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You Are Old Father William

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Em G C Em
Em G C Em
Am"You are Emold, Father William," the Gyoung man said
"And your Chair has become very Emwhite
And Emyet you incessantly Gstand on your head
Do you Cthink, at your age, it is Emright?"
"In my Dyouth," Father William replied to his son
"I Cfeared it might injure Gthe brain
But Dnow that I'm perfectly sure I have none
Why, I Cdo it again and aDgain
D"I am old
I am old
I will tell you again
I am old"
Am"You are Emold," said the youth, "as GI mentioned before
And have gCrown most uncommonly Emfat
Yet Emyou turned a back-soGmersault in at the door
Pray, wChat is the reason of that?Em"
"In my Dyouth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks
"I Ckept all my limbs very Gsupple
By Dthe use of this ointment, one shilling a box
Allow mCe to sell you a cDouple?
D"I am old
I am old
It's a statement, in fact
I am old"
Am"You are Emold," said the youth, "and Gyour jaws are too weak
For anythiCng tougher than suetEm  
Yet Emyou finish the gooseG, with the bones and the beak
Pray, hCow did you manage to do itEm?"
"In my Dyouth," said his father, "I took to the law
AnCd argued each case with Gmy wife
And Dthe muscular strength which it gave to my jaw
Has lasCted the rest of mDy life
D"I am old
I am old
There's not much more to say
I am old"
Am"You are Emold," said the youth, "one Gwould hardly suppose
That your Ceye was as steady as Emever
Yet Emyou balanced an eel Gon the end of your nose
What maCde you so awfully clever?"Em  
"I havDe answered three questions, and that is enough"
SaCid his father, "don't gGive yourself airs!
Do Dyou think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off Cor I'll kick you Ddownstairs
D"Downstairs
Downstairs
Be off or I'll kick you downstairs!"
Am  Em

All chords in this song (5)

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You Are Old Father William

by They Might Be Giants

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Em G C Em

Am Em G

"You are old, Father William," the young man said

C Em

"And your hair has become very white

Em G

And yet you incessantly stand on your head

C Em

Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

"In my youth," Father William replied to his son

C G

"I feared it might injure the brain

But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none

C D

Why, I do it again and again

"I am old

I am old

I will tell you again

I am old"

Am Em G

"You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before

C Em

And have grown most uncommonly fat

Em G

Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door

C Em

Pray, what is the reason of that?"

"In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks

C G

"I kept all my limbs very supple

By the use of this ointment, one shilling a box

C D

Allow me to sell you a couple?

"I am old

I am old

It's a statement, in fact

I am old"

Am Em G

"You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak

C Em

For anything tougher than suet

Em G

Yet you finish the goose, with the bones and the beak

C Em

Pray, how did you manage to do it?"

"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law

C G

And argued each case with my wife

And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw

C D

Has lasted the rest of my life

"I am old

I am old

There's not much more to say

I am old"

Am Em G

"You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose

C Em

That your eye was as steady as ever

Em G

Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose

C Em

What made you so awfully clever?"

"I have answered three questions, and that is enough"

C G

Said his father, "don't give yourself airs!

Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?

C D

Be off or I'll kick you downstairs

"Downstairs

Downstairs

Be off or I'll kick you downstairs!"

Am Em

About You Are Old Father William Chords by They Might Be Giants

Learn how to play You Are Old Father William by They Might Be Giants with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “You Are Old Father William chords”, “You Are Old Father William guitar chords”, or “They Might Be Giants You Are Old Father William 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 Are Old Father William chords and for experienced players who want accurate You Are Old Father William lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Em, G, C, Am, D.

FAQ — You Are Old Father William by They Might Be Giants

How do I play "You Are Old Father William" by They Might Be Giants on guitar?

Open the free chords for "You Are Old Father William" by They Might Be Giants 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 Are Old Father William" by They Might Be Giants free?

Yes. The chords for "You Are Old Father William" by They Might Be Giants are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "You Are Old Father William" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "You Are Old Father William" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "You Are Old Father William"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "You Are Old Father William" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "You Are Old Father William" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "You Are Old Father William" by They Might Be Giants with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by They Might Be Giants below.

What key is "You Are Old Father William" in?

The chords for "You Are Old Father William" show the original chord names (including Em, G, C, Am, D). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.