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Intro:
D A/C# Bm7 A/C#
D A/C# Bm7 A/C#
Verse 1:
F#m G D A
Oh, what a gift it is to be noticed
F#m G D A
But it's nothin’ to do with me
E G
You've got to wonder if there's a reason to believe
Chorus:
D A/C# Bm A/C# G
It’s a life---time of learnin' to paint by numbers
E D
And watchin' the colours run
[Instrumental]
A/C# Bm A D
G E
Verse 2:
D A/C#
It's a little bit complicated
Bm A/C#
When they put an image in your head, and now you're stuck with it
D A/C#
You're the luckiest, oh, the irony
Bm A/C# D A/C# Bm A/C#
Holdin' the weight of the American children whose hearts you break
F#m G D A
Was it a tragedy when you told her
F#m G D A
"I'm not even thirty-three"?
E G
A little self-compassion and a life within your means
Bridge:
D A/C# Bm A/C# G
It’s a life---time of pickin’ from one or the other
E D A/C# Bm A/C# G E
Kids with water guns
watch them run
Chorus:
D A/C# Bm A/C# G
It’s a life---time of learnin' to paint by numbers
E D
And watchin' the colours run
Outro:
A/C# Bm A/C#
G F E
Video/Audio
Other versions of this song
- Paint By Numbers (Tabs)
Song History
Published: March 7, 2026
Last Updated: March 7, 2026