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To Live Is To Fly by Townes Van Zandt - Guitar Chords

Version 1 Version 2
            To Live Is To Fly (live at The Old Quarter)
Townes Van Zandt


**Notes** On the verse, Townes often slides up and down the neck between
a G major (Gmaj) chord on the 7th &amp; 8th frets and an open D chord.
It's a D shape open chord on the 7th fret.  Just play a D on the first
4 strings with the "D" (4th) string played open.  Don't strum the "A" (5th), and big E (6th) strings.

Gmaj
   6th  7th   8th
e|----]--2--]-----|
b|----]-----]--3--|
g|----]--1--]-----|
d|----]--0--]-----|
a|----]-----]-----|
E|----]-----]-----|


He also plays a little riff when going from G to D at end of the verse.
       The tab for the riff...

e|--x------------------2-|
b|--x------------------3-|
g|--x--------------2---2-|
d|--0---0-2-0----0-------|
a|--2----------2---------|
E|--3--------------------|

Also, remember, Townes fingerpicked so to get it real close you have to do that.  Playing live, he also
improvised slightly on different recordings.

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[Intro]

e|--------7----------2-------------------------2--|
b|--------8----------3-------------------------3--|
g|-----7--7------2---2----------------------2--2--|
d|--0---------0----------0-----0-2-0-----0--------|
a|--------------------------0---------2-----------|
E|------------------------------------------------|


[Verse 1]
Gmaj            D
   Won't say I love you babe,
Gmaj            D
   Won't say I need you babe,
     D         A                   G               D
But I'm gonna get you babe, and I will not do you wrong.

Gmaj                D
   Livin's mostly wasting time,
Gmaj                D
   And I waste my share of mine,
    D          A                 G                    D
But it never feels too good, so let's don't take too long.


[Bridge 1]
             G       D                G      A
Well you're soft as glass, and I'm a gentle man,
        D              A                    G           D      A    G    D
And we got the sky to talk about, and the world to lie upon.


[Verse 2]
Gmaj            D             Gmaj                D
   Days up and down they come,   like rain on a conga drum,
    D           A               G               D
Forget most, remember some but don't turn none away.

Gmaj              D          Gmaj                   D
   Everything is not enough,    and nothin' is too much to bear,
   D                  A                     G                   D
Where you've been is good and gone all you keep is the gettin' there.


[Chorus 1]
         G         D        G        A
Well to live is to fly, all low and high,
   D                  A
So shake the dust off of your wings,
         G                 D     A  G  D
And the sleep out of your eyes.


[Verse 3]
Gmaj                 D             Gmaj           D
   It's good-bye to all my friends,  it's time to go again,
   D                  A               G                D
I'll think of all the poetry, and the pickin' down the line.
Gmaj              D          Gmaj                       D 
   I'll miss the system here,  the bottom's low and the treble's clear,
 D                  A                     G                D
But it don't pay to think too much on the things you leave behind.


[Bridge 2]
        G      D            G        A
Well I may be gone, but it won't be long,
          D                  A               G             D     A    G    D    A    G    D
I'll be a-bringing back the melody, and the rhythm that I find.


[Verse 4]
Gmaj           D             Gmaj                D
   We all got holes to fill,  and them holes are all that's real,
    D                A               G                    D
And some fall on you like a storm, sometimes you dig your own.
Gmaj              D             Gmaj           D
   The choice is yours to make,   and time is yours to take,
 D         A                 G             D
Some dive into the sea, some toil upon the stone.


[Final chorus]
        G          D        G       A
Well to live is to fly, all low and high,
    D                 A
So shake the dust off of your wings,
        G                D
and the sleep out of you eyes.
      D                 A
Well shake the dust off of your wings,
        G                 D         A  G  D
And the tears out of your eyes...
We also have 35 songs by Townes Van Zandt

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