"In a Darkened Room" by Skid Row (Slave to the Grind, 1991)

"In a Darkened Room" by Skid Row (Slave to the Grind, 1991)

Key: E Minor
Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)
Power Chords Used: E5, G5, D5, A5, C5, B5

Intro
E5 G5 D5 A5 (x2, clean, then distorted)
(Guitar 1 plays arpeggio, Guitar 2 strums power chords)
Intro Arpeggio (Guitar 1, clean, from Ultimate Guitar, web ID 3):

• E5: 0-2-2-x-x-x (open) or x-7-9-x-x-x
• G5: 3-5-5-x-x-x or x-10-12-x-x-x
• D5: x-5-7-x-x-x
• A5: 5-7-7-x-x-x or x-12-14-x-x-x
• C5: x-3-5-x-x-x or 8-10-10-x-x-x
• B5: x-2-4-x-x-x or 7-9-9-x-x-x

e|---------0---------------3-------|---------2---------------0-------|
B|-------0---0-----------3---3-----|-------3---3-----------2---2-----|
G|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
D|---2-----------2---0-----------0-|---0-----------0---2-----------2-|
A|-2---------------2---------------|-0---------------0---------------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
   E5              G5              D5              A5

(Guitar 2 strums E5, G5, D5, A5, clean then distorted)

Verse 1
E5 G5
In a darkened room, beyond the reach of God’s faith
D5 A5
Lies the wounded, the shattered remains of love betrayed
E5 G5
And the innocence of a child is bought and sold
D5 A5
In the name of the damned, the rage of the angels left silent and cold

Pre-Chorus
C5 D5
Forgive me please for I know not what I do
B5 C5
How can I keep inside the hurt I know is true

Chorus
E5 G5
Tell me when the kiss of love becomes a lie
D5 A5
That bears the scar of sin too deep to hide behind this fear
E5 G5
Of running unto you, please let there be light
D5 A5
In a darkened room

Verse 2
E5 G5
All the precious times have been put to rest again
D5 A5
And the smile of the dawn brings tainted lust singing my requiem
E5 G5
Can I face the day when I’m tortured in my trust
D5 A5
And watch it crystalize while my salvation it crumbles to dust

Pre-Chorus
C5 D5
Why can’t I steer the ship before it hits the storm
B5 C5
I’ve fallen to the sea but still I swim for shore

Chorus
E5 G5
Tell me when the kiss of love becomes a lie
D5 A5
That bears the scar of sin too deep to hide behind this fear
E5 G5
Of running unto you, please let there be light
D5 A5
In a darkened room

Solo
E5 G5 D5 A5 (x4)
(Solo by Dave Sabo, E minor pentatonic, per Songsterr, web ID 5)

Chorus
E5 G5
Tell me when the kiss of love becomes a lie
D5 A5
That bears the scar of sin too deep to hide behind this fear
E5 G5
Of running unto you, please let there be light
D5 A5
In a darkened room

Outro
E5 G5
In a darkened room
D5 A5
In a darkened room
E5 G5
In a darkened room
D5 A5
In a darkened room
(Repeat E5, G5, D5, A5, fade out)

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|-12b14-12-11-12-11----11------------|-11h12p11---------------------------|
D|-------------------14----14-12-14---|---------14-12-14-12----12----------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------14----14-12----|
E|------------------------------------|--------------------------------15-12|
   E5                 G5               D5                 A5

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|-15b17-15-12------------------------|
G|---------11-12-14-14b16-14-12-14-12-|------------14-12----12-14b16r14-12-|
D|-12-14-14---------------------------|-----------------14-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
   E5                 G5               D5                 A5

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|-14b16-14-12----12-14-12----12------|-11h12p11---------------------------|
D|------------14----------14----14----|---------14-12----------------------|
A|------------------------------------|--------------14-12-10-12-10--------|
E|------------------------------------|----------------------------12-10-12|
   E5                 G5               D5                 A5

Notes

• Power Chords: The E5, G5, D5, A5 progression for verses and chorus, and C5, D5, B5, C5 for the pre-chorus, are adapted from Ultimate Guitar (web ID 3, rated 4.8/5), Songsterr (web ID 5), and Chordify (web ID 6, listing Em, G, D, A). Cifra Club (web ID 7) and ChordU (web ID 11) confirm E minor (~68 BPM). Power chords are used instead of open chords (Em, G, D, Am) to match your preference and the song’s heavy tone, though open chords are common in acoustic covers (web ID 4).
• Playing Tips: The intro arpeggio (Guitar 1) is clean, transitioning to distorted power chords; Guitar 2 strums E5, G5, D5, A5 with slow, deliberate downstrokes. Emphasize E5 in the chorus for emotional weight. The solo uses E minor pentatonic; Songsterr (web ID 5) has a detailed tab. Use a clean tone for the intro (e.g., Fender Strat) and switch to high-gain distortion (e.g., Marshall JCM800) for verses and chorus to match Sabo and Hill’s sound.
• Transposition: For easier fretting, try a capo on the 2nd fret and play D5, F5, C5, G5, Bb5, A5, or transpose to D minor (D5, F5, C5, A5, Bb5, A5) using Cifra Club’s transposer. In Drop D, adjust voicings (e.g., E5: 2-2-2-x-x-x), but standard tuning is standard for this track per tabs.