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Life In Vain

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Dmixolydian

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

1/12

Tempo 80 BPMVol

Sound:

Position

Step 1 / 12Position: 2

1 index2 middle3 ring4 pinkyO openSpace = play/pause

  Dsus2xx0230
  Dsus4xx0233
Cmaj7  x32000 or x35453
For Verse Ds:
e|-----0-0-----0-0-|-0h2-2-2---2h3-----|
B|-----3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-----------|
G|-----2-------2-2-|-----2-2-----------|
D|-0---0-------0-0-|-----0-0-----------|
A|-----------------|-------------------|
E|-----------------|-------------------|
When transitioning into a C for the chorus, keep 2 on E rather than doing the 2h3.
[Intro]
Dsus2 Dsus4 G C D G C D
GDon't want to Cbe free of hopeD  
GAnd I'm at the Cend of my ropeD  
GIt's so tougCh just to be aDlive
GWhen I fCeel like the living dDead
CI'm giving it up so pGlain
I'm living my life in Dvain
And where am I Cmaj7going to?
I got to really Gtry
Try so hard to get Dby
And where am I Cmaj7going to?G  C  D  G  C  D  
GI don't know wChere is up or dDown
GAnd there ain't Cany love left Daround
GEveryboCdy wearin' a Dfrown
GWaiting for CSanta to come to Dtown
CYou're giving it up so Gplain
You're living your lives in Dvain
And where are you Cmaj7going to?
You've got to really Gtry
Try so hard to get Dby
And where are you Cmaj7going to?G  C  D  G  C  D  
GFlip Con your DTV
GAnd try to make seCnse out of thatD  
GIf we were Call in the moDvies
GMaybe we wCouldn't be so borDed
CWe're giving it up so Gplain
We're living our lives in Dvain
And where are we gCmaj7oing to?
You gotta really tGry
Try so hard to get bDy
And where are you gCmaj7oing to?G  C  D  G  
GooCdbye  D    GgoodbyeC  D  

All chords in this song (6)

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Life In Vain

by Daniel Johnston

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Dsus2

Dsus4

Cmaj7

Dsus2

xx0230

Dsus4

xx0233

Cmaj7 x32000 or x35453

For Verse Ds:

e|-----0-0-----0-0-|-0h2-2-2---2h3-----|

B|-----3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-----------|

G|-----2-------2-2-|-----2-2-----------|

D|-0---0-------0-0-|-----0-0-----------|

A|-----------------|-------------------|

E|-----------------|-------------------|

When transitioning into a C for the chorus, keep 2 on E rather than doing the 2h3.

[Intro]

Dsus2 Dsus4 G C D G C D

G C D

Don't want to be free of hope

G C D

And I'm at the end of my rope

G C D

It's so tough just to be alive

G C D

When I feel like the living dead

C G

I'm giving it up so plain

I'm living my life in vain

Cmaj7

And where am I going to?

I got to really try

Try so hard to get by

Cmaj7 G C D G C D

And where am I going to?

G C D

I don't know where is up or down

G C D

And there ain't any love left around

G C D

Everybody wearin' a frown

G C D

Waiting for Santa to come to town

C G

You're giving it up so plain

You're living your lives in vain

Cmaj7

And where are you going to?

You've got to really try

Try so hard to get by

Cmaj7 G C D G C D

And where are you going to?

G C D

Flip on your TV

G C D

And try to make sense out of that

G C D

If we were all in the movies

G C D

Maybe we wouldn't be so bored

C G

We're giving it up so plain

We're living our lives in vain

Cmaj7

And where are we going to?

You gotta really try

Try so hard to get by

Cmaj7 G C D G

And where are you going to?

C D G C D

Goodbye goodbye

About Life In Vain Chords by Daniel Johnston

Learn how to play Life In Vain by Daniel Johnston with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Life In Vain chords”, “Life In Vain guitar chords”, or “Daniel Johnston Life In Vain 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 Life In Vain chords and for experienced players who want accurate Life In Vain lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Dsus2, Dsus4, B, G, D, A.

FAQ — Life In Vain by Daniel Johnston

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Can I transpose "Life In Vain" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Life In Vain" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

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Yes. Tap any chord in "Life In Vain" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Life In Vain" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "Life In Vain" in?

The chords for "Life In Vain" show the original chord names (including Dsus2, Dsus4, B, G, D, A). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.