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Respectable

Don McLean
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
 Ah, it aint  so easy is it? you  almost lost  your place.
 And perhaps  youre wondering how  youre going to cope  with your disgrace.
Well  your wealth is well  established and your friends  were never few,
  (hold )
 And all the things they told you of youre finding to be true.
 Well if truth  can free the guilty while the innocent must die,
 Then I respect,  respect,  respect  the coldest lie.
 And you talk  of human justice  while you drive on fancy  wheels.
 And you push  them to their limit  just to see  how nice it feels.
 Well it doesnt  really matter  if shes living  or shes dead,
  (hold )
 You just drive away forgetting that your bumpers dipped in red.
 Well if thats  the kind of justice that our hall of justice claims,
 Then I respect,  respect,  respect  old jesse  james.
 And most cordially  they caught  you and they asked  you to obey.
 And they threw  you into prison,  just in case  you could not pay.
 Well King Arthur  jousted Lancelot,  who stole  away his wife;
  (hold )
 And your lawyers jousted with the court to save your precious life.
 Well if living  is what matters though you lie with every  breath,
 Then I respect,  respect,  the ones  we put  to death.
 And you won  your case most easily  and soon you will  be free.
 But there will be  a million more  who lose  their liberty.
 Not because  of what they did,  but what  they did not do:
  (hold )
 They did not pay a lawyer or a judge to see them through.
 Why, they had  no friends to call on and they could  not raise their bail.
 Well if winning  is what matters,  I respect  the ones  who fail.

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Readable chord sheet for Respectable by Don McLean

Ah, it ai[Em]nt so easy is it? [G]you almost lost[C] your place.           [D]
And perh[G]aps youre wondering h[Am]ow youre going to co[C]pe with your disgra[D]ce.
[G]Well your wealth is [Am]well established and your [C]friends were never [D]few,
   (hold [D])                                                        [G]
And all the things they told you of youre finding to be true.
Well if [Am]truth can free the guilty while the innocent must d[C]ie,          [D]
Then I res[G]pect, re[Am]spect, res[C]pect the c[D]oldest [G]lie.

And you t[Em]alk of human justic[G]e while you drive on fa[C]ncy wheels.   [D]
And you [G]push them to their [Am]limit just to [C]see how nice it [D]feels.
Well it [G]doesnt really m[Am]atter if shes li[C]ving or shes dea[D]d,
   (hold [D])                                                           [G]
You just drive away forgetting that your bumpers dipped in red.
Well if [Am]thats the kind of justice that our hall of justice [C]claims,        [D]
Then I resp[G]ect, res[Am]pect, res[C]pect old [D]jesse j[G]ames.

And most co[Em]rdially they caught[G] you and they aske[C]d you to obey.       [D]
And they t[G]hrew you into [Am]prison, just in c[C]ase you could not p[D]ay.
Well King A[G]rthur jousted [Am]Lancelot, who s[C]tole away his w[D]ife;
   (hold [D])                                                               [G]
And your lawyers jousted with the court to save your precious life.
Well if [Am]living is what matters though you lie with ever[C]y breath,     [D]
Then I res[G]pect, re[Am]spect, the [C]ones we pu[D]t to de[G]ath.

And you won[Em] your case most easily[G] and soon you wil[C]l be free.             [D]
But there will [G]be a million [Am]more    who l[C]ose their liber[D]ty.
Not bec[G]ause of what they [Am]did,      but w[C]hat they did not d[D]o:
   (hold [D])                                             [G]
They did not pay a lawyer or a judge to see them through.
Why, they [Am]had no friends to call on and they coul[C]d not raise their bail[D].
Well if wi[G]nning is what [Am]matters, I re[C]spect the on[D]es who [G]fail.

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