Having Been Is No Way To Be chords by Jeff Tweedy

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: F

Difficulty: Intermediate

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

Chorus 1:
            Am
From time to time
              G
I'd watch you sleep
      Em              Bm             C6/G    G
Oh, I wonder how much freedom we can dream
        C6/G                     G
And I'm sorry when you wake up to me


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


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

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

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

Chorus 3:
        Am
And I'm alive
                G
When I watch you sleep
  Em              Bm         C6/G  G
I wonder how much freedom we need
        C6/G                     G
And I'm here when you wake up to me
             C6/G                     G
And I'm still here when you wake up to me