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By The Time You Get This

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[Chorus]
By the Atime you Eget this Dnote
We'll no Bmlonger Ebe aAlive
We'll have Aall gone Eup in Dsmoke
There'll be Bmno way Eto reAply
You'll be FwondeGring aDbout the Eworld that Avanished Clong Dago
And the F#mwords that Ereach you Dnow
That were Dburied EunderAground
[Verse]
AGreeEtings to Deveryone in BmNineteen EThirty-ASeven
It seems Athat Eyou were Dnever aBmware that Ewe were Ahere
You're FprobaGbly too Dbusy Ere-Ajoicing Cin the Dpresent
To stop F#m- and Ebe reDminded of the Ddark and Etroubled Apast
[Chorus]
By the Atime you Eget this Dnote
We'll no Bmlonger Ebe aAlive
But our Askulls are Esmiling Dstill
At the Bmthought of Ethings to Acome
We can FconfiGdently Dknow that Eyou'll enAjoy a Cbetter Dworld
When the F#mevils Ethat we Dfaced
Will at Dlast be Elaid to Arest
[Bridge]
When the F#mpoisons of the BmEarth
Are comC#pletely neutraF#mlized
When the F#mhatred and the Bmlies
Are forC#ever put F#maside
When the Dvoices Eof disBsent and C#contraF#mdiction Aall aBbate
And the Dpeaceful F#mair is Bmfilled
With a Bmsilent C#harmoF#mny
[Verse]
AWe Ecan't be Dcertain at the Bmmoment Eof this Awriting
But Asurely Ein the Dfuture there'll be Bmno Ebarking Adogs
The Fsound of Gcrying Dbabies Ewill be AthankfulCly forDgotten
F#mNo more Ewill the Dchattering Dclasses Emake a Anoise
[Chorus]
By the Atime you Eget this Dnote
A milBmleniEum from Anow
We'll have Aall gone Eup in Dsmoke
There'll be Bmno way Eto Areply
And we AconfiEdently Dknow
You'll enBmjoy a Ebetter Atime
When the Aevils Ethat we Dfaced
Will at Bmlast be Elaid to Arest

All chords in this song (10)

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By The Time You Get This

by They Might Be Giants

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

[Chorus]

A E D

By the time you get this note

Bm E A

We'll no longer be alive

A E D

We'll have all gone up in smoke

Bm E A

There'll be no way to reply

F G D E A C D

You'll be wondering about the world that vanished long ago

F#m E D

And the words that reach you now

D E A

That were buried underground

[Verse]

A E D Bm E A

Greetings to everyone in Nineteen Thirty-Seven

A E D Bm E A

It seems that you were never aware that we were here

F G D E A C D

You're probably too busy re-joicing in the present

F#m E D D E A

To stop - and be reminded of the dark and troubled past

[Chorus]

A E D

By the time you get this note

Bm E A

We'll no longer be alive

A E D

But our skulls are smiling still

Bm E A

At the thought of things to come

F G D E A C D

We can confidently know that you'll enjoy a better world

F#m E D

When the evils that we faced

D E A

Will at last be laid to rest

[Bridge]

F#m Bm

When the poisons of the Earth

C# F#m

Are completely neutralized

F#m Bm

When the hatred and the lies

C# F#m

Are forever put aside

D E B C# F#m A B

When the voices of dissent and contradiction all abate

D F#m Bm

And the peaceful air is filled

Bm C# F#m

With a silent harmony

[Verse]

A E D Bm E A

We can't be certain at the moment of this writing

A E D Bm E A

But surely in the future there'll be no barking dogs

F G D E A C D

The sound of crying babies will be thankfully forgotten

F#m E D D E A

No more will the chattering classes make a noise

[Chorus]

A E D

By the time you get this note

Bm E A

A millenium from now

A E D

We'll have all gone up in smoke

Bm E A

There'll be no way to reply

A E D

And we confidently know

Bm E A

You'll enjoy a better time

A E D

When the evils that we faced

Bm E A

Will at last be laid to rest

About By The Time You Get This Chords by They Might Be Giants

Learn how to play By The Time You Get This by They Might Be Giants with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “By The Time You Get This chords”, “By The Time You Get This guitar chords”, or “They Might Be Giants By The Time You Get This 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 By The Time You Get This chords and for experienced players who want accurate By The Time You Get This lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, E, D, Bm, F, G.

FAQ — By The Time You Get This by They Might Be Giants

How do I play "By The Time You Get This" by They Might Be Giants on guitar?

Open the free chords for "By The Time You Get This" 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 "By The Time You Get This" by They Might Be Giants free?

Yes. The chords for "By The Time You Get This" by They Might Be Giants are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "By The Time You Get This" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "By The Time You Get This" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "By The Time You Get This"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "By The Time You Get This" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "By The Time You Get This" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "By The Time You Get This" 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 "By The Time You Get This" in?

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