Twenty Years Ago chords by Montgomery Gentry

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: G

Difficulty: Intermediate

G=(3 2 x x 3 3)
D=(x x 0 2 3 2)
Bm=(x 2 4 4 3 2)
A=(x 0 2 2 2 0)
Em7/B=(x 2 2 x 3 3)
D/F#=(2 x x x 3 3)
Cadd9=(x 3 2 x 3 3)
Csus2=(x 3 x x 3 3)
G/B=(x 2 x x 3 3)
Em7=(x x 2 x 3 3)

Twenty Years Ago

Intro:
G G D D   G G D D

Verse 1:
      G
 Well, I was at that smart-ass time of my life,

 When I’d pick a fight just to pick a fight
  D
 If he said black, I said white, if he took one side I took the other side
G
 The dinner table we sat around, was more like a battleground
   D
 And I lost more times than I won, I woulda learned later on
Bm         G          A
 That he was always preachin’ ‘bout his past
Bm     G          A
 I just kept screamin’ “Come on, Dad!”

Chorus 1:
            D            Em7/B
 That was twenty years ago, you don’t know me at all!
         G             A
 Tryin’ to talk to you is like talkin’ to the wall
           D             Em7/B
 Yeah, you gave me my life, but it’s my life to live
       D/F#          G  A       G D
 Maybe I don’t wanna live it like you did, Twenty years ago

Verse 2:
    G
 He was built with blue collar sweat and blood, square jaw and a crew cut
D
 A purple heart, a Viet Vet, he'd tell you every chance he'd get
    G
 Always runnin’ down my rock n' roll, my friends, my hair, my clothes
D
 One night it all got out of control, and right there we came to blows
Bm        G        A   Bm     G         A
 And that was just enough to get me gone, I couldn't wait to prove him wrong!

Chorus 2:
       D          Em7/B
 Twenty years ago, I struck out on my own
         G             A
 Couldn't tell me nothin’, I didn’t already know
         D           Em7/B
 Yeah, I was on my way, what the hell did I care
             D/F#
 About my old man and his gray hair
             G   A      Em7/B  Bm Em7/B Bm
 Thought about the road I chose, twenty years ago

Bridge 1:
Em7/B
 Well I left as fast as the leaves fell that autumn
Bm                        Em7/B
 I never looked back and I never once called him, but every time I talked to Momma
           Bm
 I wondered if he was there, or if he even cared
      Em7/B
 I figured I walked out on him and the course of our love had run
Bm
 Momma said 'no, no, you listen to me son,
Em7/B
 He’s a stubborn man and he won't give in.
  Bm
 He believes what he believes, well you’re just like him'

Bridge 2:
Cadd9             Csus2           Cadd9
 Well I could tell by her voice that there was something wrong
                      Cadd9
 She broke down, and said he ain’t got long
                Csus2 Cadd9
 So I caught the next plane home,    thought about all the years gone
Cadd9        Csus2
 How my pride had let so much time go by
G/B                    Em7
 I ran up those stairs and stood by his bed and I cried

Chorus 3:
       D            Em7/B
 Twenty years ago, I thought I knew it all
           G              A
 But tryin’ to talk to me, was like talkin’ to the wall
         D         Em7/B
 I thought I was a man, actin’ like I did
           D/F#          G
 But all I want right now, is just to be your kid

Outro:
Em7/B     D/F#      G
 Just before my dad gave up the ghost
  Em7/B      D/F#       G  A             G
 He took my hand and said "son let it go”, that was twenty years ago
G
 Twenty years ago