Tuning: E A D G B E

The Living Years. © Mike & The Mechanics Composers: Mike Rutherford & B. A. Robertson Key of “G” ---------------------------------- C6 = x-3-2-2-1-0 play a normal "C" chord, but place the 2nd finger across both the D & G strings at the 2nd fret. ---------------------------------- [INTRO] (over 4 bars) G Gsus4 G Gsus4 G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [VERSE 1]

^GEvery generation, blames the one be-^Cmaj7fore. ^C6 ^C ^C6 And ^Gall of their frustrations, Come ^Cmaj7beating on your ^C6door. ^C ^C6 I ^Fknow that I'm a prisoner, to all my Father held so dear, I ^Amknow that I'm a hostage, to all his hopes and fears, I just ^D7wish I could have told him, ^D7sus4in the ^D7living ^Gyears^Gsus4. ^G

[VERSE 2]

^GCrumpled bits of paper, ^Cmaj7Filled with imperfect ^C6thoughts. ^C ^C6 ^GStilted conversations, I'm a-^Cmaj7fraid that's all we've ^C6got.^C ^C6 You ^Fsay you just don't see it, He says it's perfect sense, You ^Amjust can't get agreement, In this present tense, We all ^D7talk a different language, ^D7sus4talking ^D7in de-^Gfenc^Gsus4e. ^G

[CHORUS]

Say it ^Gloud, say it ^Cclear. You can ^Amlisten as ^Dwell as you ^Ghear. It's too ^Glate when we ^Cdie. To ad-^Ammit we don't ^Dsee eye to ^Geye. ^Gsus4 ^G

[VERSE 3]

So we ^Gopen up a quarrel, between the ^Cmaj7present and the ^C6past. ^C ^C6 We only ^Gsacrifice the future, It's the ^Cmaj7bitterness that ^C6lasts. ^C ^C6 So ^FDon't yield to the fortunes, You sometimes see as fate. It may ^Amhave a new perspective, On a different day. And if you ^D7don't give up, and don't give in, you ^D7sus4may just ^D7be O-^GK. ^Gsus4 ^G

[CHORUS]

Say it ^Gloud, say it ^Cclear. You can ^Amlisten as ^Dwell as you ^Ghear. It's too ^Glate when we ^Cdie. To ad-^Ammit we don't ^Dsee eye to ^Geye. ^Gsus4 ^G

[VERSE 4]

I ^Gwasn't there that morning, When my ^Cmaj7Father passed a-^C6way ^C ^C6 I ^Gdidn't get to tell him, all the ^Cmaj7things I had to ^C6say. ^C ^C6 I ^Fthink I caught his spirit, later that same year, I'm ^Amsure I heard his echo, in my baby's new born tears, I just ^D7wish I could have told him, ^D7sus4in the ^D7living ^Gyears^Gsus4. ^G

[CHORUS]

^GSay it!, Say it!, Say it Loud! Say it ^Cclear. You can ^Amlisten as ^Dwell as you ^Ghear. It's too ^Glate when we ^Cdie. To ad-^Ammit we don't ^Dsee eye to ^Geye. ^Gsus4 ^G

[OUTRO] G Gsus4 G Gsus4 G

Mike + The Mechanics - The living years