When You Leave
Loudon Wainwright IiiVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
You left for camp, you left for school
Left for the coast when that was cool then
You left women, one a wife
To save your skin you wrecked a life and
then there's kids its not just one
life that you wreck you're on the run
You go to town to start anew
those you left come after you
Its what you think its how you feel
though who can say if its all real
The darndest thing kids grow up
One day some strange adults show up
The ones you left are right in town
thats nice you say they'll be around
perhaps they just a bit bereft but
they'll forgive the one who left
sad stories can have happy ends
perhaps now you can just be friends
Its what you want its how you feel
whats more you hope your theory's real
(Break)
Who would have thought or could believe
Things go so badly when you leave
the skin you saved is growing slack and
those you left don't want you back
(Instrumental)
Your power's gone it was pro tem
The wife you left meant more to them
Its not just that they side with her
you left and who knew where you were
The reason that they came to town
was just to make that place their own
You realised your greatest fear
you are so close but hardly here
It's what you think it's how you feel
and what's worse is you know its real
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Readable chord sheet for When You Leave by Loudon Wainwright Iii
[G]You left for camp, yo[Em]u left for school [Am/C]Left for the coast when that was [D]cool then [G]You left women, [Em]one a wife [Am/C]To save your skin you wrecked[D] a life and [Am]then there's kids i[C]ts not just one [G]life that you wreck you're o[D]n the run [Am]You go to town t[C]o start anew [G]those you left c[D]ome after you [G]Its what you think it[Em]s how you feel [C]though who can say if [D]its all real [G]The darndest thing [Em]kids grow up [Am/C]One day some strange adults[D] show up [G]The ones you left are [Em]right in town [Am/C]thats nice you say they[D]'ll be around [Am]perhaps they jus[C]t a bit bereft but [G]they'll forgive the one [D]who left [Am]sad stories can have [C]happy ends [G]perhaps now you can just[D] be friends [G]Its what you want its [Em]how you feel [Am/C]whats more you hope your t[D]heory's real (Break) [F]Who would have thought or c[C]ould believe [G]Things go so badly when [D]you leave [F]the skin you saved is g[C]rowing slack and [G]those you left don't w[D]ant you back (Instrumental) [G]Your power's gone it [Em]was pro tem [Am/C]The wife you left meant m[D]ore to them [G]Its not just that they [Em]side with her [Am/C]you left and who knew [D]where you were [Am]The reason that [C]they came to town [G]was just to make that [D]place their own [Am]You realised your g[C]reatest fear [G]you are so close but [D]hardly here [G]It's what you think it's [Em]how you feel [Am/C]and what's worse[D] is you know its real