumental
| Cm | Eb D5 | Cm | Eb D5 |
| Ab | Gm | Fm | Eb D5 |
| Cm | Eb D5 | Cm | Eb D5 |
Ah, ah, ah, ah…
| Ab | Gm | Fm | Eb D5 |
Ah, ah, ah, ah…
Verse 3
Ah, watching the people get lairy, it’s not very pretty I tell thee.
Walking through town is quite scary, not very sensible.
Bridge 3
| Cm | G/B | Bb | F |
La, ah-ah. Oh-la, la, la, la, la, la.
| Cm | G/B | Bb | F |
Ah-ah, ah, ah, ah. Oh-la, la, la, la, la, la.
||: F :|| x7
Oh, yeah.
Chorus 3
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
Chorus tag 2
| D | C |
And if there’s anybody left in here.
| Bb | Ab |
Who that doesn’t want to be out there.
Chorus 4
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
I predict a riot, I predict a riot.
I Predict A Riot Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning I Predict A Riot. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 441Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
When Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict A Riot was released in 2007, it quickly became a staple for indie rock cover bands—and many still play it almost two decades later.
The chords are quite interesting and are best played as power chords (5-chords), though I’ve also written some as triads above. You could experiment with a capo or tuning down a half step, but in my experience, these songs are best bashed out in their original tuning on a typical gig.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the song’s chords—there are plenty of key changes in this one!
Intro (solo)
The intro starts with a few single notes before the main riff kicks in. I’ve rarely heard bands play these, so let’s move straight to the riff as chords:
||: Cm | Eb D5 | Cm | Eb D5 |
| Ab | Gm | Fm | Eb D5 :||
If that D5 were a triad, it would be Dm, making the Roman numerals II – IV – III in the key of Bb.
The second line follows IV – III – II in Eb, with the last bar pulling us back to Bb. This riff returns later as an instrumental/solo section.
Other Sections
Here are the chord progressions for all other sections, with Roman numerals for the different keys:
- Verse: Cm – Eb – F (II – IV – V in Bb)
- Bridge: Cm – G/B – Bb – F (II – chromatic passing chord – I – V in Bb)
- Chorus: Ab – Db – Ab (I – IV – I in Ab)
After listening to the original recording, you’ll notice there are mainly synths and production tricks. The real question is: how do you actually play this as the sole guitarist in a band?
To answer that, check out the TAB further down this guitar lesson.
To practise I Predict A Riot, use the chords and lyrics above and/or follow the chord chart below while playing along with the original recording.
I Predict A Riot Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download my I Predict A Riot chord chart as a PDF—it’s unlikely you’ll need to play it in a different key.
Alternatively, you can get it in iReal Pro format, which allows you to adjust the layout to suit your preference.
I Predict A Riot | TAB
The original recording is a feast of noisy overdubs and production tricks, with far fewer guitars than we might imagine. This doesn’t mean we should make our guitar parts sparse when taking the stage on a Saturday night—no one is bringing those production tricks with them.
It falls on us, as the sole guitarist, to carry the tune and play all the way through. My TAB is designed to guide you in the right direction as you develop something that works for your band.
Intro
Add some slides here to capture the feel of the original intro. This progression returns later as a solo, though played differently. Notice how we’re outlining the Aeolian mode here!
Verse
The verse needs to feel energetic. To help everyone settle in, your part should have repetition. Here’s what I suggest you play:
Bridge
In contrast to the verse, the bridge needs to open up. Here’s my take on this:
Chorus
For the chorus, we return to something similar to the verse for the rhythm, just slightly more intense.
Depending on the tone of your bass player, you may need to play a lower part of the chord. The smaller and cleaner his sound, the deeper you should go. If he has a huge sound, this will sit well above it:
Chorus tag
The chorus tag provides some breathing space in the arrangement, first holding the chords, then returning to something resembling the chorus.
You could borrow the chord shapes used here for your main chorus later to make it bigger or compensate for a weaker bass player.
Solo
The solo is essentially the intro, but played with 8th notes.
Breakdown verse
Finally, here’s the breakdown verse. Once you’re confident, you could play like this in earlier verses too before moving into the strumming shown earlier in this lesson.
If your band is a small three-piece, you can play tunes like this in an improvised way, moving between driving and atmospheric parts -Try it with the backing tracks!
I Predict A Riot Chords: Continue Learning
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