Chords for What Are Familes For? - Loudon Wainwright III
Tempo:
106.7 bpm
Chords used:
A
E
D
C#
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Well, here's a song to bring everybody down.
It's Sunday night and
[C#m] [B]
[A] Your mother's loose, [C#] your father's slim, [D] she smothers you.
[E] You bother [A] him, pass back and [C#] forth between those [E] two,
until they've had enough of you.
[Bm] Another bundle comes [A] along, but by this [E] time something's gone wrong.
[Bm] Awake all night, [E] deprived of [A] sleep, it's [E] overload, they're in too deep.
[A] Then she forgets to take a pill, [F#m] overload [B] is overkill.
[A] And what, [C#]
[D]
[E] what are families [A] for?
[E]
[A] He's at the wheel, [C#] she's at his side, [E] three kids in back out for a [E] ride.
[A] Looking at houses, [C#] autumn leaves, [D] keep hope alive,
[Em] tried to believe [B] they haven't [D] made a huge [A] mistake.
And what seemed real [E] in fact is fake.
[B] Kids can't sit [D] still, are we there yet?
He lights his seventh [Em] cigarette, [A] almost she [C#] says, it won't be long.
[D] Look out the [B] window, sing a song.
[E] [A] And what, [C#] [A] [D]
[A] [Em] what are families [A] for?
[E]
[A] You're the [C#] brother who is big, you were your [E] parents' guinea pig.
[A] The first, the oldest and the best, [D] smarter, [Em] quicker than the rest.
[F#] Your little [D] sister's just a girl, [A] so you can kick [E] her from your world.
[Bm] You push your [E] baby brother [A] down, grind his [E] face into the ground.
[A] They do [C#] what you want [A] them to because [F#m] those two [B] look up to you.
[A]
[C#] And [G#m]
[D] what, [A] [Em] what are families [A] for?
[Em] Finally you [G] leave the nest, [D] life was a quiz, [A] now it's a test.
[Em] You can't just [G] live a living zurn, [Bm] so you use [A] every trick you've learned.
[F#m] You cast off siblings, [D] you make friends, [A] discover the [E] receiving end.
[F#m] You swore you'd never [D] be your dad, [A] but that's what works, [E] isn't that sad?
[A] Young women [C#] want to mother you, [D] you hate it [B] but you want them to.
[A] And what,
[C#] [D]
[A] [E] what are families [A] for?
[E]
[A] All grown up holding [C#] your own, [D] you fend them [E] off by telephone.
[A] You keep in touch, it's come to this, the furtive [E] hug, suspicious kiss.
[F#] Your sister's [D] ensconced in your life, [A] the archetype of an [E] ex-wife.
[Bm] For all the [E] dirt he ate back [A] then, your brother [E] figures you owe him now.
[A] Mom wants [C#] back all that dad [D] took, but [F#m] dad is dead, he's [B] off the [F#] hook.
And [A] what,
[C#] [A] [D]
[F#m] [E] what are families [A] for?
You can choose your friends, but you can't choose [D#] your family, can you?
I'm trying to change that, actually.
A lot of my family don't talk to me anymore, but that's just kind of a Sunday type [E] song after that
It's Sunday night and
[C#m] [B]
[A] Your mother's loose, [C#] your father's slim, [D] she smothers you.
[E] You bother [A] him, pass back and [C#] forth between those [E] two,
until they've had enough of you.
[Bm] Another bundle comes [A] along, but by this [E] time something's gone wrong.
[Bm] Awake all night, [E] deprived of [A] sleep, it's [E] overload, they're in too deep.
[A] Then she forgets to take a pill, [F#m] overload [B] is overkill.
[A] And what, [C#]
[D]
[E] what are families [A] for?
[E]
[A] He's at the wheel, [C#] she's at his side, [E] three kids in back out for a [E] ride.
[A] Looking at houses, [C#] autumn leaves, [D] keep hope alive,
[Em] tried to believe [B] they haven't [D] made a huge [A] mistake.
And what seemed real [E] in fact is fake.
[B] Kids can't sit [D] still, are we there yet?
He lights his seventh [Em] cigarette, [A] almost she [C#] says, it won't be long.
[D] Look out the [B] window, sing a song.
[E] [A] And what, [C#] [A] [D]
[A] [Em] what are families [A] for?
[E]
[A] You're the [C#] brother who is big, you were your [E] parents' guinea pig.
[A] The first, the oldest and the best, [D] smarter, [Em] quicker than the rest.
[F#] Your little [D] sister's just a girl, [A] so you can kick [E] her from your world.
[Bm] You push your [E] baby brother [A] down, grind his [E] face into the ground.
[A] They do [C#] what you want [A] them to because [F#m] those two [B] look up to you.
[A]
[C#] And [G#m]
[D] what, [A] [Em] what are families [A] for?
[Em] Finally you [G] leave the nest, [D] life was a quiz, [A] now it's a test.
[Em] You can't just [G] live a living zurn, [Bm] so you use [A] every trick you've learned.
[F#m] You cast off siblings, [D] you make friends, [A] discover the [E] receiving end.
[F#m] You swore you'd never [D] be your dad, [A] but that's what works, [E] isn't that sad?
[A] Young women [C#] want to mother you, [D] you hate it [B] but you want them to.
[A] And what,
[C#] [D]
[A] [E] what are families [A] for?
[E]
[A] All grown up holding [C#] your own, [D] you fend them [E] off by telephone.
[A] You keep in touch, it's come to this, the furtive [E] hug, suspicious kiss.
[F#] Your sister's [D] ensconced in your life, [A] the archetype of an [E] ex-wife.
[Bm] For all the [E] dirt he ate back [A] then, your brother [E] figures you owe him now.
[A] Mom wants [C#] back all that dad [D] took, but [F#m] dad is dead, he's [B] off the [F#] hook.
And [A] what,
[C#] [A] [D]
[F#m] [E] what are families [A] for?
You can choose your friends, but you can't choose [D#] your family, can you?
I'm trying to change that, actually.
A lot of my family don't talk to me anymore, but that's just kind of a Sunday type [E] song after that
Key:
A
E
D
C#
B
A
E
D
_ _ _ Well, _ here's a song to bring everybody down.
It's Sunday night and_ _ _
_ _ _ [C#m] _ _ [B] _ _ _
_ _ [A] Your mother's loose, [C#] your father's slim, [D] she smothers you.
[E] You bother [A] him, pass back and [C#] forth between those [E] two,
until they've had enough of you.
_ _ [Bm] Another bundle comes [A] along, but by this [E] time something's gone wrong.
_ [Bm] Awake all night, [E] deprived of [A] sleep, it's [E] overload, they're in too deep.
[A] Then she forgets to take a pill, [F#m] overload [B] is _ overkill. _
[A] And _ _ what, _ [C#] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
[E] _ what are families [A] for? _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _
[A] He's at the wheel, [C#] she's at his side, [E] three kids in back out for a [E] ride.
[A] Looking at houses, [C#] autumn leaves, [D] keep hope alive,
[Em] tried to believe [B] they haven't [D] made a huge [A] mistake.
And what seemed real [E] in fact is fake.
[B] Kids can't sit [D] still, are we there yet?
He lights his seventh [Em] cigarette, [A] almost she [C#] says, it won't be long.
[D] Look out the [B] window, sing a _ song.
_ _ [E] [A] And _ _ what, [C#] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ [D] _
_ _ _ [A] _ [Em] what are families [A] for?
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ [A] You're the [C#] brother who is big, you were your [E] parents' guinea pig.
_ [A] The first, the oldest and the best, [D] smarter, [Em] quicker than the rest.
[F#] Your little [D] sister's just a girl, [A] so you can kick [E] her from your world.
[Bm] You push your [E] baby brother [A] down, grind his [E] face into the ground.
[A] They do [C#] what you want [A] them to because [F#m] those two [B] look up _ to you.
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ _ [C#] And _ _ [G#m] _ _
[D] what, [A] _ _ [Em] what _ are families [A] for? _ _ _ _ _
[Em] _ Finally you [G] leave the nest, [D] life was a quiz, [A] now it's a test.
[Em] You can't just [G] live a living zurn, [Bm] so you use [A] every trick you've learned.
[F#m] You cast off siblings, [D] you make friends, [A] discover the [E] receiving end.
[F#m] You swore you'd never [D] be your dad, [A] but that's what works, [E] isn't that sad? _
[A] Young women [C#] want to mother you, [D] you hate it [B] but you _ want them to. _ _
_ _ [A] And what, _ _
[C#] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ [E] what are families [A] for?
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ [A] All grown up holding [C#] your own, [D] you fend them [E] off by telephone.
_ _ [A] You keep in touch, it's come to this, the furtive [E] hug, suspicious kiss.
[F#] Your sister's [D] ensconced in your life, [A] the archetype of an [E] ex-wife.
[Bm] For all the [E] dirt he ate back [A] then, your brother [E] figures you owe him now.
[A] Mom wants [C#] back all that dad [D] took, but [F#m] dad is dead, he's [B] off the _ _ [F#] hook.
And [A] _ what, _
_ [C#] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ [D] _
_ _ _ [F#m] _ [E] what are _ families [A] for? _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ You can choose your friends, but you can't choose [D#] your family, can you?
I'm trying to change that, actually.
A lot of my family don't talk to me anymore, but _ that's just kind of a Sunday type [E] song after that
It's Sunday night and_ _ _
_ _ _ [C#m] _ _ [B] _ _ _
_ _ [A] Your mother's loose, [C#] your father's slim, [D] she smothers you.
[E] You bother [A] him, pass back and [C#] forth between those [E] two,
until they've had enough of you.
_ _ [Bm] Another bundle comes [A] along, but by this [E] time something's gone wrong.
_ [Bm] Awake all night, [E] deprived of [A] sleep, it's [E] overload, they're in too deep.
[A] Then she forgets to take a pill, [F#m] overload [B] is _ overkill. _
[A] And _ _ what, _ [C#] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
[E] _ what are families [A] for? _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _
[A] He's at the wheel, [C#] she's at his side, [E] three kids in back out for a [E] ride.
[A] Looking at houses, [C#] autumn leaves, [D] keep hope alive,
[Em] tried to believe [B] they haven't [D] made a huge [A] mistake.
And what seemed real [E] in fact is fake.
[B] Kids can't sit [D] still, are we there yet?
He lights his seventh [Em] cigarette, [A] almost she [C#] says, it won't be long.
[D] Look out the [B] window, sing a _ song.
_ _ [E] [A] And _ _ what, [C#] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ [D] _
_ _ _ [A] _ [Em] what are families [A] for?
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ [A] You're the [C#] brother who is big, you were your [E] parents' guinea pig.
_ [A] The first, the oldest and the best, [D] smarter, [Em] quicker than the rest.
[F#] Your little [D] sister's just a girl, [A] so you can kick [E] her from your world.
[Bm] You push your [E] baby brother [A] down, grind his [E] face into the ground.
[A] They do [C#] what you want [A] them to because [F#m] those two [B] look up _ to you.
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ _ [C#] And _ _ [G#m] _ _
[D] what, [A] _ _ [Em] what _ are families [A] for? _ _ _ _ _
[Em] _ Finally you [G] leave the nest, [D] life was a quiz, [A] now it's a test.
[Em] You can't just [G] live a living zurn, [Bm] so you use [A] every trick you've learned.
[F#m] You cast off siblings, [D] you make friends, [A] discover the [E] receiving end.
[F#m] You swore you'd never [D] be your dad, [A] but that's what works, [E] isn't that sad? _
[A] Young women [C#] want to mother you, [D] you hate it [B] but you _ want them to. _ _
_ _ [A] And what, _ _
[C#] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ [E] what are families [A] for?
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ [A] All grown up holding [C#] your own, [D] you fend them [E] off by telephone.
_ _ [A] You keep in touch, it's come to this, the furtive [E] hug, suspicious kiss.
[F#] Your sister's [D] ensconced in your life, [A] the archetype of an [E] ex-wife.
[Bm] For all the [E] dirt he ate back [A] then, your brother [E] figures you owe him now.
[A] Mom wants [C#] back all that dad [D] took, but [F#m] dad is dead, he's [B] off the _ _ [F#] hook.
And [A] _ what, _
_ [C#] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ [D] _
_ _ _ [F#m] _ [E] what are _ families [A] for? _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ You can choose your friends, but you can't choose [D#] your family, can you?
I'm trying to change that, actually.
A lot of my family don't talk to me anymore, but _ that's just kind of a Sunday type [E] song after that