What a Good Boy
Lyrics by Steven Page
Music by Steven Page and Ed Robertson

Barenaked Ladies
Gordon
1992

My friend and fellow singer/songwriter Steve Seiferheld
introduced me to the Barenaked Ladies.  It took me over
a year, but I finally got an album.  This is the first
tune I'm figuring out, and it's a tune that Steve used
to play.  Hopefully I'll be able to carry on the tradition.

Lyrics
Chords

CHORUS RIFF

                                                   I know that it isn't right
   G       D/F#      Em      D   C
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-3---3-3-2---2-2-|-0---0-0-2---0---|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-3---3-3-3---3-3-|-0---0-0-3---1---|-----------------|-----------------|
G:-4---4-4-2---2-2-|-0---0-0-2---0---|-----------------|-----------------|
D:-5---5-5-4---4-4-|-2---2-2-0---2---|-----------------|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-------------3---|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

LYRICS:

G             D
   When I was born they looked at me and said
CaddG
   "What a good boy what a smart boy what a strong boy"
G                     D
   And when you were born they looked at you and said
CaddG
   "What a good girl what a smart girl what a pretty girl"

We've got these chains hangin' 'round our necks
People want to strangle us with them before we take our first breathe
Afraid of change afraid of stayin' the same
When temptation calls we just look away

CHORUS
G                    D
   This name is the hairshirt I wear
          CaddG
And this hairshirt is woven from your brown hair
G                     D
   This song is the cross that I bear
       CaddG
Bear with me bear with me bear with me

CHORUS RIFF:          G  D/F#  Em  D  C
Be with me tonight
                           G  D/F#  Em  D  C
I know that it isn't right
                       to verse chords...
But be with me tonight


I go to school I write exams
If I pass if I fail if I drop out does anyone give a damn
And if they do they'll soon forget
'Cause it won't take much for me to show my life ain't over yet

G                D
   I wake up scared I wake up strange
CaddG
   I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever gonna change
G                D          Em
   I wake up scared I wake up strange
    CaddG
And everything around me stays the same

CHORUS
It's the hairshirt I wear
And this hairshirt is woven from is woven from your brown hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me bear with me bear with me

Be with me tonight
I know that it isn't right
play one extra chorus riff here
But be with me tonight


I couldn't tell you that I was wrong
Chickened out grabbed a pen and paper sat down and I wrote this song
I couldn't tell you that you were right
So instead I looked in the mirror watched TV laid awake at night

We've got these chains that hang around our necks
People want to strangle us with 'em before we take our first breathe
Afraid of change afraid of stayin' the same
When temptation calls yeah

CHORUS
Oh this name is the hairshirt I wear
And this hairshirt is woven from is woven from is woven from hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me bear with me bear with me

                  move right into next verse
Be with me tonight


And when I was born they looked at me and said
"What a good boy what a smart boy what a strong boy"
And when you were born they looked at you and said
Em                          C                                G
   "What a good girl what a smart girl what a pretty girl" yeah


CHORDS:

G	320003
D	xx0232
D/F#	xx4232
C	x32010
CaddG	x32013
Em	022000

To learn more about chord theory, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.