Tuning: E A D G B E

Open C - G/B - Am - G (2x's)

There's ^Ca kid out on m^G/By corner, hear him ^Amstrumming like ^Ga fool Shiv^Cering in his dun^G/Bgarees, but s^Dmtill he's going to sc^Fhool

His ch^Dmeeks are made of pe^Fach fuzz, his h^Dmopes may be the s^Game But he's si^Fgned up as a so^Dmldier out to p^Glay the music g^Came

C - G/B - Am - G

There's fake pat^Cches on his j^G/Backet, he's used bl^Ameach to fade his je^Gans With a br^Cand new stay-pressed s^G/Bhirt and some cr^Dmeased and wrinkled dr^Feams

His f^Dmace a blemish ga^Frden, but his e^Dmyes are virgin cl^Gear His vo^Fice is chicken li^Dmttle's, but he's hea^Gring Paul Re^Cvere

C - G/B - Am - G

When he cat^Cches himself gig^G/Bgling, he fo^Amrces up a sn^Geer Though he ra^Cther have a ^G/Bmilk shake, he keeps fo^Dmrcing down the b^Feer

J^Dmust another fo^Flkie late in co^Dmming down the p^Gike Ri^Fding his gu^Dmitar, he left kid bro^Gther with his b^Cike

And he's got Gu^C/Gthrie running in his bones, he's a hobo kid who's left his home And his Beatles records and his Rollin' Stones, this ^Dmboy is staying ac^Dm7oustic.

There's Se^Dmeger singing in his heart, he ho^Fpes his songs will some how start to h^Geal the cracks that split apart Ame^Crica gone plastic

And now there's D^Amylan drippin' from his mouth He's hit^Gching' himself way down South

To le^Farn a little black and blues From ^Dmold street men who've paid their dues ^Dm/C

'C^Bbause the knew they had nothing to loose, and k^Cnew it ^DmSo they just got ^Gto it

With cra^Amcked old Gibson's and red clay shoes Playing 1-^G4-5 chords like good news

And cur^Fsed with skin that calls for blood They ^Dmput their face and feet in mud ^Dm/C

But ^Bboh they learned the music from way d^Cown there The r^Dmeal ones learn it some^Gwhere

Ah st^Crum your guitar -- sing it ^Emkid Just wr^Fite about your feelings -- not the th^Dmings you never d^Gid

Inexp^Cerience -- it once had cu^Emrsed me But y^Four youth is no handicap -- ^Dmit's what makes you th^Gsusirsty ^G

^Gsus2

Hey ^Gsuskid ^G

^Gsus2

Y^Cou can hear your foo^G/Btsteps as you're ki^Amcking up the d^Gust And the rus^Ctling in the sh^G/Badows tells you se^Dmcrets you can tr^Fust

The cap^Dmturing of whi^Fspers is the ^Dmway to write a s^Gong It's w^Fhen you get to micr^Dmophones the mu^Gsic can go w^C5rong ^Eb5

^F5

^C5

^C5You can't see the audience with spo^Eb5tlights in you eyes Your f^F5eet can't feel the highway from wh^C5ere the Lear jet flies

When you g^Eb5lide in silent splendor in you pa^F5dded limousines O^Gnly you are crying there behind the silver screen ^G5

^Bb5

^F5

^Bb5

^F5Now you battle dragons -- but they'll ^Eb5all turn into frogs When you g^D5rab the wheel of fortune -- you'll get ca^Gught up in the cogs

First your ^C5art turns into craft -- then the y^Eb5ahoos start to laugh Then you'll h^F5ear the jackals howl 'cause they l^C5ove to watch the fall

They're the ^Eb5lost ones out there feeding on the wou^F5nded and the bleeding They al^Gways are the first to see the cracks upon the walls

C5 - Eb5 - F5 - G5 - C G/B - Am - G C - G/B - Am - G

When I sta^Crted this ^G/Bsong I was s^Amtill thirty-th^Gree The a^Cge that Mozart ^G/Bdied and sweet J^Dmesus was set f^Free

Keats and Sh^Dmelley too soon fin^Fished, Charley P^Dmarker would ^Gbe And I fant^Fasized some tr^Dmagedy'd be s^Goon curtailing ^Cme

Well just to^Cday I had my bi^G/Brthday -- I m^Amade it thirty-f^Gour Mere mo^Crtal, not im^G/Bmortal, not star^Dm-crossed any m^Fore

I've got this pro^Dmblem with my ag^Fing I no lo^Dmnger can ig^Gnore A t^Fame and toothless t^Dmabby can't pro^Gduce a lion's r^Coar

And I ca^Cn't help being frightened on these midnight afternoons When I ask the loaded questions -- Why does w^Dminter come so s^Dm7oon?

And w^Dmhere are all the golden girls that ^FI was singing for? The day^Dmbreak chorus ^Fof my dreams ser^Genades no m^Amore

Yeah the mi^Amnute man is going soft -- the mirror's on the shelf O^Gnly when the truth's up there -- can you fool yourself

I ^F/Cam the aging jester -- who won't gracefully retire A cl^E7umsy clown without a net caught staggering on the h^Gigh wire

Yes^Amterday's a collar that has settled around my waist To^Gday keeps slipping by me, it leaves no aftertaste

To^F/Cmorrow is a daydream, the future's never true ^E7Am I just a fading fire or a breeze passing thr^Aough ^A7

He^Dllo my cou^F#ntry ^BmI once ^Bm/Acame to t^Gell ev^G/F#eryone y^Emour st^Aory

Your pas^Dsion ^F#was my po^Bmetry ^Bm/A And your p^Gast my most po^Emtent gl^Aory

Your pro^F#mise ^Bmwas my pr^Gayer ^Gm Your hyp^F#mocrisy my nig^Bmhtmare ^Bm/A

And your pro^Gblems f^Gmill my ^F#mprese^Bmnt ^EmAre we b^Goth ^Cmaj7going somewhere?

C/G

^C/GStep right up young l^Gady -- ^C/GYour two hundredth birt^Ghday make you ^C/Gold if not se^Gnile And we ^C/Gsee the symptoms th^Gere in your r^Dmigor mortis s^Dm7mile

With your ^Dmold folks eating d^Fog food and your chi^Dmldren eating pa^Gint while the pi^Dmrates own the ^Dm7flag and sell us ser^Gmons on rest^Craint

And while bl^Cood's the only la^Cmaj7nguage that your d^C6eaf old ears can ^Cmaj7hear And st^Cill you will not ^Cmaj7answer with that me^Dmssage coming clear

Does it m^Dmean there's no more ri^Dm7pples in your ti^Gred old glory stream And the bu^Dm7zzards own the car^Gcass of your dr^Ceam? ^F

B-^FU-Y centennial s^Cell 'em pre-canned laughter Ame^Grican perennial sing happy ever after ^G

There's a da^Cnce band on the Titanic Singing nearer my God to T^Ghee

And the ice^G7berg's on the starboard bow Won't you dance with ^Amme

Yes I r^Amead it in the New York Times That was ^Gmon the stands today

It said that dr^Feams were out of fashion We'll hear ^Dmno more empty promises

There'll ^Bbno more wasted passions To clu^Ctter up our play

It re^Amally was a good sign The w^Gmords went on to say

It shows that ^Fwe are growing up In oh so m^Dmany healthy ways

And ^BbI told myself this is Exa^Gctly where I'm at

But ^CI don't much like thi^Bbnking about t^Ahat Dm - F - G - A

H^Dmarry -- are you re^Fally so naive? You can hon^Bbestly believe

That the cou^Gntry's getting better When a^All you do is let her al^Dmone

H^Gmarry -- Can you r^Bb/Feally be surprised? When it is th^Ebere before your ^Eb7eyes

When you h^Cold the knife that carves her You l^Dive the life that starves her -- to the b^Gmone

But g^Cmood dreams ^Cm/Bbdon't come ^Cm/Acheap ^Cm/G You've got to p^Day for ^D/Cthem ^Dsus2/A

If you j^Cmust dream when ^Cm/Bbyou're a^Cm/Asleep ^Cm/G There is no w^Day for ^D/Cthem ^Dsus2/A

To come a^A#6live ^Gm-- to sur^Gvive. C

It is ^C5not enough to listen -- it's ^Eb5not enough to see When the hurr^F5icane is coming on it's ^C5not enough to flee

It's ^Eb5not enough to be in love -- we h^F5ide behind that word It's n^Got enough to be alive when your future's been deferred

What I've ^C5run through my body, what I've ^Eb5run through my mind My br^F5eath the only rhythm -- and the t^C5empo is my time

My e^Eb5nemy is hopelessness -- my a^F5lly's honest doubt The an^Gswer is a question that I never will find out

G5 - Bb5 - F5 - Bb5

Is music prop^A5aganda -- should I boogie, Rock and Roll Or j^G5ust an early warning system hitched up to my soul

Am I obs^F5erver or participant or huckster of belief Ma^E7king too much of a life so mercifully brief

G - F (4x's) C - G/B - Am - G (2x's)

So I st^Cride down sunny st^G/Breets and the b^Amand plays back my s^Gong They're appl^Cauding at my s^G/Bhadow long a^Dmfter I am g^Fone

Should I h^Dmold this wistful no^Ftion that the jo^Dmurney is wort^Ghwhile And tip^F-toe cross the c^Dmhasm with a s^Gong and a sm^Cile

Well ^CI got up this mo^G/Brning, I don't n^Ameed to know no m^Gore In evap^Corated nig^G/Bhtmares that had bo^Dmiled the night be^Ffore

With e^Dmvery new day's daw^Fning my ^Dmkid climbs in my b^Ged And tells the cy^Fnics of the boa^Dmrdroom your lang^Guage is d^Cead

And as I wa^Cnder with my m^G/Busic through the jun^Amgles of des^Gpair My k^Cid will learn g^G/Buitar and find his st^Dmreet corner some^Fwhere

There he'll m^Dmake the silence lis^Ften to the d^Dmream behind the vo^Gice And show his min^Fstrel Hamlet d^Dmaddy that there o^Gnly was one ch^Coice

Ah st^Crum your guitar -- sing it ^Emkid Just wr^Fite about your feelings -- not the th^Dmings you never d^Gid

Inexp^Cerience -- it once had cu^Emrsed me But y^Four youth is no handicap -- ^Dmit's what makes you th^Gsusirsty ^G

^Gsus2

Hey ^Gsuskid ^G

^Gsus2

Ah st^Crum your guitar -- sing it ^Emkid Just wr^Fite about your feelings -- not the th^Dmings you never ^Bbdid

D^Ebance band on the Titanic singing nearer my God to T^Bbhee The ic^Bb7eberg's on the starboard bow, won't you dance with ^Ebme

[repeat and fade...]

Harry Chapin - There was only one choice