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Better Place To Be by Harry Chapin - Guitar Chords
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Version 1
D Dmaj7
It was an early morning barroom
D7 Gmaj7
And the place had just opened up
Em Em/D#
And a little man came in so fast
Em/D A7
And he started at his cups
D Dmaj7
And the broad who served the whiskey
D7 Gmaj7
She was a big old friendly girl
Em Em/D#
Who tried to fight her empty nights
Em/D A7
By smiling at the world
G A
And she said "Hey, bub, it's been a while
F#m B7
Since you've been around
Em A
Where the hell you been hiding
G D
And why you look so down
G A
Well, the little man sat there
G A D
Like he'd never heard a sound
Cm G
The waitress she gave out with a cough
Bb F Em A
And acting not the least put off she spoke once again
D G
She said "I don't want to bother you
Em/G Em - Em/D# - Em/D
Consider it's understood
A/C# Em - Em/D# - Em/D
I know I'm not no beauty queen
A/C# Em A7sus4 D
But I sure can listen good
G
And the little man
A
Took his drink in his hand
Em D
And he raised it to his lips
G D
He took a couple sips
Em7 A D
And then he told the waitress this story
D Am C G D
I am the midnight watchman down at Miller's Tool and Die
G F#m Bm Cmaj7
And I watch the metal rusting, I watch the time go by
A G F#m B7
A week ago at the diner I stopped to get a bite
Em A G Em7 A11 D
And this here lovely lady she sat two seats from my right
G G/F# Em7 G G/F# Em7 D
And Lord, lord, lord, (Lord, Lord, Lord) she was alright
D Am C G D
You see she was so damn beautiful that she could warm a winters frost
G F#m Bm Cmaj7
But she looked long past lonely and well nigh onto lost
A G F#m B7
Now I'm not much of a mover or a pick'em up easy guy
Em A G Em7 D
But I decided to glide on over and give her one good try
G G/F# Em7 G G/F# Em7 D
And Lord, lord, lord, (Lord, Lord, Lord) she was worth a try
D Am C G D
Well I was tongue tied like a schoolboy, I stammered out some words
G F#m Bm Cmaj7
It did not seem to matter much 'cause I don't think she heard
A G F#m B7
She just looked clear on through me to a space back in my head
Em A G Em7 D
It shamed me into silence as quietly she said
D G
If you want me to come with you
Em/G Em - Em/D# - Em/D
Then that's all right with me
A/C# Em - Em/D# - Em/D
'Cause I know I'm going no-where
A/C# Em A7sus4 D
And anywhere's a better place to be
D - G - G/F# - Em - Em/D# - Em/D
A - Em - Em/D# - Em/D
A
A/C# Em A7sus4 D
Anywheres a better place to be
D Dmaj7
Well, I drove her to my boarding house
D7 Gmaj7
And I took her up to my room
Em Em/D#
And I went to turn on the only light
Em/D A7
To brighten up the gloom
Dm
But she said, "Please leave the light off,
Gm
Oh, I don't mind the dark
F
And as her clothes all tumbled 'round her
Asus4 A Asus4 - A - Asus4 - A
I could hear my heart
D Am C G D
The moonlight shone upon her as she lay back in my bed
G F#m Bm Cmaj7
It was the kind of scene I only had imagined in my head
A G F#m B7
I just could not believe it to think that she was real
Em A G Em7 D
And as I tried to tell her, she said "Ssssh, I know just how you feel
D G
And if you want to come here with me
Em/G Em - Em/D# - Em/D
Then that's all right with me
A/C# Em - Em/D# - Em/D
Cause I've been so lonely
A/C# Em A7sus4 D
Lovin' someone is a better way to be
D - G - G/F# - Em - Em/D# - Em/D
A - Em - Em/D# - Em/D
A
A/C# Em A7sus4 D
Anywhere's a better place to be
D Am C G D
Well the mornin' came so swiftly I held her in my arms
G F#m Bm Cmaj7
And she slept like a baby, snug and safe from harm
A G F#m B7
I did not want to share her or dare to break the mood
Em A G Dm
So before she woke I went out to buy us both some food
Dm Gm
I came back with my paper bag to find that she was gone
F Gm D
She'd left a six-word letter sayin' "It's time that I moved on"
D Dmaj7 D7 Gmaj7
You know the waitress she took her bar rag and she wiped it across her eyes
Em Em/D# Em/D A7
And as she spoke her voice came out as something like a sigh
D Dmaj7 D7 Gmaj7
She said I wish that I was beautiful or that you were halfway blind
Em Em/D# Em/D A7
And I wish I weren't so God-damned fat, I wish that you were mine
A7 G A F#m B7
And I wish that you'd come with me when I leave for home
Em A G Em D
For we both know all 'bout emptiness and livin' all alone
Em7 F#m Em7 D
And the little man looked at the empty glass in his hand and he smiled a crooked grin
Em7 D Em7 D/F# G - Em7 - A
He said "I guess I'm out of gin and I know we both have been so lonely
D G Em
And if you want me to come with you then that's alright with me
A Em A Em7 A7 D Dmaj7 - Gmaj7 - D
'Cause I know I'm going no-where and anywhere's a better place to be
We also have 7 songs by Harry Chapin
- 30000 Pounds Of Bananas
- Better Place To Be
- Cats In The Cradle
- Circle
- I Wanna Learn A Love Song
- Taxi
- Wold
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