Now playing

You Had To Be There

Chords

4.56 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

•
•
•
DHe sat down, picked up the phone
 And said, "BmBoy, I'm your old man"
 He Atouched the glass between the two
 As Bmif to shake his hand
The Dboy, he didn't budge
 Not even Bmso much as a blink
 The Aman said, "Oh, come on
 Better late than Bmnever, don't you think?A"
He said, "I Dread it in the paper
 Can't Bmbelieve you're 21
 Can't Abelieve some son of mine
 Could do thBme things I hear you've done"
He went Don like some big hero
 Who flew Bmin to save the day
 And the Aboy said, "If you're here
 To steer me Bmright, man, it's too late"A  
"You had to bDe there
 And I'm Atalkin' from day one
 That's the Bmonly time a Aman should talk
 Through Gglass to his new sAon"
"And you'd have to Dgo back
 And teach me Ahow when I was nine
 'Cause my Bmmama couldn't Athrow a ball
 Even iGf she had the time"A  
"And I should have been Emlearnin' how to fish
 Instead of F#mlearnin' how to smoke
 I bet if Gyou'd have whooped my tail
 I'd never F#mthought it was a joke"
He said, Em"Sometimes the will
 For doin' wrong is F#mway too strong
 For any MAama's prayers
 You had to Dbe there"
The Dman said, "Boy, I'm sorry
 That you Bmhate me like you do"
 The Aboy said, "Dry it up, man
 We ain't Bmmakin' this about you"A  
"It's about a Dteenage girl against the world
 Who was lBmeft there high and dry
 About a Akid who might have stood
 A whole lot Bmbetter shot at life"A  
"You had to bDe there
 And I'm Atalkin' from day one
 That's the Bmonly time a Aman should talk
 Through Gglass to his new sAon"
"And you'd have to Dgo back
 And teach me Ahow when I was nine
 'Cause my Bmmama couldn't Athrow a ball
 Even iGf she had the time"A  
"And I should have been Emlearnin' how to fish
 Instead of F#mlearnin' how to smoke
 I bet if Gyou'd have whooped my tail
 I'd never F#mthought it was a joke"
He said, Em"Sometimes the will
 For doin' wrong is F#mway too strong
 For any MAama's prayers
 You had to Dbe there"
BeDfore the boy hung up the phone
 He said, Bm"They say I'm out of time"
 And it Ahit the man right there and then
 "My BmGod, son, so am I"D  

All chords in this song (6)

🎸 Tips from players

Got a tip for playing this song — capo position, easier chords, strumming? Be the first to share one.

Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

You Had To Be There

by Tim McGraw

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

•

He sat down, picked up the phone

And said, "Boy, I'm your old man"

He touched the glass between the two

As if to shake his hand

The boy, he didn't budge

Not even so much as a blink

The man said, "Oh, come on

Bm A

Better late than never, don't you think?"

He said, "I read it in the paper

Can't believe you're 21

Can't believe some son of mine

Could do the things I hear you've done"

He went on like some big hero

Who flew in to save the day

And the boy said, "If you're here

Bm A

To steer me right, man, it's too late"

"You had to be there

And I'm talkin' from day one

Bm A

That's the only time a man should talk

G A

Through glass to his new son"

"And you'd have to go back

And teach me how when I was nine

Bm A

'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball

G A

Even if she had the time"

"And I should have been learnin' how to fish

F#m

Instead of learnin' how to smoke

I bet if you'd have whooped my tail

F#m

I'd never thought it was a joke"

He said, "Sometimes the will

F#m

For doin' wrong is way too strong

For any Mama's prayers

You had to be there"

The man said, "Boy, I'm sorry

That you hate me like you do"

The boy said, "Dry it up, man

Bm A

We ain't makin' this about you"

"It's about a teenage girl against the world

Who was left there high and dry

About a kid who might have stood

Bm A

A whole lot better shot at life"

"You had to be there

And I'm talkin' from day one

Bm A

That's the only time a man should talk

G A

Through glass to his new son"

"And you'd have to go back

And teach me how when I was nine

Bm A

'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball

G A

Even if she had the time"

"And I should have been learnin' how to fish

F#m

Instead of learnin' how to smoke

I bet if you'd have whooped my tail

F#m

I'd never thought it was a joke"

He said, "Sometimes the will

F#m

For doin' wrong is way too strong

For any Mama's prayers

You had to be there"

Before the boy hung up the phone

He said, "They say I'm out of time"

And it hit the man right there and then

Bm D

"My God, son, so am I"

About You Had To Be There Chords by Tim McGraw

Learn how to play You Had To Be There by Tim McGraw with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “You Had To Be There chords”, “You Had To Be There guitar chords”, or “Tim McGraw You Had To Be There 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 You Had To Be There chords and for experienced players who want accurate You Had To Be There lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, Bm, A, G, Em, F#m.

FAQ — You Had To Be There by Tim McGraw

How do I play "You Had To Be There" by Tim McGraw on guitar?

Open the free chords for "You Had To Be There" by Tim McGraw 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 "You Had To Be There" by Tim McGraw free?

Yes. The chords for "You Had To Be There" by Tim McGraw are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "You Had To Be There" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "You Had To Be There" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "You Had To Be There"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "You Had To Be There" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "You Had To Be There" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "You Had To Be There" by Tim McGraw with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Tim McGraw below.

What key is "You Had To Be There" in?

The chords for "You Had To Be There" show the original chord names (including D, Bm, A, G, Em, F#m). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.