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