Can't Win
Richard ThompsonVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
I started to cry, they put gin in my cup
I started to crawl and they swaddled me up
I got up and run, they said, easy son
Play up, play the game
They told me to think and forget what I'd heard
They told me to lie and then questioned my word
They taught me to fail, better sink than sail
Just play the game
Oh towers will tumble and locusts will visit the land
Oh a curse on your house and your children and the fruit of your hand
They said you can't win, you can't win
You sweat blood, you give in
You can't win, you can't win
Turn the cheek, take it on the chin
Don't you dare do this don't you dare do that
We shoot down dreams, we stiletto in the back
The nerve of some people, the nerve of some people
The nerve of some people
I don't know who you think you are, who you think you are
Oh what kind of mother would hamstring her sons
Throw sand in their eyes and put ice on their tongues
Better to leave than stay here and grieve
And play the game
Don't waken the dead as you sleepwalk around
If you have a dream, brother, hush, not a sound
Stand there and rust, and die if you must
But play the game
Oh if we can't have it, why should a wretch like you?
Oh it was drilled in our heads, now we drill it into your head too
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Readable chord sheet for Can't Win by Richard Thompson
[Bm11] [E] [Dmaj7] I[E] star[Esus4]ted to cry, they put gin in my cup [Dmaj7] I[E] start[E]ed to crawl and [Dmaj7]they swaddled[Esus4] me up [Dmaj7] [E] [E] [Asus2] I[E] go[E]t up and run, they said, easy son [Asus2] P[E]lay [E]up, play the game [Dmaj7] [E] [E] [Dmaj7] T[E]hey told[Esus4] me to think and forget what I'd heard [Dmaj7] T[E]hey to[E]ld me to lie a[Dmaj7]nd then questio[Esus4]ned my word [Dmaj7] [E] [E] [Asus2] T[E]hey t[E]aught me to fail, better sink than sail [Asus2] J[E]ust [E]play the game O[Em7]h towers will tu[A/E]mble and loc[Em7]usts will visit the land[A/E] [Em7] [A/E] [Em7] [F#m7b5] [B9sus4]Oh a curse on your house and your children and the fruit of your hand T[Em]hey said you can[G]'t win, you can't win You [F#m7b5]sweat blood, you g[Fmaj7b5]ive in Y[Em]ou can't win, yo[G]u can't win [F#m7b5]Turn the cheek, ta[Fmaj7b5]ke it on the chin D[Em]on't you dare do this do[Em/D]n't you dare do that W[C]e shoot down dreams, w[A7sus2]e stiletto in the back T[Em]he nerve of some people, th[Em/D]e nerve of some people T[C]he nerve of some people I[A7sus4] don't know who you think you are, who you think you are [E] [Bm7] [E] [Esus4] [Bm11] Oh what kind of mother would hamstring her sons Throw sand in their eyes and put ice on their tongues Better to leave than stay here and grieve And play the game Don't waken the dead as you sleepwalk around If you have a dream, brother, hush, not a sound Stand there and rust, and die if you must But play the game Oh if we can't have it, why should a wretch like you? Oh it was drilled in our heads, now we drill it into your head too