How The World Works chords by Bo Burnham

• Difficulty: Advanced

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

🎸 Intro:  Bo Burnham:
Em         A
Hey, kids
                         D             D  B/Eb
Today, we're gonna learn about the world



🎸 Verse 1: Bo Burnham:
Em               A
The world that's around us
          D
Is pretty amazing
                D
But how does it work?
               B/Eb
It must be complicated
Em                A              D
The secret is the world can only work
                D       B/Eb
When everything works together

🎸 Verse 2: Bo Burnham:
  Em                A
A bee drinks from a flower
                    D
And leaves with its pollen
                D
A squirrel in a tree
                       B/Eb    Em
Spreads the seeds that have fallen
           A
Everything works together
D           B/Eb          Em       A
The biggest elephant, the littlest fly
D           B/Eb             Em           A
The gophers underground, the birds in the sky
Gb/Bb  Bm          Daug/Bb       D/A         D(b5)/Ab
And every single cricket, every fish in the sea
G                       E              A
Gives what they can and gets what they need


🎸 Chorus:  Bo Burnham:
D               E
That is how the world works
G               Em    A
That is how the world works
D
From A to Zebra
       Gb7          Bm
To the worms in the dirt
G      D/A
That's how it works

🎸 Interlude 1:  Bo Burnham & Socko:
D      Gbm/Db
Hey everyone
                       Bm7
Look who stopped by to say hello
Gbm/Db
It's Socko
D
Hey!
          Gbm/Db
Where you been, Socko?
          Bm7                               Gbm/Db
I've been where I always am when you're not wearing me on your hand
D                     Gbm/Db               Bm7
In a frightening, liminal space between states of being
           Gbm/Db
Not quite dead, not quite alive
     D                              Gbm/Db
It's similar to a constant state of sleep paralysis
Bm7                                             Gbm/Db
Socko, we were just talking about the world and how it works
D                   Gbm/Db
Boy, that sounds complicated!
                                     Bm7
Do you have anything you'd want to teach us about the world?
           Gbm/Db                                 D
I wouldn't say anything that you probably haven't already said yourself
        Gbm/Db
I don't know about that, Socko
E                       A
How about you give it a try?
Alright!


🎸 Verse 3: Socko:
Em                   A                       D
The simple narrative taught in every history class
                D                 B/Eb  Em
Is demonstrably false and pedagogically classist
                   A                   D
Don't you know the world is built with blood?
             D          B/Eb
And genocide and exploitation
Em                    A                     D
The global network of capital essentially functions
                 D                   B/Eb  Em
To separate the worker from the means of production
          A                      D
And the FBI killed Martin Luther King
D       B/Eb       Em         A
Private property's inherently theft
    D          B/Eb         Em             A
And neoliberal fascists are destroying the left
Gb/Bb Bm       Daug/Bb       D/A        D(b5)/Ab
And every politician, every cop on the street
             G                           E         A
Protects the interests of the pedophilic corporate elite


🎸 Chorus:  Socko & Bo Burnham:
D               E
That is how the world works
Really?
G               E/Ab  A
That is how the world works
D                             Gb7       Bm
Genocide, the Natives say you got to it first
G      D/A
That's how it works


🎸 Interlude 2:  Bo Burnham & Socko:
D             Gbm/Db
That's pretty intense
   Bm
No shit
                 Gbm/Db
What can I do to help?
              D
Read a book or something, I don't know
Gbm/Db                        Bm7
Just don't burden me with the responsibility of educating you
Gbm/Db
It's incredibly exhausting
D
I'm sorry, Socko
                    Gbm/Db              Bm7
I was just trying to become a better person
                     Gbm/Db                            D
Why do you rich fucking white people insist on seeing every
                Gbm/Db                           Bm7              Gbm/Db
socio-political conflict through the myopic lens of your own self-actualization?
                  D
This isn't about you
                   Gbm/Db                        Bm7
So either get with it, or get out of the fucking way
Watch your mouth, buddy
        Gbm/Db               D
Remember who's on whose hand here
But that's what I--
                  Gbm/Db
Have you not been fucking listening?
Bm
We are entrenched in--
Alright, alright
      Gbm/Db
Wait, no please!
I don't wanna go back, please
D
I can't go, I can't go back
N.C.
Please, please, I'm sorry
Are you gonna behave yourself?
Yes
Yes, what?
Yes, sir
Look at me
Yes, sir
That's better


🎸 Chorus:  Bo Burnham, Socko & Both:
D               E
That is how the world works
G               E/Ab     A
That is how the world works
D
I hope you learned your lesson
Gb7          Bm
I did and it hurt
G      D/A
That's how it works