"It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career"
Track #1 on The Boy With the Arab Strap (1998) 
Belle & Sebastian

Capo 4th fret

         C/G                  F
He had a stroke at the age of 24
              F                 C/G
It could have been a brilliant career
          Am          Em             F
Painting lines in a school that was too well known
          Am          Em              F       
Painting lines with a friend that had gone before
    F          D/F#     G  
She challenged everyone to a fight
        F      C          G
But the people all backed down
         F       C      G
And they ran her out of town
            F         C         G
Because she drank and swore and spoke
       F         C       D
Out of turn, she was the village joke

          C/G                  F
She had a stroke at the age of 24
              F                C/G
It could have been a brilliant career
        Am          Em          F
Getting clients to finance her strategies
              Am         Em          F
She's filling time in on Safeways on Saturday
    F         D/F#         G
She wears the clothes of an emperor
        F         C     G
But her paintings are a sham
            F     C     G
And they're going for a grand
          F      C       G
When the dealers come to view
          F      C    D
Do they ever see the real you?

          C/G                 F
He had a stroke at the age of 24
              F                C/G
It could have been a brilliant career
        Am          Em            F
Selling lies to the boys with the old Dansettes
            Am                Em            F
Pulling the wool, playing the fool, it's no wonder that
F     D/F#      G
He is dribbling spit tonight
        F      C    G
And the one he sent away
        F    C       G
Was the only one who stayed
       F           C      G
With a spoon and a decent book
            F           C       G
And you can tell by the way she looks
      F     C     G
He is sorry and resigned
      F       C            D
As he wets himself for the final time