Tim McGraw – You Had To Be There (Guitar)

D
He sat down, picked up the phone

            Bm
 And said, "Boy, I'm your old man"

    A
 He touched the glass between the two

    Bm
 As if to shake his hand

    D
The boy, he didn't budge

          Bm
 Not even so much as a blink

     A
 The man said, "Oh, come on

                 Bm                      A
 Better late than never, don't you think?"

            D
He said, "I read it in the paper

       Bm
 Can't believe you're 21

       A
 Can't believe some son of mine

            Bm
 Could do the things I hear you've done"

       D
He went on like some big hero

         Bm
 Who flew in to save the day

        A
 And the boy said, "If you're here

            Bm                         A
 To steer me right, man, it's too late"

             D
"You had to be there

        A
 And I'm talkin' from day one

           Bm          A
 That's the only time a man should talk

         G                 A
 Through glass to his new son"

                  D
"And you'd have to go back

             A
 And teach me how when I was nine

          Bm             A
 'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball

       G                  A
 Even if she had the time"

                        Em
"And I should have been learnin' how to fish

            F#m
 Instead of learnin' how to smoke

          G
 I bet if you'd have whooped my tail

           F#m
 I'd never thought it was a joke"

         Em
He said, "Sometimes the will

                    F#m
 For doin' wrong is way too strong

          A
 For any Mama's prayers

            D
 You had to be there"

    D
The man said, "Boy, I'm sorry

          Bm
 That you hate me like you do"

     A
 The boy said, "Dry it up, man

         Bm                     A
 We ain't makin' this about you"

              D
"It's about a teenage girl against the world

          Bm
 Who was left there high and dry

        A
 About a kid who might have stood

            Bm                   A
 A whole lot better shot at life"

             D
"You had to be there

        A
 And I'm talkin' from day one

           Bm          A
 That's the only time a man should talk

         G                 A
 Through glass to his new son"

                  D
"And you'd have to go back

             A
 And teach me how when I was nine

          Bm             A
 'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball

       G                  A
 Even if she had the time"

                        Em
"And I should have been learnin' how to fish

            F#m
 Instead of learnin' how to smoke

          G
 I bet if you'd have whooped my tail

           F#m
 I'd never thought it was a joke"

         Em
He said, "Sometimes the will

                    F#m
 For doin' wrong is way too strong

          A
 For any Mama's prayers

            D
 You had to be there"

  D
Before the boy hung up the phone

          Bm
 He said, "They say I'm out of time"

        A
 And it hit the man right there and then

    Bm                 D
 "My God, son, so am I"