Chords for Randy Newman performs "I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It)" at the 2013 Induction Ceremony
Tempo:
114.75 bpm
Chords used:
F
Am
G
A
Dm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
I noticed a while back, as you must have, that no one is retiring from rock and roll.
The bands that had farewell tours in the 1980s are still on the road.
And that's nice, unless you're trying to start out in a band and the stage is clogged with gray-haired, thick people like myself.
But as a public service, I wrote this song that Don and I are going to do.
The name of the song is I'm Dead, But I Don't Know It.
I
[A] [F] [G] [F]
[A] [F] [G] [F]
[A] [F] have nothing left [G] to say, [F]
[A] [F] but I'm going to say it [G] anyway.
[F]
[A] [F] Thirty [G] years upon the stage, [F]
[A] and I [Fm] hear the people [G] say, why [F] won't he go [Am] away?
[F] Past the [G] houses of the dead, [F] [Am]
[D] [F] they're calling me to join [G] their group.
[F]
[A] [F] But I [G] stagger on and stare.
[F]
[G] [A] [G#] Dear God, sweet [C] God, protect me [F#] from the truth.
[A] I'm [G] dead, but [Am] I don't know it.
He's dead, he's dead.
I'm [Dm] dead, but [Am] I don't know.
He's dead, he's dead.
[Dm] I'm dead, but I don't know [Am] it.
He's dead, he's dead.
Please don't tell me so.
Let me, let [E] me, let me [Am] go.
[F] [A] I
[Dm] [A] [Dm] [C]
[F] [Am]
[F] [Am] [F]
[A] [F] have a family to [G] support.
[F] [A] [F] Surely that is [D] no [G] excuse.
[C] [F] I have nothing further [G] to report.
[F] [Em] [Am] Time [G#] you stand with me, [C] it's time [F#] you [E] lose.
I always thought that I would know, [Am] when it was time to quit.
[F]
[G] When I lost a step or two or three or four or five, [Am] I'd [F] notice it.
[Am] [F] Now that I've arrived here safely, I [Am] find my talent [F] is gone.
[Am] [F] So [E] why do I
On and on and on and on and on and on and on and
[Am] He's dead, He's [Dm] dead, He's dead
But [Am] I don't know it
He's dead, [Dm] He's dead, He's dead
I didn't [A] know
He's dead, [C] He's dead, [Dm] He's dead
I didn't know [G] it
Who would [Dm] be so [Am] cruel to [G] tell me so?
your Dad
[Am] When will [F] I end this bitter [Am] game?
When will I end this cruel charade?
Everything I wrote all sounds the same.
[A] [Am] Each record [G#] that I'm making, [C] like a record [F#] that I made,
[Em] just not [A] as good.
[F] Up there I don't [G] know it.
[F] [Am] Up [F] there I don't [G] know [F] it.
[A] [Dm] Up [C] there I don't know it.
[A] [G] Leave that down in the zone!
Leave [C] that down [G] in the zone!
You're [A] dead!
[Am] [A]
[N]
The bands that had farewell tours in the 1980s are still on the road.
And that's nice, unless you're trying to start out in a band and the stage is clogged with gray-haired, thick people like myself.
But as a public service, I wrote this song that Don and I are going to do.
The name of the song is I'm Dead, But I Don't Know It.
I
[A] [F] [G] [F]
[A] [F] [G] [F]
[A] [F] have nothing left [G] to say, [F]
[A] [F] but I'm going to say it [G] anyway.
[F]
[A] [F] Thirty [G] years upon the stage, [F]
[A] and I [Fm] hear the people [G] say, why [F] won't he go [Am] away?
[F] Past the [G] houses of the dead, [F] [Am]
[D] [F] they're calling me to join [G] their group.
[F]
[A] [F] But I [G] stagger on and stare.
[F]
[G] [A] [G#] Dear God, sweet [C] God, protect me [F#] from the truth.
[A] I'm [G] dead, but [Am] I don't know it.
He's dead, he's dead.
I'm [Dm] dead, but [Am] I don't know.
He's dead, he's dead.
[Dm] I'm dead, but I don't know [Am] it.
He's dead, he's dead.
Please don't tell me so.
Let me, let [E] me, let me [Am] go.
[F] [A] I
[Dm] [A] [Dm] [C]
[F] [Am]
[F] [Am] [F]
[A] [F] have a family to [G] support.
[F] [A] [F] Surely that is [D] no [G] excuse.
[C] [F] I have nothing further [G] to report.
[F] [Em] [Am] Time [G#] you stand with me, [C] it's time [F#] you [E] lose.
I always thought that I would know, [Am] when it was time to quit.
[F]
[G] When I lost a step or two or three or four or five, [Am] I'd [F] notice it.
[Am] [F] Now that I've arrived here safely, I [Am] find my talent [F] is gone.
[Am] [F] So [E] why do I
On and on and on and on and on and on and on and
[Am] He's dead, He's [Dm] dead, He's dead
But [Am] I don't know it
He's dead, [Dm] He's dead, He's dead
I didn't [A] know
He's dead, [C] He's dead, [Dm] He's dead
I didn't know [G] it
Who would [Dm] be so [Am] cruel to [G] tell me so?
your Dad
[Am] When will [F] I end this bitter [Am] game?
When will I end this cruel charade?
Everything I wrote all sounds the same.
[A] [Am] Each record [G#] that I'm making, [C] like a record [F#] that I made,
[Em] just not [A] as good.
[F] Up there I don't [G] know it.
[F] [Am] Up [F] there I don't [G] know [F] it.
[A] [Dm] Up [C] there I don't know it.
[A] [G] Leave that down in the zone!
Leave [C] that down [G] in the zone!
You're [A] dead!
[Am] [A]
[N]
Key:
F
Am
G
A
Dm
F
Am
G
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
I noticed a while back, as you must have, that no one is retiring from rock and roll.
The bands that had farewell tours in the 1980s are still on the road.
_ _ And that's nice, unless you're trying to start out in a band and the stage is clogged with gray-haired, thick people like myself. _ _ _
But as a public service, I wrote this song that Don and I are going to do.
The name of the song is I'm Dead, But I Don't Know It.
I _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ [F] _ _ [G] _ _ [F] _ _
[A] _ _ [F] _ _ [G] _ _ [F] _ _
[A] _ [F] have nothing left [G] to say, _ [F] _ _
[A] _ [F] but I'm going to say it [G] anyway.
_ [F] _ _
[A] _ [F] Thirty [G] years upon the stage, [F] _ _
[A] and I [Fm] hear the people [G] say, why [F] won't he go [Am] away?
[F] Past the [G] houses of the dead, [F] _ [Am] _
_ [D] [F] they're calling me to join [G] their group.
_ [F] _
[A] _ [F] But I [G] stagger on and stare.
[F] _
[G] _ [A] [G#] Dear God, sweet [C] God, protect me [F#] from the truth.
[A] I'm [G] dead, but [Am] I don't know it.
He's dead, he's dead.
I'm [Dm] dead, but [Am] I don't know.
He's dead, he's dead.
[Dm] I'm dead, but I don't know [Am] it.
He's dead, he's dead.
Please don't tell me so.
Let me, let [E] me, let me [Am] go.
_ [F] [A] I _ _
[Dm] _ _ [A] _ _ [Dm] _ [C] _ _ _
[F] _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [F] _ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ [F] have a family to [G] support.
_ [F] _ _ [A] _ [F] Surely that is [D] no [G] excuse.
[C] _ [F] _ I have nothing further [G] to report.
[F] _ _ [Em] _ [Am] Time [G#] you stand with me, [C] it's time [F#] you [E] lose.
I always thought that I would know, _ [Am] when it was time to quit.
[F] _
_ _ _ _ [G] When I lost a step or two or three or four or five, [Am] I'd [F] notice it.
_ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ Now that I've arrived here safely, _ I [Am] find my talent [F] is gone.
[Am] _ _ [F] _ So [E] why do I_
_ _ _ On and on and on and on _ and on and on and on _ and
_ _ [Am] He's dead, He's [Dm] dead, He's dead
But [Am] I don't know it
He's dead, [Dm] He's dead, He's dead
I didn't [A] know
He's dead, [C] He's dead, [Dm] He's dead
I didn't know [G] it
Who would [Dm] be so [Am] cruel to [G] tell me so?
your Dad
[Am] _ When will [F] I end this bitter [Am] game?
_ _ _ When will I end this cruel charade? _ _ _
Everything I wrote all sounds the same.
[A] [Am] Each record [G#] that I'm making, [C] like a record [F#] that I made,
[Em] just not [A] as good.
_ [F] Up there I don't [G] know it.
_ [F] _ [Am] _ Up [F] there I don't [G] know [F] it.
_ [A] _ [Dm] Up [C] there I don't know it.
_ _ [A] _ [G] Leave that down in the zone!
Leave [C] that down [G] in the zone! _
You're [A] dead! _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I noticed a while back, as you must have, that no one is retiring from rock and roll.
The bands that had farewell tours in the 1980s are still on the road.
_ _ And that's nice, unless you're trying to start out in a band and the stage is clogged with gray-haired, thick people like myself. _ _ _
But as a public service, I wrote this song that Don and I are going to do.
The name of the song is I'm Dead, But I Don't Know It.
I _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ [F] _ _ [G] _ _ [F] _ _
[A] _ _ [F] _ _ [G] _ _ [F] _ _
[A] _ [F] have nothing left [G] to say, _ [F] _ _
[A] _ [F] but I'm going to say it [G] anyway.
_ [F] _ _
[A] _ [F] Thirty [G] years upon the stage, [F] _ _
[A] and I [Fm] hear the people [G] say, why [F] won't he go [Am] away?
[F] Past the [G] houses of the dead, [F] _ [Am] _
_ [D] [F] they're calling me to join [G] their group.
_ [F] _
[A] _ [F] But I [G] stagger on and stare.
[F] _
[G] _ [A] [G#] Dear God, sweet [C] God, protect me [F#] from the truth.
[A] I'm [G] dead, but [Am] I don't know it.
He's dead, he's dead.
I'm [Dm] dead, but [Am] I don't know.
He's dead, he's dead.
[Dm] I'm dead, but I don't know [Am] it.
He's dead, he's dead.
Please don't tell me so.
Let me, let [E] me, let me [Am] go.
_ [F] [A] I _ _
[Dm] _ _ [A] _ _ [Dm] _ [C] _ _ _
[F] _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [F] _ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ [F] have a family to [G] support.
_ [F] _ _ [A] _ [F] Surely that is [D] no [G] excuse.
[C] _ [F] _ I have nothing further [G] to report.
[F] _ _ [Em] _ [Am] Time [G#] you stand with me, [C] it's time [F#] you [E] lose.
I always thought that I would know, _ [Am] when it was time to quit.
[F] _
_ _ _ _ [G] When I lost a step or two or three or four or five, [Am] I'd [F] notice it.
_ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ Now that I've arrived here safely, _ I [Am] find my talent [F] is gone.
[Am] _ _ [F] _ So [E] why do I_
_ _ _ On and on and on and on _ and on and on and on _ and
_ _ [Am] He's dead, He's [Dm] dead, He's dead
But [Am] I don't know it
He's dead, [Dm] He's dead, He's dead
I didn't [A] know
He's dead, [C] He's dead, [Dm] He's dead
I didn't know [G] it
Who would [Dm] be so [Am] cruel to [G] tell me so?
your Dad
[Am] _ When will [F] I end this bitter [Am] game?
_ _ _ When will I end this cruel charade? _ _ _
Everything I wrote all sounds the same.
[A] [Am] Each record [G#] that I'm making, [C] like a record [F#] that I made,
[Em] just not [A] as good.
_ [F] Up there I don't [G] know it.
_ [F] _ [Am] _ Up [F] there I don't [G] know [F] it.
_ [A] _ [Dm] Up [C] there I don't know it.
_ _ [A] _ [G] Leave that down in the zone!
Leave [C] that down [G] in the zone! _
You're [A] dead! _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _