Is Free Chord Book really free?

Yes. Free Chord Book is 100% free with no sign-up required. Access 670,000+ guitar chords, tabs, and lyrics for every song you want to learn.

How do I transpose chords to a different key?

Open any song and use the transpose buttons to move every chord up or down by half-steps. Perfect for singers who need a different key or capo players.

Can I see chord diagrams while I play?

Yes. Tap any chord in a song to instantly see its interactive guitar chord diagram, including alternate fingerings and variations.

What's the difference between guitar chords and guitar tabs?

Chords show you which strings to strum together (great for rhythm playing and singing). Tabs (tablature) show you exact note-by-note fingerings, which is great for solos, riffs, and fingerpicking.

Does Free Chord Book work on mobile?

Yes. Free Chord Book is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets, and desktops. Use auto-scroll to play hands-free. There is also a free iPhone app (The Chord Book) and Android app (Free Chords).

Is there an iPhone or Android app?

Yes. Download The Chord Book on the Apple App Store and Free Chords on Google Play. Same 670,000+ songs, transpose, tuner, and auto-scroll — 100% free.

Can I print guitar chords?

Yes. Open any song and tap the Print button next to Save. You'll get a branded chord sheet with the Chord Book logo, ready for practice.

Is there a built-in guitar tuner?

Yes. Free Chord Book includes a free online guitar tuner that uses your microphone and YIN pitch detection for accurate tuning in standard and alternate tunings.

How many songs are available?

Over 670,000 songs with chords, tabs, and lyrics — covering every genre, from rock and pop to country, indie, folk, and Hebrew songs.

Is Free Chord Book a good alternative to Ultimate Guitar?

Yes. Free Chord Book is a fast, ad-free, 100% free alternative to Ultimate Guitar with interactive chord diagrams, instant transpose, auto-scroll, and a built-in tuner — no account required.

SavedFavorites

Paper Ink

Chords

4.710 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Font15

KeyOriginal

Chords

Scroll

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

Intro:
: Em   C   G  G:
Verse 1:
 EmTouched the Cmirror
 GBroke the surface of the Gwater
 EmSaw my true Cself
 GAll illusions Gshattered
Em C G G
Chorus:
 EmMoney's only Cpaper only GinkG  
 EmWe'll destroy ourCselves if we can't aGgreeG  
 EmHow the world Cturns 
 Who made the Gsun
 Who owns the Gsea
 EmThe world we Cknow will fall piece by GpieceG  
: Em   C   G  G:
Verse 2:
 EmSat down up Cclose to the colored black Ghole
 Like they'd Galways told me not to
 EmSaw the one diCmension polka dot paciGfier
 And all ilGlusions shattered
Em C G G
Chorus:
 EmMoney's only Cpaper only GinkG  
 EmWe'll destroy ourCselves if we can't aGgreeG  
 EmHow the world Cturns 
 Who made the Gsun
 Who owns the Gsea
 EmThe world we Cknow will fall piece by GpieceG  
: Em   C   G  G:
Verse 3:
 EmBared myself Cwholly  Gheart and Gbody unadorned
 EmStripped down Csolely
 GTo the Gevil and the good
 EmFelt no Cshame naked to the Gworld
 And all ilGlusions shattered
Em C G G
Chorus:
 EmMoney's only Cpaper only GinkG  
 EmWe'll destroy ourCselves if we can't aGgreeG  
 EmHow the world Cturns 
 Who made the Gsun
 Who owns the Gsea
 EmThe world we Cknow will fall piece by GpieceG  
: Em   C   G  G:
Verse 4:
 EmFaced towards the Csea
 GLooked to Gheaven up above
 EmFelt the Cworld revolve around Gme
 No one could Gtell me otherwise
 EmBut the turbulent Cwaters won't reflect this GlifeG  
        Em                  C   G(stop playing)
 Only the sun the moon and sky
(no Chords)
 And all illusions shattered
   Em    C    GAnd all ilGlusions shattered 
Em C G G
Chorus:
 EmMoney's only Cpaper only GinkG  
 EmWe'll destroy ourCselves if we can't aGgreeG  
 EmHow the world Cturns 
 Who made the Gsun
 Who owns the Gsea
 EmThe world we Cknow will fall piece by GpieceG  
: Em   C   G  G:
: EmMoney's only Cpaper only Gink:        G(4x)

All chords in this song (3)

🎸 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

Paper Ink

by Tracy Chapman

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Intro:

Em C G G

: :

Verse 1:

Em C

Touched the mirror

G G

Broke the surface of the water

Em C

Saw my true self

G G

All illusions shattered

Em C G G

Chorus:

Em C G G

Money's only paper only ink

Em C G G

We'll destroy ourselves if we can't agree

Em C

How the world turns

Who made the sun

Who owns the sea

Em C G G

The world we know will fall piece by piece

Em C G G

: :

Verse 2:

Em C G

Sat down up close to the colored black hole

Like they'd always told me not to

Em C G

Saw the one dimension polka dot pacifier

And all illusions shattered

Em C G G

Chorus:

Em C G G

Money's only paper only ink

Em C G G

We'll destroy ourselves if we can't agree

Em C

How the world turns

Who made the sun

Who owns the sea

Em C G G

The world we know will fall piece by piece

Em C G G

: :

Verse 3:

Em C G G

Bared myself wholly heart and body unadorned

Em C

Stripped down solely

G G

To the evil and the good

Em C G

Felt no shame naked to the world

And all illusions shattered

Em C G G

Chorus:

Em C G G

Money's only paper only ink

Em C G G

We'll destroy ourselves if we can't agree

Em C

How the world turns

Who made the sun

Who owns the sea

Em C G G

The world we know will fall piece by piece

Em C G G

: :

Verse 4:

Em C

Faced towards the sea

G G

Looked to heaven up above

Em C G

Felt the world revolve around me

No one could tell me otherwise

Em C G G

But the turbulent waters won't reflect this life

Em C G

(stop playing)

Only the sun the moon and sky

(no Chords)

And all illusions shattered

Em C G G

And all illusions shattered

Em C G G

Chorus:

Em C G G

Money's only paper only ink

Em C G G

We'll destroy ourselves if we can't agree

Em C

How the world turns

Who made the sun

Who owns the sea

Em C G G

The world we know will fall piece by piece

Em C G G

: :

Em C G G

: Money's only paper only ink: (4x)

About Paper Ink Chords by Tracy Chapman

Learn how to play Paper Ink by Tracy Chapman with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Paper Ink chords”, “Paper Ink guitar chords”, or “Tracy Chapman Paper Ink 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 Paper Ink chords and for experienced players who want accurate Paper Ink lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Em, C, G.

FAQ — Paper Ink by Tracy Chapman

How do I play "Paper Ink" by Tracy Chapman on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Paper Ink" by Tracy Chapman 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 "Paper Ink" by Tracy Chapman free?

Yes. The chords for "Paper Ink" by Tracy Chapman are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Paper Ink" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "Paper Ink"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Paper Ink" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Paper Ink" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Paper Ink" by Tracy Chapman with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Tracy Chapman below.

What key is "Paper Ink" in?

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