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It Is What It Is

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Dmajor

90BPM

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[Verse]
DI am a monAster
Like QuasimodDo
Or Caliban the natural manG  
Giving wild ripostes Ato my reflecDtion
GOne ugly morningA  D  
AIn a rageG  
Father threw an applAe
InGto my carapaceD  
DAnd like tAhe invisible man
Directing trafficD  
I'd be ineffectGive
ANo matter how enthusiastDic
GAmid the masses' frenzyA  D  
AParticipaGtion
In this massiveA  
DSeparationA  D  
BbAppearance is everythiAng
DNothing is how it seems
And civilBbized socieAtyG  
Is calm civilityD  
GI'm the phantom of the oDpera
ASinging beauty and at easeD  
OGr Henry Darger'sF#m  
AutobiographyA  
[Verse]
And that is curt cluDes to my esseAnceG  
DPlanned obsolAescenceG  
BbAppearance is everythiAng
DNothing is how it seems
In a markBbet economyA  
GIt's called marDketing
And not exactly clawing my Dway to glAoryG  
DNor whimperinAg in the Gwind
DBut once positivAely
DI'm teetering on the brink
Of an all out breakthrouAgh
[Verse]
But sometGimes clear headed
Sometimes a doofus
SometimeGs very cordial
And sometimes aloof
I am syrupy Doptimistic one moment
Then gravely pessimistic the next
Irritable Das a hornet sometimes
Then agreeable as it gets
GI'm not a pagan
I don't worship anything
Not godGs that don't exist
Nor the sun which is oblivious
DI love my ancestors but not ritually
I don't blame them or praise them
DFor anything that they passed along to me
GI don't need stone altars to help me hedge my bet
DAgainst the looming blackness
It is what it is
F#mIt is   Gwhat Dit is
F#m     Em     D

All chords in this song (6)

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It Is What It Is

by Vic Chesnutt

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

[Verse]

D A

I am a monster

Like Quasimodo

Or Caliban the natural man

A D

Giving wild ripostes to my reflection

G A D

One ugly morning

A G

In a rage

Father threw an apple

G D

Into my carapace

D A

And like the invisible man

Directing traffic

I'd be ineffective

A D

No matter how enthusiastic

G A D

Amid the masses' frenzy

A G

Participation

In this massive

D A D

Separation

Bb A

Appearance is everything

Nothing is how it seems

Bb A G

And civilized society

Is calm civility

G D

I'm the phantom of the opera

A D

Singing beauty and at ease

G F#m

Or Henry Darger's

Autobiography

[Verse]

D A G

And that is curt clues to my essence

D A G

Planned obsolescence

Bb A

Appearance is everything

Nothing is how it seems

Bb A

In a market economy

G D

It's called marketing

D A G

And not exactly clawing my way to glory

D A G

Nor whimpering in the wind

D A

But once positively

I'm teetering on the brink

Of an all out breakthrough

[Verse]

But sometimes clear headed

Sometimes a doofus

Sometimes very cordial

And sometimes aloof

I am syrupy optimistic one moment

Then gravely pessimistic the next

Irritable as a hornet sometimes

Then agreeable as it gets

I'm not a pagan

I don't worship anything

Not gods that don't exist

Nor the sun which is oblivious

I love my ancestors but not ritually

I don't blame them or praise them

For anything that they passed along to me

I don't need stone altars to help me hedge my bet

Against the looming blackness

It is what it is

F#m G D

It is what it is

F#m Em D

About It Is What It Is Chords by Vic Chesnutt

Learn how to play It Is What It Is by Vic Chesnutt with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “It Is What It Is chords”, “It Is What It Is guitar chords”, or “Vic Chesnutt It Is What It Is 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 It Is What It Is chords and for experienced players who want accurate It Is What It Is lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A, G, Bb, F#m, Em.

FAQ — It Is What It Is by Vic Chesnutt

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Is "It Is What It Is" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "It Is What It Is" in?

The chords for "It Is What It Is" show the original chord names (including D, A, G, Bb, F#m, Em). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.