The Living Years
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Written by Mike Rutherford and B.A. Robertson
From the album, Living Years (Mike & The Mechanics), 1988
Key: A-Flat Major, Time: 4/4, Tempo: 98
[Intro]
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|Bbm | |Eb | ||
|Ab | | | |
[Verse 1:] (0:30-)
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Every generation______
|Dbmaj7 |
Blames the one before___
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And all of their frustrations____
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Come beating on your door._____
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I know that I'm a prisoner
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To all my father held so dear
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I know that I'm a hostage
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To all his hopes and fears
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I just wish I could have told him
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In the living years. oh,
[Verse 2] (1:08-)
Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got.
You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defence.
[Chorus:] (1:48-)
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Say it loud, say it clear
|Bbm |Eb |Ab |
You can listen as well as you hear
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It's too late when we die
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To ad-mit we don't see eye to eye.
[Verse 3] (2:27-)
So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts.
So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be OK.
[Chorus] (3:06-)
[Verse 4] (3:45-)
I wasn't there that morning
When my father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say
I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just with I could have told him
In the living years
[Chorus] (4:23-)
[Coda:] (5:02-)
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|| |Ab | |Db ||
Say it loud, say it clear
