Most of the tabs on the web for this track are decent but forget the Em builds in a couple verses as well as the correct descending chord pattern in the chorus. Steven Page played the song minus the capo which are the chords presented here while Ed Robertson played it with a capo on the fifth fret (D, A, G, Bm) Barenaked Ladies - What a Good Boy

^GWhen I was born, t^Dhey looked at me and said ^Cadd9 what a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy. ^GAnd when you were born, they lo^Doked at you and said, ^Cadd9

what a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl.

^GWe've got these chains t^Dhat hang around our necks, ^Cadd9 people want to strangle us with them before we take our first breath. ^GAfraid of chan^Dge, afraid of staying the same, ^Cadd9

when temptation calls, we just look away. [Chorus]

^GThis name is the hairshirt I wea^Dr, and this hairshirt i^Cadd9s woven from your brown hair. ^GThis song is the cross th^Dat I bear, bear it with ^Cadd9me, bear with me, bear with me, be with me tonight, ^G ^F#/G ^Em ^C I know that it isn't right, ^G ^F#/G ^Em ^C

but be with me tonight.

^GI go to school, I w^Drite exams, ^Cadd9if I pass, if I fail, if I drop out, does anyone give a damn' ^GAnd if they do, they'l^Dl soon forget ^Cadd9'cause it won't take much for me to show my life ain't over yet. ^GI wake up scared, I wake u^Dp strange.

^Cadd9I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever going to change. ^GI wake up scared, I wake u^Dp strange ^Em and eve^Cadd9rything around me stays the same. ^G

[Chorus]

...its the hairshirt I we^Dar, and this hairshirt i^Cadd9s woven from your brown hair. ^GThis song is the cross th^Dat I bear, bear it with ^Cadd9me, bear with me, bear with me, be with me tonight, ^G ^F#/G ^Em ^C I know that it isn't right, ^G ^F#/G ^Em ^C ^G ^F#/G ^Em ^C

but be with me tonight.

^GI couldn't tell you that ^DI was wrong, ^Cadd9chickened out, grabbed a pen and paper, sat down and I wrote this song. ^GI couldn't tell you that ^Dyou were right, ^Cadd9so instead I looked in the mirror, watched TV, laid awake all night.

^GWe've got these chains, hang 'round o^Dur necks, ^Cadd9people want to strangle us with them before we take our first breath. ^GAfraid of change, afraid of^D staying the same ^Cadd9when temptation calls ...

[Chorus]

^GThis name is the hairshirt I wea^Dr, and this hairshirt i^Cadd9s woven from - is woven from - is woven from hair ^GThis song is the cross th^Dat I bear, bear it with ^Cadd9me, bear with me, bear with me,

be with me tonight,

^GWhen I was born, they looke^Dd at me and said; ^Cadd9What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy. ^GAnd when you were born, they looked at y^Dou and said; ^Emwhat a good girl, what a smart girl, wh^Cadd9at a pretty girl, hey ^G

Barenaked Ladies - What a good boy