Taking My Life In Your Hands chords by Elvis Costello

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Difficulty: Intermediate

Verse 1:
G#m F#6  Fm7b5          E
      My dear impulsive darling
     A6             Gdim7          F#7
I suspect my letter got to you too late
G#m        C#7           F#                D#m
  And it's really just a silly fragment of paper
       D#7              A#7b13         D#7
But it means so much to those who wait
Em                  D        Dbm7b5
  All the suffering days and nights
       C              F   Bb   Gb B F
Till I dare dream again
Em                   D                 Dbm7b5
  There you suddenly stand and I'll be damned
                   Am9           C     F7   G
If you didn't disappear with the dawn

Chorus:
E     C#m      A        B7
Hours pass and darkness comes
A           E        B7    E
Soon I will close my eyes
E          C#m     A           B7
Will you return if you don't reply
          A          E           B7
You'll be taking my life in your hands
E      F  F#m  (G#m) A  (A#dim7) B7 (Cdim7 C#m) E
You'll be taking my life in your hands
F#m       A            E
Taking my life in your hands

Bridge:
G#m F#6  E D#7

Verse 2:
G#m  F#6        Fm7b5          E
   I don't know why my dearest darling
        A6             Gdim7             F#7
I can't tell you how I feel when you are near
G#m      C#7            F#                  D#m
  When I see you have returned my letters unopened
       D#7                A#7b13              D#7
I will tear them up, your voice ringing in my ears
Em                       D           Dbm7b5
  But you're kidding yourself if you think
            C            F    Bb  Gb  B F
This correspondence will end
Em                D            Dbm7b5
  I can always pretend words I don't
                    Am         C    F7  G
Have the courage to send reach you

Chorus:
E     C#m      A        B7
Hours pass and darkness comes
A           E        B7    E
Soon I will close my eyes
E          C#m     A           B7
Will you return if you don't reply
          A          E           B7
You'll be taking my life in your hands
E      F  F#m  (G#m) A  (A#dim7) B7 (Cdim7 C#m) E
You'll be taking my life in your hands
F#m       A            E
Taking my life in your hands
E