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This World Today Is A Mess

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Aminor

90BPM

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[Intro]
E      E
E      E
E      E
Am
[Verse 1]
AmWhat you do, Amwhat you say, Amhas a lot to do in how you Elive today.
EWhat you want and Ewhat you make, Eeverybody knows it's only Amwhat you take.
AmWhat you see and Amwhat you hear, Amwhen it comes around again it's Enot too clear.
EYou say yes, Ethey say no, Eeverybody's talking everyAmwhere you go.
[Chorus]
You Dmtry to give another man a Ghelping hand,
and Che will take your kindness for a Amweaker stand.
DmNever do to others what they Gdo to you,
                          C     Esus4        E7N.C.
try to find another way to make it through.
[Verse 2]
AmWhat I say is Amwhat I know, Amtry to get a favour going from Edoor to door.
You Estop and pray, it's Eout of style, you a Estep ahead, it takes a Amhundred miles.
AmWhat I say is Amwhat I know, Amtry to get a favour going from Edoor to door.
You Estop and pray, you know that's Eout of style, Eget a step ahead, it takes a Amhundred miles.
[Chorus]
Now, you Dmtry to give another man a Ghelping hand,
Che will take your kindness for a Amweaker stand.
DmNever do to others what they Gdo to you,
                                       C      Esus4        E7N.C.
you've got to do it to them before they do it to you.
[Outro] (To Fade)
AmWhat you do and Amwhat you say, Amhas a lot to do in how you Elive today.
EWhat you want and Ewhat you make, Eeverybody knows it's only Amwhat you take.
AmWhat you see and Amwhat you hear, Amwhen it comes around again it's not Egonna be the same thing.
Because Eyou're gonna say yes, and Ethey're gonna say no
and Eeverybody's gonna talk and talk and Ambla bla everywhere you go
You Amtry to give anotAmher man a helping hand, you know what he's gonna do?
He's gonna Amtake your kindness for a weaker Estand
You Etry to do for others what you'd Elike them to do to you
EAh! ah! forget it! It's goAmnna be some other kind thing!
AmSo you try to giAmve another man, ah! listen, a helping hand?
AmHe will take your kindness Efor a weaker stand!
ENever do to others Ewhat they do tEo youAm  

All chords in this song (7)

The story behind the song

This song speaks to the struggle of trying to do good in a world that often misinterprets kindness. It touches on the disheartening reality that when you try to give someone a helping hand, your generosity can be seen as weakness. Donna Hightower, an American R&B, soul, and jazz singer, released this track in 1972, and it became a hit for her while she was based in Europe. At its heart, the song is a reflection on the difficult balance between compassion and self-preservation in a cynical world.

AI-written from these sources:Donna Hightower — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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This World Today Is A Mess

by Donna Hightower

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Esus4

[Intro]

E E

[Verse 1]

Am Am Am E

What you do, what you say, has a lot to do in how you live today.

E E E Am

What you want and what you make, everybody knows it's only what you take.

Am Am Am E

What you see and what you hear, when it comes around again it's not too clear.

E E E Am

You say yes, they say no, everybody's talking everywhere you go.

[Chorus]

Dm G

You try to give another man a helping hand,

C Am

and he will take your kindness for a weaker stand.

Dm G

Never do to others what they do to you,

C Esus4 E7

N.C.

try to find another way to make it through.

[Verse 2]

Am Am Am E

What I say is what I know, try to get a favour going from door to door.

E E E Am

You stop and pray, it's out of style, you a step ahead, it takes a hundred miles.

Am Am Am E

What I say is what I know, try to get a favour going from door to door.

E E E Am

You stop and pray, you know that's out of style, get a step ahead, it takes a hundred miles.

[Chorus]

Dm G

Now, you try to give another man a helping hand,

C Am

he will take your kindness for a weaker stand.

Dm G

Never do to others what they do to you,

C Esus4 E7

N.C.

you've got to do it to them before they do it to you.

[Outro] (To Fade)

Am Am Am E

What you do and what you say, has a lot to do in how you live today.

E E E Am

What you want and what you make, everybody knows it's only what you take.

Am Am Am E

What you see and what you hear, when it comes around again it's not gonna be the same thing.

E E

Because you're gonna say yes, and they're gonna say no

E Am

and everybody's gonna talk and talk and bla bla everywhere you go

Am Am

You try to give another man a helping hand, you know what he's gonna do?

Am E

He's gonna take your kindness for a weaker stand

E E

You try to do for others what you'd like them to do to you

E Am

Ah! ah! forget it! It's gonna be some other kind thing!

Am Am

So you try to give another man, ah! listen, a helping hand?

Am E

He will take your kindness for a weaker stand!

E E E Am

Never do to others what they do to you

About This World Today Is A Mess Chords by Donna Hightower

Learn how to play This World Today Is A Mess by Donna Hightower with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “This World Today Is A Mess chords”, “This World Today Is A Mess guitar chords”, or “Donna Hightower This World Today Is A Mess 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 This World Today Is A Mess chords and for experienced players who want accurate This World Today Is A Mess lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, Am, Dm, G, C, Esus4.

FAQ — This World Today Is A Mess by Donna Hightower

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What key is "This World Today Is A Mess" in?

The chords for "This World Today Is A Mess" show the original chord names (including E, Am, Dm, G, C, Esus4). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.