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No Children

Chords

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90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

1/8

Tempo 80 BPMVol

Sound:

Position

Step 1 / 8Position: 4

1 index2 middle3 ring4 pinkyO openSpace = play/pause

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuning:  standard
         capo on 4th
      C#m    F#     D     E    A    F#m    C#sus2   A(modified)
e|---4---2---2---0---0---2-----4-----x----|
B|---5---2---3---0---2---2-----4-----x----|
G|---6---3---2---1---2---2-----6-----6----|
D|---6---4---0---2---2---4-----6-----2----|
A|---4---4-------2---0---4-----4-----0----|
E|-------2-------0-------2-----------0----|
[Intro]
*  C#m   C#sus2   A(modified)*    F#(x2)
D  E
A
During the intro, the chords surrounded by *'s are an optional way to simulate the piano part in the song. 
The main chord is C#m and the other two are played only once in fast succession. the strum pattern is
down, down up down up down, down, down with the last two down strums being the second two chords.
[Verse 1]
AI hope that our few rEemaining friends
DGive up on trying to Asave us
I Ahope we come up with a Efailsafe plot
To piss Doff the dumb few that forAgave us
AI hope the fences we Emended
DFall down beneath their own Eweight
And I Ahope we hang on past the F#mlast exit
I Dhope it's already too Elate
And AI hope the junkyard a few blocks from hereF#m  
Someday burns down
And DI hope the rising black smoke carries me far away
And I never come Eback to this town aDgain
[Chorus]
In my Elife I hope I Alie
And tell F#meveryone you were a good wife
And I hope you Adie
I hope we Eboth dieA  
  C#m    F#(x2)
D  E
A
[Verse 2]
AI hope I cut myself Eshaving tomorrow
DI hope it bleeds all day Along
Our Afriends say it's darkest beEfore the sun rises
Well Dwe're pretty sure they're all Awrong
AI hope it stays dark forEever
DI hope the worst isn't Eover
And AI hope you blink before F#mI do
I Dhope I never get Esober
And I Ahope when you think of me years down the line
You F#mcan't find one good thing to say
And I Dhope that if I found the strength to walk out
You'd stay the hell out of my Eway
[Chorus]
I am Ddrowning, there is no sign of Eland
You are coming down Awith me
F#mhand in unlovable hand
And I hope you Adie
I hope we Eboth dieA  
  C#m    F#(x2)
D  E
A
  C#m    F#(x2)
D  E
A

All chords in this song (7)

The story behind the song

"No Children" is a song steeped in bitter irony, portraying a married couple locked in a relationship defined by mutual loathing, yet bound together by a strange, spiteful devotion. Songwriter John Darnielle wrote it as part of Tallahassee, a concept album about this "Alpha Couple," inspired by a desire to craft a song about hoping for the worst for someone, rather than the best. He developed the lyrics while working to support children in need, which added a layer of profound care for children to the song's dark humor. It’s a raw, unflinching look at a love so twisted it finds its ultimate expression in a shared wish to "die hand in unlovable hand."

AI-written from these sources:No Children — Wikipedia ↗The Mountain Goats — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

No Children

No Children

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No Children

by The Mountain Goats

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 4 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

C#m

F#m

C#sus2

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuning: standard

capo on 4th

C#m F# D E A F#m C#sus2 A

(modified)

e|---4---2---2---0---0---2-----4-----x----|

B|---5---2---3---0---2---2-----4-----x----|

G|---6---3---2---1---2---2-----6-----6----|

D|---6---4---0---2---2---4-----6-----2----|

A|---4---4-------2---0---4-----4-----0----|

E|-------2-------0-------2-----------0----|

[Intro]

C#m C#sus2 A F#

* (modified)* (x2)

D E

During the intro, the chords surrounded by *'s are an optional way to simulate the piano part in the song.

The main chord is C#m and the other two are played only once in fast succession. the strum pattern is

down, down up down up down, down, down with the last two down strums being the second two chords.

[Verse 1]

A E

I hope that our few remaining friends

D A

Give up on trying to save us

A E

I hope we come up with a failsafe plot

D A

To piss off the dumb few that forgave us

A E

I hope the fences we mended

D E

Fall down beneath their own weight

A F#m

And I hope we hang on past the last exit

D E

I hope it's already too late

A F#m

And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here

Someday burns down

And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away

E D

And I never come back to this town again

[Chorus]

E A

In my life I hope I lie

F#m

And tell everyone you were a good wife

And I hope you die

E A

I hope we both die

C#m F#

(x2)

D E

[Verse 2]

A E

I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow

D A

I hope it bleeds all day long

A E

Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises

D A

Well we're pretty sure they're all wrong

A E

I hope it stays dark forever

D E

I hope the worst isn't over

A F#m

And I hope you blink before I do

D E

I hope I never get sober

And I hope when you think of me years down the line

F#m

You can't find one good thing to say

And I hope that if I found the strength to walk out

You'd stay the hell out of my way

[Chorus]

D E

I am drowning, there is no sign of land

You are coming down with me

F#m

hand in unlovable hand

And I hope you die

E A

I hope we both die

C#m F#

(x2)

D E

C#m F#

(x2)

D E

About No Children Chords by The Mountain Goats

Learn how to play No Children by The Mountain Goats with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “No Children chords”, “No Children guitar chords”, or “The Mountain Goats No Children 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 No Children chords and for experienced players who want accurate No Children lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C#m, F#, D, E, A, F#m.

FAQ — No Children by The Mountain Goats

How do I play "No Children" by The Mountain Goats on guitar?

Open the free chords for "No Children" by The Mountain Goats on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

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Can I transpose "No Children" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "No Children" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "No Children"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "No Children" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "No Children" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "No Children" in?

The chords for "No Children" show the original chord names (including C#m, F#, D, E, A, F#m). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.