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When We Were Boys At School

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When We Were Boys At School  
BmAll he Emever wanted to do was F#7harm
BmAll he Emever wanted to be was F#7cruel
At Bmtwelve years Dold Fate Amarked his Embrow
And he Bmsaid, I Dhave a Amission Emnow
But we Gmaj7laughed at his F#m7clothes
And the Gmaj7blackheads round his F#m7nose
When we were Bboys at school
Teachers spoke of Hannibal and Hector
Nimrod and Nietzsche were his fuel
Swastikas and pentagrams
Flourished from his tender hands
But we watched in the rain
As the bully beat him up again
When we were boys at school
DmAnd he said, my camouflage will hide me
GmI’ll be Dmgrey as the Gmworld is Dmgrey
EmA thousand government corridors
BeAmhind which Emof a Amthousand Emdoors
Will I F#mdelegate and rule, o lF#sus4ittle boys at school
BmAll he Emever wanted to do was F#7harm
BmAll he Emever wanted to be was F#7cruel
And Bbmsometimes C#when the G#night is D#mstill
I can Bbmfeel the C#gathering G#of his D#mwill
I can Bmfeel him Dflex the Astrings of Empower
And Bmgrope to Dhis apApointed Emhour
But we Gmaj7laughed at the F#m7dirt
And the Gmaj7frayed cuffs on his F#m7shirt
When Cwe were boys at C7school

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When We Were Boys At School

by Richard Thompson

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#7

Gmaj7

F#m7

F#m

F#sus4

Bbm

D#m

When We Were Boys At School

Bm Em F#7

All he ever wanted to do was harm

Bm Em F#7

All he ever wanted to be was cruel

Bm D A Em

At twelve years old Fate marked his brow

Bm D A Em

And he said, I have a mission now

Gmaj7 F#m7

But we laughed at his clothes

Gmaj7 F#m7

And the blackheads round his nose

When we were boys at school

Teachers spoke of Hannibal and Hector

Nimrod and Nietzsche were his fuel

Swastikas and pentagrams

Flourished from his tender hands

But we watched in the rain

As the bully beat him up again

When we were boys at school

And he said, my camouflage will hide me

Gm Dm Gm Dm

I’ll be grey as the world is grey

A thousand government corridors

Am Em Am Em

Behind which of a thousand doors

F#m F#sus4

Will I delegate and rule, o little boys at school

Bm Em F#7

All he ever wanted to do was harm

Bm Em F#7

All he ever wanted to be was cruel

Bbm C# G# D#m

And sometimes when the night is still

Bbm C# G# D#m

I can feel the gathering of his will

Bm D A Em

I can feel him flex the strings of power

Bm D A Em

And grope to his appointed hour

Gmaj7 F#m7

But we laughed at the dirt

Gmaj7 F#m7

And the frayed cuffs on his shirt

C C7

When we were boys at school

About When We Were Boys At School Chords by Richard Thompson

Learn how to play When We Were Boys At School by Richard Thompson with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “When We Were Boys At School chords”, “When We Were Boys At School guitar chords”, or “Richard Thompson When We Were Boys At School 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 When We Were Boys At School chords and for experienced players who want accurate When We Were Boys At School lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Bm, Em, F#7, D, A, Gmaj7.

FAQ — When We Were Boys At School by Richard Thompson

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What key is "When We Were Boys At School" in?

The chords for "When We Were Boys At School" show the original chord names (including Bm, Em, F#7, D, A, Gmaj7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.