Now playing

The Way I Should

Chords

5.010 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Gmajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Capo 4th Fret
[Intro]
C   D   G   G   C   D   G   G
GA cold wind against my shoulder Dwoke me up in the middle of the Gnight
An Emautumn leaf was scraping against my window
Like it was tryin' hard to get inGside
And then a Cghost that I had met before he Dkept me up till dawn
And Geverything I thought was right was Csuddenly all wrong
He said "your Dscore is looking pretty bad"
Then he asked me what it was that I had to Gshow
GSo I went runnin' down a list of things
DSome were real, but on some of them I Glied
'Cause I Emfelt I had to justify each breath that
I'd been breathin' in this Glife
Then I Crealized I was playing into Dsomeone else's rules
GTryin' to keep my score up in a Cgame I did not choose
Then I Dlooked that ghost straight in the eye and said
"You'd better not be coming back by Gagain"
GAnd it's true that I don't Cwork near as hard
As you Dtell me that I'm supposed to
 GI don't run as fast as I Ccould
But I live just the way I Dwant to
And that's the way I Gshould
[Instrumental]
C   D   G   C   C   D   G   G
GOctober's leaves were dancin' 'round
Like Dangels dressed in robes of red and Ggold
But EmNovember's come and gone now
And they're lyin' in the gutter out along the Groad
They're gonna Cmake their way out to the ditch or Dsomeday to the sea
But they'll Gget to where they're goin' without the Chelp of you or me
And if each Dlife is just a grain of sand
I'm tellin' you man, this grain of sand is Gmine
GAnd it's true that I don't Cwork near as hard
As you Dtell me that I'm supposed to
 GI don't run as fast as I Ccould
But I live just the way I Dwant to
And that's the way I Gshould
But CI live just the way I Dwant to
And that's the way I Gshould
[Outro. Repeat To Fade]
C   D   G   G
Chords:
  C= X32010
  D= XX0232
 Em= 022000
  G= 320033

All chords in this song (4)

🎸 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

The Way I Should

by Iris DeMent

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 4 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------#

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Capo 4th Fret

[Intro]

C D G G C D G G

G D G

A cold wind against my shoulder woke me up in the middle of the night

An autumn leaf was scraping against my window

Like it was tryin' hard to get inside

C D

And then a ghost that I had met before he kept me up till dawn

G C

And everything I thought was right was suddenly all wrong

He said "your score is looking pretty bad"

Then he asked me what it was that I had to show

So I went runnin' down a list of things

D G

Some were real, but on some of them I lied

'Cause I felt I had to justify each breath that

I'd been breathin' in this life

C D

Then I realized I was playing into someone else's rules

G C

Tryin' to keep my score up in a game I did not choose

Then I looked that ghost straight in the eye and said

"You'd better not be coming back by again"

G C

And it's true that I don't work near as hard

As you tell me that I'm supposed to

G C

I don't run as fast as I could

But I live just the way I want to

And that's the way I should

[Instrumental]

C D G C C D G G

October's leaves were dancin' 'round

D G

Like angels dressed in robes of red and gold

But November's come and gone now

And they're lyin' in the gutter out along the road

C D

They're gonna make their way out to the ditch or someday to the sea

G C

But they'll get to where they're goin' without the help of you or me

And if each life is just a grain of sand

I'm tellin' you man, this grain of sand is mine

G C

And it's true that I don't work near as hard

As you tell me that I'm supposed to

G C

I don't run as fast as I could

But I live just the way I want to

And that's the way I should

C D

But I live just the way I want to

And that's the way I should

[Outro. Repeat To Fade]

C D G G

Chords:

= X32010

= XX0232

= 022000

= 320033

About The Way I Should Chords by Iris DeMent

Learn how to play The Way I Should by Iris DeMent with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Way I Should chords”, “The Way I Should guitar chords”, or “Iris DeMent The Way I Should 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 The Way I Should chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Way I Should lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, D, G, A, Em.

FAQ — The Way I Should by Iris DeMent

How do I play "The Way I Should" by Iris DeMent on guitar?

Open the free chords for "The Way I Should" by Iris DeMent 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 "The Way I Should" by Iris DeMent free?

Yes. The chords for "The Way I Should" by Iris DeMent are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Way I Should" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "The Way I Should" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Way I Should"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "The Way I Should" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "The Way I Should" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Way I Should" by Iris DeMent with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Iris DeMent below.

What key is "The Way I Should" in?

The chords for "The Way I Should" show the original chord names (including C, D, G, A, Em). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.