Having Been Is No Way To Be chords by Jeff Tweedy

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Key: FF

Difficulty: Intermediate

Verse 1:
  E minorEm    G+G
Oh, I was naive
  E minorEm     G+G
My shoes were untied
  C/GC/G  G+G  E minorEm    G+G  C/GC/G
In Heaven everything is just fine
    E minorEm     G+G
But the phones are dead
  E minorEm     G+G
And so is the light
  C/GC/G  G+G
And so are you
   E minorEm   G+G  C/GC/G
And, honey, so am I
    E minorEm     G+G
But the Earth still turns
    E minorEm  G+G
For the unconcerned
C/GC/G G+G   E minorEm    G+G     C/GC/G
Days pass below like train windows
    E minorEm    G+G
I was a sapling tree
     E minorEm     G+G
The birds looked like me
   C/GC/G    G+G    E minorEm    G+G    C/GC/G
Oh, I begged my nerves to kick me something new


Chorus 1:
      A minorAm
From time to time
       G+G
I'd watch you sleep
   E minorEm       B minorBm       C6/G  G+G
Oh, I wonder how much freedom we can dream
    C6/G           G+G
And I'm sorry when you wake up to me


Verse 2:
 E minorEm    G+G
I just got tired
E minorEm   G+G   C/GC/G  G+G   E minorEm    G+G   C/GC/G
Shining steady like a spider web's an empty stage
  E minorEm   G+G
Now people say
   E minorEm      G+G
What drugs did you take
  C/GC/G    G+G     E minorEm   G+G   C/GC/G
And why don't you start taking them again?
      E minorEm   G+G
But they're not my friends
  E minorEm    G+G
And if I was dead
  C/GC/G    G+G     E minorEm  G+G    C/GC/G
What difference would it ever make to them
    A minorAm
If I got high?

Chorus 2:
      G+G
From time to time
   E minorEm        B minorBm        C6/G  G+G
Oh, I wonder how much freedom you would need
      C6/G           G+G
And I'd be sorry when you wake up to me

Instrumental break:
A augmentedA C6/G (3x)
G+G

Verse 3:
      E minorEm   G+G
I'm reaching out to you
      E minorEm   G+G
I'm writing all the time
 C/GC/G    G+G    E minorEm  G+G    C/GC/G
I don't see deep but I see far and wide
 E minorEm    G+G
I see dead trees
    E minorEm     G+G
But the roots have leaves
C/GC/G   G+G   E minorEm    G+G    C/GC/G   G+G       E minorEm
Just because I can't describe it doesn't mean I shouldn't try
        G+G
To untwist the knife
   E minorEm   G+G
To unmake my mind
C/GC/G  G+G   E minorEm     G+G  C/GC/G
Having been is no way to be alive

Chorus 3:
    A minorAm
And I'm alive
        G+G
When I watch you sleep
 E minorEm       B minorBm     C6/G G+G
I wonder how much freedom we need
    C6/G           G+G
And I'm here when you wake up to me
       C6/G           G+G
And I'm still here when you wake up to me