Richard Thompson – How Will I Ever Be Simple Again (Guitar)

Key
-
Versions (2)

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Chords

This is my variation. I left out the solo. I fingerpick, but not at Mr. Thompson's level. :). The top part is the usual lyrics + chords. See tab for variation on chord formation.
A                                 D        A
She danced in the street with the guns all around her

A                        E
All torn like a rag doll barefoot in the rain

A                           D         A
She sang like a child to-ra-day-to-ra-da-dee

A                     E      A 
Oh how will I ever be simple again

A                           D          A 
She sat on the banks of the dirty gray river

A                           E
And tried for a fish with a worm on a pin

A                               D              A
There was nothing but fever and ghosts in that water 

A                  E         A       A/A A/B A/C
Oh how will I ever be simple again

D               A
War was my love my friend and companion

D                       A          E           
What did I care for the pretty and plain

A                             D            A
Her smile was so clear and my heart was so troubled

A                  E          A
Oh how will I ever be simple again
Solo
A                              D          A
In her poor burned out house I sat by her table

A                              E 
The smell of her hair was like cornfields in May

A                       D               A  
I wanted to weep and my eyes ached from trying

A                     E      A       A/A/  A/B  A/C 
Oh how will I ever be simple again

D                             A
How graceful she moved in the dust and the ruins

D                        A           E
How happy she was in her dances and games

A                         D        A
Teach me to see with your innocent eyes love

A                     E      A 
Oh how will I ever be simple again

A                     E      A  
Oh how will I ever be simple again
-------------------------------------------------------- She danced in the streets with the
A CHORD
| |-----|------|------|-----|--4---|-----|------|        
| |-----|---1--|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1--|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1--|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---0--|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |X----|------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
With the guns all
D CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|---4--|-----|------|
| |-----|-------|--3---|-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---2---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
Around her
A CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|---4--|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
All torn like a rag doll
A CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|---4--|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
Barefoot in the rain
E CHORD 
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|     
| |1-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| |------|--2---|-----|-----|-----|-----|------| 
| |------|--2---|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|  
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
She sang like a child to-ra-
A CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|---4--|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
day- to-ra-da-
D CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|---4--|-----|------|
| |-----|-------|--3---|-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---2---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
dee Oh how will I ever
A CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|---4--|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
Simple
E CHORD 
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|     
| |1-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| |------|--2---|-----|-----|-----|-----|------| 
| |------|--2---|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|  
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
Again
A CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|---4--|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
2nd verse same as the first, except for walk-up (below) going into bridge
A CHORD 
| |0----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|

A CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---2---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|

A CHORD 
| |-----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|-------|---3--|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
BRIDGE What did I care for the
D CHORD 
| |-----|---3---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|-------|--2---|-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
The pretty and
A CHORD 
| |0----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|----- |-----|------|-----|------|     
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------|
| |-----|---1---|------|-----|------|-----|------| 
| |-----|---0---|------|-----|------|-----|------|  
| |X----|-------|------|-----|------|-----|------|
Plain
E CHORD   (Arpeggio E chord with harmonic at 12th fret after arpeggio  
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|     
| |1-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
| |------|--2---|-----|-----|-----|-----|------| 
| |------|--2---|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|  
| |0-----|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|
Her smile was so clear etc. uses chord structure as shown in verses ------------------------------------------------- Next verse and bridge same as the first EXCEPT for last A chord, fingered as shown, (4th finger at 5th fret)finishes with a harmonic at 17th fret.