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There But For Fortune

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Gmajor

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"There But for Fortune"
Artist: Phil Ochs (later covered and popularized by Joan Baez)
Album: There But for Fortune (Compilation)
Intro:  G   Cm   G   Cm   G   Cm  
GShow me a Cmprison, sGhow me a jaCmil,
GShow me a Emprisoner whose fAmace has gone Dpale
EmAnd I'll show you a young man with so Cmany reasons Amwhy
And Bmthere but for forGtune, may go Amyou or DI 
Show me the alley, show me the train,
Show me a hobo who sleeps out in the rain,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.
Show me the whiskey stains on the floor,
Show me the drunken man as he stumbles out the door,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.
[Extra verse written by Noel Paul Stookey:]
Show me the famine, show me the frail
Eyes with no future that show how we failed
And I'll show you the children with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or I.
Show me the country where bombs had to fall,
Show me the ruins of buildings once so tall,
And I'll show you a young land with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.
You and I,
There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.

All chords in this song (7)

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There But For Fortune

by Phil Ochs

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

"There But for Fortune"

Artist: Phil Ochs (later covered and popularized by Joan Baez)

Album: There But for Fortune (Compilation)

G Cm G Cm G Cm

Intro:

G Cm G Cm

Show me a prison, show me a jail,

G Em Am D

Show me a prisoner whose face has gone pale

Em C Am

And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why

Bm G Am D

And there but for fortune, may go you or I

Show me the alley, show me the train,

Show me a hobo who sleeps out in the rain,

And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why

There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.

Show me the whiskey stains on the floor,

Show me the drunken man as he stumbles out the door,

And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why

There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.

[Extra verse written by Noel Paul Stookey:]

Show me the famine, show me the frail

Eyes with no future that show how we failed

And I'll show you the children with so many reasons why

There but for fortune, go you or I.

Show me the country where bombs had to fall,

Show me the ruins of buildings once so tall,

And I'll show you a young land with so many reasons why

There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.

You and I,

There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.

About There But For Fortune Chords by Phil Ochs

Learn how to play There But For Fortune by Phil Ochs with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “There But For Fortune chords”, “There But For Fortune guitar chords”, or “Phil Ochs There But For Fortune chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy There But For Fortune chords and for experienced players who want accurate There But For Fortune lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, Cm, Em, Am, D, C.

FAQ — There But For Fortune by Phil Ochs

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Is "There But For Fortune" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "There But For Fortune" in?

The chords for "There But For Fortune" show the original chord names (including G, Cm, Em, Am, D, C). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.