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Poetry

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Bminor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

[Intro]
D  A  G  G/F#  G/E  D  G  A
[Verse 1]
I just got back from a Awalk down the Gsquare
To the BmlocaBm/Al KentBm/GuckyD  
To Gsee G/F#what G/Ewas DcooD/Abkin' D/Bdown Athere
I looked around at the Gstore and the Asigns
And the BmqueuBm/Aes linBm/Ging upD  
For that GtwenG/F#ty-fiG/Erst DcenD/Abtury D/BfareA  
[Chorus]
I kneel Gdown and say grace for the Acomforts the world besBmtows on meA  
And the Ggreat corporations proAviding our every Bmneed
And those Gbig neon Asigns tellin' F#7us what to Bmeat
In Gevery shop window Agoods are designed to Bmplease, Aoh
But I Gask Awhere is the poeGtryG/F#?G/E  D  
[Verse 2]
The day we met we were Aboth down the Groad
But we Bmlaughed Bm/Aand foBm/Gund coDmfort
With Gold G/F#books G/Eand DwalkD/Abs in D/Bthe rAain
And reading poetry out Gloud or watching Aold
Black and Bmwhite Bm/Afilms Bm/GtogethDer
In the Gdays G/F#befoG/Ere BDlocD/AbkbustD/Ber caAme
[Chorus]
I Ghear you ran off and found Ayourself a rich handsome BmfellowA  
To suGpply you with all you reAquire, your maBmterial needs
I hope Gyour fairyAtale doesn't F#7end tragicaBmlly
And in a Gshopping mall somewhere Ayou'll be down on your BmkneesA  
Cryin' out Gloud "AWhere is the poeGtryG/F#?"D  G  G/F#  D  G  G/F#  G/E  D  G  
[Bridge]
AI'm looking at the sign that says "GHave a good Dday"G  
AAnd I got too much on my mind, so many Gquestions that F#mget in the Away
AEverybody's Glookin' for perBmfection
AOnce I heard a Gwise man say
To Bmget sometimes, you F#mhave to give Aaway
G(Where is the G/F#poetryD?)
G(Why does it G/F#rhyme?D)G  G/F#  G/E  D  D/E  D/F#  
G(What does it G/F#mean?)D  
G(Give us G/F#some sDignG)G/F#  G/E  D  G  A  
[Verse 3]
I have read in the Anews someone Gsaid
That the Bmgreat Bm/ApopulaBm/GtionD  
Is GbetG/F#ter oG/Eff tDhan it D/Abused D/Bto beA  
Better house, better Gfood, better Asex
And better Bmhigher Bm/AeducatBm/GionD  
But with GcreG/F#dit cG/Eard Dbills D/Abalways D/Bon the Away
[Chorus]
And I Gjust saw my gal with a Aguy in a fast-food BmoutletA  
They seemed Ghappy together but AI saw the trageBmdyA  
Maybe GI'm missing Asomething but I'm F#7too blind to Bmsee
She Gsettled for someone who Aisn't so hard to BmreachA  
Now GI'm on the fire of deAsire and the mysteBmryA  
Oh, but I Gask Awhere is the poeGtryG/F#?D  G  G/F#  D  G  G/F#  G/E  D  

All chords in this song (14)

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Poetry

by Ray Davies

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

G/F#

G/E

Bm/A

Bm/G

D/Ab

D/B

F#7

F#m

D/E

D/F#

[Intro]

D A G G/F# G/E D G A

[Verse 1]

A G

I just got back from a walk down the square

Bm Bm/A Bm/G D

To the local Kentucky

G G/F# G/E D D/Ab D/B A

To see what was cookin' down there

G A

I looked around at the store and the signs

Bm Bm/A Bm/G D

And the queues lining up

G G/F# G/E D D/Ab D/B A

For that twenty-first century fare

[Chorus]

G A Bm A

I kneel down and say grace for the comforts the world bestows on me

G A Bm

And the great corporations providing our every need

G A F#7 Bm

And those big neon signs tellin' us what to eat

G A Bm A

In every shop window goods are designed to please, oh

G A G G/F# G/E D

But I ask where is the poetry?

[Verse 2]

A G

The day we met we were both down the road

Bm Bm/A Bm/G D

But we laughed and found comfort

G G/F# G/E D D/Ab D/B A

With old books and walks in the rain

G A

And reading poetry out loud or watching old

Bm Bm/A Bm/G D

Black and white films together

G G/F# G/E D D/Ab D/B A

In the days before Blockbuster came

[Chorus]

G A Bm A

I hear you ran off and found yourself a rich handsome fellow

G A Bm

To supply you with all you require, your material needs

G A F#7 Bm

I hope your fairytale doesn't end tragically

G A Bm A

And in a shopping mall somewhere you'll be down on your knees

G A G G/F# D G G/F# D G G/F# G/E D G

Cryin' out loud "Where is the poetry?"

[Bridge]

A G D G

I'm looking at the sign that says "Have a good day"

A G F#m A

And I got too much on my mind, so many questions that get in the way

A G Bm

Everybody's lookin' for perfection

A G

Once I heard a wise man say

Bm F#m A

To get sometimes, you have to give away

G G/F# D

(Where is the poetry?)

G G/F# D G G/F# G/E D D/E D/F#

(Why does it rhyme?)

G G/F# D

(What does it mean?)

G G/F# D G G/F# G/E D G A

(Give us some sign)

[Verse 3]

A G

I have read in the news someone said

Bm Bm/A Bm/G D

That the great population

G G/F# G/E D D/Ab D/B A

Is better off than it used to be

G A

Better house, better food, better sex

Bm Bm/A Bm/G D

And better higher education

G G/F# G/E D D/Ab D/B A

But with credit card bills always on the way

[Chorus]

G A Bm A

And I just saw my gal with a guy in a fast-food outlet

G A Bm A

They seemed happy together but I saw the tragedy

G A F#7 Bm

Maybe I'm missing something but I'm too blind to see

G A Bm A

She settled for someone who isn't so hard to reach

G A Bm A

Now I'm on the fire of desire and the mystery

G A G G/F# D G G/F# D G G/F# G/E D

Oh, but I ask where is the poetry?

About Poetry Chords by Ray Davies

Learn how to play Poetry by Ray Davies with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Poetry chords”, “Poetry guitar chords”, or “Ray Davies Poetry 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 Poetry chords and for experienced players who want accurate Poetry lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A, G, G/F#, G/E, Bm.

FAQ — Poetry by Ray Davies

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The chords for "Poetry" show the original chord names (including D, A, G, G/F#, G/E, Bm). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.