The White Stripes

"Effect and Cause"

From the album "Icky Thump"


If you have heard their cover of Loretta Lynn's "Rated X", it is very similar, strumming wise. 


Intro: A E A

A                                         E                    A
I guess you have to have a problem if you want to invent a contraption
A                                                  E
First You Cause a train wreck, then you put me in traction
A
First came an action, then a reaction
        D
But you can't switch around for your own satisfaction
         A                             E           A
Well you burnt my house down, then got mad at my reaction


A                             E                     A
Well in every complicated situation of the human relation
A                                                  E
To make sense of it all, takes a whole lotta concentration
A
Well you can blame a baby, for her pregnant ma'
       D
And if theres one of these unavoidable laws
              A                     E                    A
It's that you just can't take the effect and make it the cause


Chorus
          D                    D
You can't take the effect, and make it the cause
        A                       A
I did't rob a bank, because you made up the law
      D                     D
Blame me for robbing Peter, don't you blame Paul
          A 
You can't take the effect and make it the cause


A                                      E                     A
I ain't the reason that you gave me no reason to return your call
A                                                            E
You built a house of cards and got shocked when you saw them fall
A
Well, I ain't saying I'm innocent, in fact the reverse
              D
But if you're headed to the grave, you don't blame the hearse
A                                        E                           A
You're like a little girl yelling at her brother 'cause you lost his ball


A                                     E                   A
Well you keep blaming me for what you did, and that ain't all
A                                                  E
The way you clean up a wreck is enough to give one pause
A
You seem to forget just how this all started
      D 
I'm reacting to you because you left me broken hearted
A                             E                     A                
See, you just can't take the effect and make it the cause



Chorus
          D                    D
You can't take the effect, and make it the cause
         A                       A
I didn't rob a bank, becuase you made up the law
      D                     D   
Blame me for robbing Peter, dont you blame Paul
          A
You can't take the effect, and make it the cause

"A"