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For The Children

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*tuned whole step down*
DGCFAD
[Intro
E      E
[Verse 1]
 EI wish I could give you an F#manswer
EAs to when life really begF#mins
 EI wish I could tell you where F#mwe went
 EWhen our days here   F#mcome to an end
 DWish I could see the Afuture
The Dsame way I see the Apast
 EI wish I could draw a F#mconclusion
Why nEothing here seems to lF#mastF#m  
[Chorus]
BI can't even Emake a guess
Or an Buneducated Ethought
 BAll I can do here Eis my best
And be Dthankful for what we've F#mgot   
aahh  DaahhF#m  D  F#m  
E    E   E   E
[Verse 2]
 EWhy do so many F#msuffer
OpprEessed to the end of F#mtime
 EWhy does freedom move so F#mslowly
UnEable to speak its F#mmind
 DSome say it's a cAircle
DOthers think we live on a wAing
 EWhy are promises F#mbroken
And sEome think life don't mean a F#mthing
[Chorus]
 BI can't even Emake a guess
Or an Buneducated Ethought
 BAll I can do here Eis my best
And be Dthankful for what we've F#mgot   
aahh  DaahhF#m  D  F#m  
E    E   E   E
[Verse 3]
 EI hope you can be a F#mchild of life
With Ebig dreams for everF#myone
 EAnd know that dying's as F#mnatural as birth
And our tEroubles here, they don't last F#mlong
 DI have worried about Amany things
DMost of which did not come to Apass
 EI hope you find someone to gF#mive you love
  EAnd that your love F#mwill last
[Chorus]
 BI can't even Emake a guess
Or an Buneducated Ethought
 BAll I can do here Eis my best
And be Dthankful for what we've F#mgot   
aahh  DaahhF#m  D  F#m  
E    E   E   E

All chords in this song (5)

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For The Children

by John Mellencamp

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

*tuned whole step down*

DGCFAD

[Intro

E E

[Verse 1]

E F#m

I wish I could give you an answer

E F#m

As to when life really begins

E F#m

I wish I could tell you where we went

E F#m

When our days here come to an end

D A

Wish I could see the future

D A

The same way I see the past

E F#m

I wish I could draw a conclusion

E F#m F#m

Why nothing here seems to last

[Chorus]

B E

I can't even make a guess

B E

Or an uneducated thought

B E

All I can do here is my best

D F#m

And be thankful for what we've got

D F#m D F#m

aahh aahh

E E E E

[Verse 2]

E F#m

Why do so many suffer

E F#m

Oppressed to the end of time

E F#m

Why does freedom move so slowly

E F#m

Unable to speak its mind

D A

Some say it's a circle

D A

Others think we live on a wing

E F#m

Why are promises broken

E F#m

And some think life don't mean a thing

[Chorus]

B E

I can't even make a guess

B E

Or an uneducated thought

B E

All I can do here is my best

D F#m

And be thankful for what we've got

D F#m D F#m

aahh aahh

E E E E

[Verse 3]

E F#m

I hope you can be a child of life

E F#m

With big dreams for everyone

E F#m

And know that dying's as natural as birth

E F#m

And our troubles here, they don't last long

D A

I have worried about many things

D A

Most of which did not come to pass

E F#m

I hope you find someone to give you love

E F#m

And that your love will last

[Chorus]

B E

I can't even make a guess

B E

Or an uneducated thought

B E

All I can do here is my best

D F#m

And be thankful for what we've got

D F#m D F#m

aahh aahh

E E E E

About For The Children Chords by John Mellencamp

Learn how to play For The Children by John Mellencamp with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “For The Children chords”, “For The Children guitar chords”, or “John Mellencamp For The Children 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 For The Children chords and for experienced players who want accurate For The Children lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, F#m, D, A, B.

FAQ — For The Children by John Mellencamp

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Is "For The Children" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "For The Children" in?

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