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How To Save A Life

Chords

4.85,684 votes

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Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

1/8

Tempo 80 BPMVol

Sound:

Position

Step 1 / 8Position: 2

1 index2 middle3 ring4 pinkyO openSpace = play/pause

* - Strum once 
[Intro]
G  D/F#  G  D/F#
[Verse 1]
GStep one you say we nD/F#eed to talk
He wEm7alks you say sit D/F#down it’s just a Gtalk
He smiles polD/F#itely back at yEm7ou
You stare polD/F#itely right on thGrough
Some sort of wiD/F#ndow to your rEm7ight
As he goes leD/F#ft and you stay rGight
Between the liD/F#nes of fear and bEm7lame
And you begin to wD/F#onder why you came
[Chorus]
CWhere did I go wDrong, I lost a frEmiend
Somewhere alGong in the bitD/F#terness
And CI would have stayed Dup with you all nEmight
             G*    D/F#*
Had I known how to save a life
[Instrumental]
G   D/F#   Em7   D/F#
[Verse 2]
GLet him know that D/F#you know best
Cause aEm7fter all you D/F#do know best
  GTry to slip past D/F#his defense
Em7Without granting D/F#innocence
   GLay down a D/F#list of what is wEm7rong
The things yoD/F#u’ve told him all along
GPray to God he D/F#hears you
And I Em7pray to God he D/F#hears you
[Chorus]
And Cwhere did I go wDrong, I lost a frEmiend
Somewhere alGong in the bitD/F#terness
And CI would have stayed Dup with you all nEmight
Had I known hGow to D/F#save a lGife
[Instrumental]
G   D/F#   Em7   D/F#
[Verse 3]
As hGe begins to rD/F#aise his voice
You Em7lower yours and D/F#grant him one last chGoice
Drive until you lD/F#ose the road
Or bEm7reak with the ones you’ve fD/F#ollowed
   GHe will do D/F#one of two things
Em7He will admit to D/F#everything
GOr he’ll say he’s just D/F#not the same
And yEm7ou’ll begin to D/F#wonder why you came
[Chorus]
CWhere did I go wDrong, I lost a frEmiend
Somewhere alGong in the bitD/F#terness
And CI would have stayed Dup with you all nEmight
Had I known hGow to D/F#save a life
CWhere did I go wDrong, I lost a frEmiend
Somewhere alGong in the bitD/F#terness
And CI would have stayed Dup with you all nEmight
Had I known hGow to D/F#save a lGife
[Interlude]
       D/F#        Em7  D/F#How to save a Glife 
       D/F#        Em7  D/F#How to save a life
[Chorus]
 CWhere did I go wDrong, I lost a frEmiend
Somewhere alGong in the bitD/F#terness
And CI would have stayed Dup with you all Emnight
Had I known hGow to D/F#save a life
CWhere did I go wDrong, I lost a frEmiend
Somewhere alGong in the bitD/F#terness
And CI would have stayed Dup with you all Emnight
             G*    D/F#*  G  
Had I known how to save a life
[Outro] 
    G         D/F#        Em7  D/F#How to save a Glife
       D/F#        Em7  D/F#How to save a Glife
   D/F#     Em7     D/F#  G*
Piano riff that happens periodically throughout the song:
e|----------------------|
B|-3-3-3-3----1-0-------|
G|---------2------0-----|
D|----------------------|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|

All chords in this song (6)

The story behind the song

This song explores the pain of being unable to help a friend who is struggling, detailing the lament of someone who watched a loved one go through a difficult time without knowing how to intervene effectively. The lyrics were inspired by the lead singer's experience mentoring a troubled teenager and observing the well-intentioned but ultimately unhelpful attempts of others to reach out. It delves into the frustration and heartache of wanting to save someone but feeling powerless because the right words or actions remain elusive. At its heart, it captures the raw emotion of a missed connection and the lingering question of what more could have been done.

AI-written from these sources:How to Save a Life — Wikipedia ↗The Fray — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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How To Save A Life

by The Fray

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

D/F#

Em7

* - Strum once

[Intro]

G D/F# G D/F#

[Verse 1]

G D/F#

Step one you say we need to talk

Em7 D/F# G

He walks you say sit down it’s just a talk

D/F# Em7

He smiles politely back at you

D/F# G

You stare politely right on through

D/F# Em7

Some sort of window to your right

D/F# G

As he goes left and you stay right

D/F# Em7

Between the lines of fear and blame

D/F#

And you begin to wonder why you came

[Chorus]

C D Em

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

G D/F#

Somewhere along in the bitterness

C D Em

And I would have stayed up with you all night

G D/F#

* *

Had I known how to save a life

[Instrumental]

G D/F# Em7 D/F#

[Verse 2]

G D/F#

Let him know that you know best

Em7 D/F#

Cause after all you do know best

G D/F#

Try to slip past his defense

Em7 D/F#

Without granting innocence

G D/F# Em7

Lay down a list of what is wrong

D/F#

The things you’ve told him all along

G D/F#

Pray to God he hears you

Em7 D/F#

And I pray to God he hears you

[Chorus]

C D Em

And where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

G D/F#

Somewhere along in the bitterness

C D Em

And I would have stayed up with you all night

G D/F# G

Had I known how to save a life

[Instrumental]

G D/F# Em7 D/F#

[Verse 3]

G D/F#

As he begins to raise his voice

Em7 D/F# G

You lower yours and grant him one last choice

D/F#

Drive until you lose the road

Em7 D/F#

Or break with the ones you’ve followed

G D/F#

He will do one of two things

Em7 D/F#

He will admit to everything

G D/F#

Or he’ll say he’s just not the same

Em7 D/F#

And you’ll begin to wonder why you came

[Chorus]

C D Em

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

G D/F#

Somewhere along in the bitterness

C D Em

And I would have stayed up with you all night

G D/F#

Had I known how to save a life

C D Em

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

G D/F#

Somewhere along in the bitterness

C D Em

And I would have stayed up with you all night

G D/F# G

Had I known how to save a life

[Interlude]

D/F# Em7 D/F# G

How to save a life

D/F# Em7 D/F#

How to save a life

[Chorus]

C D Em

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

G D/F#

Somewhere along in the bitterness

C D Em

And I would have stayed up with you all night

G D/F#

Had I known how to save a life

C D Em

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

G D/F#

Somewhere along in the bitterness

C D Em

And I would have stayed up with you all night

G D/F# G

* *

Had I known how to save a life

[Outro]

G D/F# Em7 D/F# G

How to save a life

D/F# Em7 D/F# G

How to save a life

D/F# Em7 D/F# G

Piano riff that happens periodically throughout the song:

e|----------------------|

B|-3-3-3-3----1-0-------|

G|---------2------0-----|

D|----------------------|

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

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

About How To Save A Life Chords by The Fray

Learn how to play How To Save A Life by The Fray with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “How To Save A Life chords”, “How To Save A Life guitar chords”, or “The Fray How To Save A Life 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 How To Save A Life chords and for experienced players who want accurate How To Save A Life lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, D/F#, Em7, C, D, Em.

FAQ — How To Save A Life by The Fray

How do I play "How To Save A Life" by The Fray on guitar?

Open the free chords for "How To Save A Life" by The Fray 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.

Are the chords for "How To Save A Life" by The Fray free?

Yes. The chords for "How To Save A Life" by The Fray are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "How To Save A Life" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "How To Save A Life"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "How To Save A Life" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "How To Save A Life" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "How To Save A Life" by The Fray with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by The Fray below.

What key is "How To Save A Life" in?

The chords for "How To Save A Life" show the original chord names (including G, D/F#, Em7, C, D, Em). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.