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Race Among The Ruins

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RACE AMONG THE RUINS
Gordon Lightfoot
[Intro]
|       D|    D   A   D|
|       D|    D   A  D  
[Verse 1]
You Dthink you had the Dlast laugh now
you Gknow this can't be Dtrue
Even though the Asun shines down upAon you now
SomeGtimes you must feel Dblue
You Dmake the best of Deach new day
You Gtry not to be Dsad
Even though the Asky falls down uApon you
Call it Gmidnight feelin' Dbad
[Chorus]
When you Awake up to the A/Gpromise
Of your D/F#dream world comin' Gtrue
With Done less friend to Acall on
Was it Gsomeone that I Dknew...
AAway you will go A/Gsailin'
In a D/F#race among the Gruins
If you Dplan to face toAmorrow, do it GsoonF  
[Instrumental]
|       D|    D   A   D|
|       D|    D   A  D  
[Verse 2]
The Droad to love is Dlittered
By the Gbones of other Dones
Who by the Amagic of the Amoment
Were myGsteriously unDdone
You Dtry to underDstand it
But you Gnever seem to Dfind
Any kind of Afreedom, comin' Aclean
Is just aGnother state of Dmind
[Chorus]
When you Awake up to the A/Gpromise
Of your D/F#dream world comin' Gtrue
With Done less friend to Acall on
Was it Gsomeone that I Dknew...
AAway you will go A/Gsailin'
In a D/F#race among the Gruins
If you Dplan to face toAmorrow, do it GsoonF  
[Instrumental]
|       D|    D   A  D  
[Verse 3]
So Dtake the best of Dall that's left
You Gknow this cannot Dlast
Even though your Amother was your Amaker
From her Gapron strings you've Dpassed
Just Dthink about the Dfool
Who by his Gvirtue can be Dfound
In a most unAusual situAation
Playin' Gjester to the Dclown
[Chorus]
When you Awake up to the A/Gpromise
Of your D/F#dream world comin' Gtrue
With Done less friend to Acall on
Was it Gsomeone that I Dknew...
AAway you will go A/Gsailin'
In a D/F#race among the Gruins
If you Dplan to face toAmorrow, do it GsoonF  D  
[Chorus]
When you Awake up to the A/Gpromise
Of your D/F#dream world comin' Gtrue
With Done less friend to Acall on
Was it Gsomeone that I Dknew...
AAway you will go A/Gsailin'
In a D/F#race among the Gruins
If you Dplan to face toAmorrow, do it GsoonF  
[Outro]
|       D|    D   A   D|
|       D|    D   A  D  

All chords in this song (6)

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Race Among The Ruins

by Gordon Lightfoot

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

A/G

D/F#

RACE AMONG THE RUINS

Gordon Lightfoot

[Intro]

D D A D

| | |

D D A D

| |

[Verse 1]

D D

You think you had the last laugh now

G D

you know this can't be true

A A

Even though the sun shines down upon you now

G D

Sometimes you must feel blue

D D

You make the best of each new day

G D

You try not to be sad

A A

Even though the sky falls down upon you

G D

Call it midnight feelin' bad

[Chorus]

A A/G

When you wake up to the promise

D/F# G

Of your dream world comin' true

D A

With one less friend to call on

G D

Was it someone that I knew...

A A/G

Away you will go sailin'

D/F# G

In a race among the ruins

D A G F

If you plan to face tomorrow, do it soon

[Instrumental]

D D A D

| | |

D D A D

| |

[Verse 2]

D D

The road to love is littered

G D

By the bones of other ones

A A

Who by the magic of the moment

G D

Were mysteriously undone

D D

You try to understand it

G D

But you never seem to find

A A

Any kind of freedom, comin' clean

G D

Is just another state of mind

[Chorus]

A A/G

When you wake up to the promise

D/F# G

Of your dream world comin' true

D A

With one less friend to call on

G D

Was it someone that I knew...

A A/G

Away you will go sailin'

D/F# G

In a race among the ruins

D A G F

If you plan to face tomorrow, do it soon

[Instrumental]

D D A D

| |

[Verse 3]

D D

So take the best of all that's left

G D

You know this cannot last

A A

Even though your mother was your maker

G D

From her apron strings you've passed

D D

Just think about the fool

G D

Who by his virtue can be found

A A

In a most unusual situation

G D

Playin' jester to the clown

[Chorus]

A A/G

When you wake up to the promise

D/F# G

Of your dream world comin' true

D A

With one less friend to call on

G D

Was it someone that I knew...

A A/G

Away you will go sailin'

D/F# G

In a race among the ruins

D A G F D

If you plan to face tomorrow, do it soon

[Chorus]

A A/G

When you wake up to the promise

D/F# G

Of your dream world comin' true

D A

With one less friend to call on

G D

Was it someone that I knew...

A A/G

Away you will go sailin'

D/F# G

In a race among the ruins

D A G F

If you plan to face tomorrow, do it soon

[Outro]

D D A D

| | |

D D A D

| |

About Race Among The Ruins Chords by Gordon Lightfoot

Learn how to play Race Among The Ruins by Gordon Lightfoot with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Race Among The Ruins chords”, “Race Among The Ruins guitar chords”, or “Gordon Lightfoot Race Among The Ruins 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 Race Among The Ruins chords and for experienced players who want accurate Race Among The Ruins lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A, G, A/G, D/F#, F.

FAQ — Race Among The Ruins by Gordon Lightfoot

How do I play "Race Among The Ruins" by Gordon Lightfoot on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Race Among The Ruins" by Gordon Lightfoot 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 "Race Among The Ruins" by Gordon Lightfoot free?

Yes. The chords for "Race Among The Ruins" by Gordon Lightfoot are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Race Among The Ruins" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "Race Among The Ruins"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Race Among The Ruins" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Race Among The Ruins" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Race Among The Ruins" by Gordon Lightfoot with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Gordon Lightfoot below.

What key is "Race Among The Ruins" in?

The chords for "Race Among The Ruins" show the original chord names (including D, A, G, A/G, D/F#, F). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.