BUJ Songbook Editor

The Living Years - Mike & The Mechanics

Intro: 
G G

Verse 1:
G                     C
 Every generation....  blames the one before
    G                                   C
And  all of their frustrations.... come  beating on your door
F
 I know that I'm a prisoner to all my Father held so dear
Am
 I know that I'm a hostage to all his hopes and fears
       D                           D7             G
I just  wish I could have told him  in the living  years
 
Verse 2: 
G                                  C
 Crumpled bits of paper.... filled  with imperfect thought
G                               C
 Stilted conversations..... I'm  afraid that's all we've got
F 
 You say you just don't see it, he says it's perfect sense
Am
 You just can't get agreement In this present tense
       D                          D7             G
We all  talk a different language  talking in de-fence
 
 
|[Chorus]
|       G                    C
|Say it  loud........ say it  clear
|        Am         D            G
|You can  listen as  well as you  hear
|         G                   C
|It's too  late...... when we  die
|      Am           D           G 
|To ad-mit we don't s ee eye to  eye
 
 
Verse 3: 
      G                                   C
So we  open up a quarrel..... between the  present and the past
        G                                    C
We only  sacrifice the future...... it's the  bitterness that lasts
   F                          
So  don't yield to the fortunes you sometimes see as fate
   Am
It  may have a new perspective on a different day
           D                                     D7            G
And if you  don't give up, and don't give in you  may just be OK.
 
 
[Chorus]

Verse 4: 
  G                                      C
I  wasn't there that morning.....when my  father passed away
  G                                    C
I  didn't get to tell him .....all the  things I had to say
  F                         
I  think I caught his spirit later that same year
    Am                    
I'm  sure I heard his echo in my baby's new born tears
       D                           D7             G
I just  wish I could have told him  in the living  years
 
 
|[Chorus] x2
|       G                    C
|Say it  loud........ say it  clear
|        Am         D            G
|You can  listen as  well as you  hear
|         G                   C
|It's too  late...... when we  die
|      Am           D           G 
|To ad-mit we don't s ee eye to  eye

Outro:
G

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