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The Great Deception

Chords

4.63 votes

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Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

Intro:
A
Verse 1:
Did you ever hear a-F#mbout The GEreat De-cDeption?
 AWell, the plastic revolutionaries take the money and F#mrun.
 AHave you ever been F#mdown tEo Love CDity?
 F#mWhere they rip you off with a smile, and it dEon't take a gAun.
Verse 2:
 ADon't it hurt so F#mbad iEn Love cDity?
 ADon't it make you not want to bother at F#mall?
And don't they Alook F#mso sEelf rDighteous,
When they F#mpin you up a-gEainst the wAall?
Chorus 1:
Did you Eever, ever see the Dpeople,
With the C#mtear drops in their eDyes?
I just Ecan't stand it, stand it Dno how,
                      C#m      A(n.D)
Living in this world of lies.
Verse 3:
Did you ever hear a-F#mbout the REock and Roll sDingers?
 AGot three or four Cadil-F#mlacs.
Saying Apower to the F#mpeople, dEance to the Dmusic;
 F#mWants you to pat him oEn the bAack.
Verse 4:
Have you ever heard a-F#mbout the gEreat RDembrandt?
Have you ever heard a-About how he could F#mpaint?
And he didn't have e-Anough F#mmoney fEor his bDrushes;
And they F#mthought it was rEather qAuaint.
Chorus 2:
But you Eknow it's no use re-Dpeating,
And you C#mknow it's no use to tDhink about it.
                             E          D   A(n.D)
'Cos when you stop to think a-bout it; you don't need it.
Verse 5:
Have you ever heard a-F#mbout the gEreat,
 DHollywood motion picture actor,
 AWho knew more than they F#mdid?
And the Anewspapers F#mdidn't cEover the sDtory;
 F#mJust decided to kEeep it hAid.
Verse 6:
Somebody F#mstarted sEaying it was an iDnside job;
 AWhatever happened to F#mhim?
 ALast time they F#msaw him, dEown on the bDow'ry;
With his F#mlip hanging off an old rEusty bottle of gAin.
Verse 7:
Have you ever heard a-F#mbout the sEo-called HDippies?
 ADown on the far side of the F#mtracks.
They take the Aeyeballs F#mstraight oEut of your hDead,
Say son, F#mkid, do you want your eEyeballs bAack?
Chorus 3:
Did you Eever, ever see the Dpeople,
With the C#mtear drops in their eDyes?
I just Ecan't stand it, stand it Dno how,
                      C#m      A(n.D)
Living in this world of lies.
Verse 8:
Did you ever hear a-F#mbout The GEreat De-cDeption?
 AWell, the plastic revolutionaries take the money and F#mrun.
 AHave you ever been F#mdown tEo Love CDity?
 F#mWhere they rip you off with a smile, and it dEon't take a gAun.
Outro:
Have you ever heard about...F#m  E  F#m  
The Great Deception.

All chords in this song (5)

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The Great Deception

by Van Morrison

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

C#m

Intro:

Verse 1:

F#m E D

Did you ever hear a-bout The Great De-ception?

A F#m

Well, the plastic revolutionaries take the money and run.

A F#m E D

Have you ever been down to Love City?

F#m E A

Where they rip you off with a smile, and it don't take a gun.

Verse 2:

A F#m E D

Don't it hurt so bad in Love city?

A F#m

Don't it make you not want to bother at all?

A F#m E D

And don't they look so self righteous,

F#m E A

When they pin you up a-gainst the wall?

Chorus 1:

E D

Did you ever, ever see the people,

C#m D

With the tear drops in their eyes?

E D

I just can't stand it, stand it no how,

C#m A D

(n.)

Living in this world of lies.

Verse 3:

F#m E D

Did you ever hear a-bout the Rock and Roll singers?

A F#m

Got three or four Cadil-lacs.

A F#m E D

Saying power to the people, dance to the music;

F#m E A

Wants you to pat him on the back.

Verse 4:

F#m E D

Have you ever heard a-bout the great Rembrandt?

A F#m

Have you ever heard a-bout how he could paint?

A F#m E D

And he didn't have e-nough money for his brushes;

F#m E A

And they thought it was rather quaint.

Chorus 2:

E D

But you know it's no use re-peating,

C#m D

And you know it's no use to think about it.

E D A D

(n.)

'Cos when you stop to think a-bout it; you don't need it.

Verse 5:

F#m E

Have you ever heard a-bout the great,

Hollywood motion picture actor,

A F#m

Who knew more than they did?

A F#m E D

And the newspapers didn't cover the story;

F#m E A

Just decided to keep it hid.

Verse 6:

F#m E D

Somebody started saying it was an inside job;

A F#m

Whatever happened to him?

A F#m E D

Last time they saw him, down on the bow'ry;

F#m E A

With his lip hanging off an old rusty bottle of gin.

Verse 7:

F#m E D

Have you ever heard a-bout the so-called Hippies?

A F#m

Down on the far side of the tracks.

A F#m E D

They take the eyeballs straight out of your head,

F#m E A

Say son, kid, do you want your eyeballs back?

Chorus 3:

E D

Did you ever, ever see the people,

C#m D

With the tear drops in their eyes?

E D

I just can't stand it, stand it no how,

C#m A D

(n.)

Living in this world of lies.

Verse 8:

F#m E D

Did you ever hear a-bout The Great De-ception?

A F#m

Well, the plastic revolutionaries take the money and run.

A F#m E D

Have you ever been down to Love City?

F#m E A

Where they rip you off with a smile, and it don't take a gun.

Outro:

F#m E F#m

Have you ever heard about...

The Great Deception.

About The Great Deception Chords by Van Morrison

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

FAQ — The Great Deception by Van Morrison

How do I play "The Great Deception" by Van Morrison on guitar?

Open the free chords for "The Great Deception" by Van Morrison 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 Great Deception" by Van Morrison free?

Yes. The chords for "The Great Deception" by Van Morrison are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Great Deception" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Great Deception"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "The Great Deception" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "The Great Deception" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Great Deception" by Van Morrison with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Van Morrison below.

What key is "The Great Deception" in?

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