There but for Fortune
by Phil Ochs
G Cm G Cm
Show me a prison, show me a jail,
G Em C D
Show me a prisoner whose face has gone pale,
G Em
C Am
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
Bm G C D G Cm
G Cm
There but for fortune, may go you or I -- you or I
Show me the alley, show me the train,
Show me a hobo who sleeps out in the rain,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.
Show me the whiskey stains on the floor,
Show me the dunken man as he stumbles out the door,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.
[Extra verse... anybody know where this is from??]
Show me the famine, show me the frail
Eyes with no future that show how we failed
And I'll show you the children with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or I.
Show me the country where bombs had to fall,
Show me the ruins of buildings once so tall,
And I'll show you a young land with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.
You and I,
There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.
Notes:
Phil's comments about this song from Sing Out:
"Based on the saying, 'There but for the grace of God,' the song was
written while driving to
Lincoln, Nebraska. This is one of the few cases in which I had the
melody written first and was
able to write the words in less than ten minutes. "Living on Bleecker
Street in Greenwich
Village, I am constantly reminded of the meaning of the song. The
original lyrics were improved
through the comments of Jean Ray of the singing group, Jim and Jean."
--
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