Number Three by They Might Be Giants
[Convention: each chord is two beats/half a measure. A dash indicates that
the chord is held for another two beats; two chords with a slash between
them are held for one beat/a quarter of a measure each.]
Chorus:
E — A E
There’s only two songs in me and I just wrote the third
E — F# B
don’t know where I got the inspiration or how I wrote the words
E — A E
spent my whole life just digging up my music’s shallow grave
F#m A B E
for the two songs in me and the third one I just made
1.
A — E —
A rich man once told me — hey, life’s a funny thing
A — B —
a poor man once told me that he can’t afford to speak
Ab — A —
now I’m in the middle like a bird without a beak
(Chorus)
2.
So I went to the president and I asked old whatshisname
has he ever gotten writer’s block or something like the same?
he just started talking like he was on tv
E — B E
if there’s just two songs in ya boy, what do you want from me?
3.
So I bought myself some denim pants and a silver guitar
but I flatly told the ladies — you’ll still have to call me ‘sir’
’cause I have to keep my self-respect or I’ll never be a star
E — A —
since there’s just two songs in me and this is
— — E
number three
-E.M.