• Song:

    The State I Am In

  • Artist:

    Belle And Sebastian

  • Album:

    BBC Sessions 96-97

This is the actual key of the song, which is F#. If you want to play the song with 
open chords, tune down half a step to Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb tuning, and then transpose 
the song up a half step.

C#       B
I was surprised
      F#           B
I was happy for a day
     C#   B
In 1975
Bbm           Abm
I was puzzled by a dream
F#                   B
Stayed with me all day
     C#  B
In 1995
Bbm        Abm
My brother had confessed
F#            B
He was gay it took the heat off
C#             B
Me for a while
   Bbm             Abm
He stood up with a sailor friend
F#             B
Made it known upon my sister’s
C#          B  Bbm  Abm  C#
Wedding day

C#          B
Got married in a rush
   F#              B
To save a kid from being deported
C#                B
Now she's in love
  Bbm          Abm
Oooh, I was so touched
      F#                B
I was moved to kick the crutches
        C#              B
From my crippled friend
C#           B
She was not impressed
        F#               B
Cause I cured her on the Sabbath
  C#             B
I went to confess
F#               Abm
When she saw the funny side
   Bbm           B
We introduced my child bride
   C#            B
To whisky and gin
   Bbm            B  C#
To whisky and gin

C#                B
The priest in the booth
      F#           B
Had a photographic memory
     C#              B
For all he had heard
   Bbm            Abm
He took all of my sins
       F#             B
And he wrote a pocket novel
            C#                 B
Called "The State That I’m In"
    C#         B
And so I gave myself to God
      F#             B
There was a pregnant pause
          C#      B
Before he said OK
F#             Abm
Now I spend my days
        Bbm             B
Turning tables round in Marks & Spencer
C#                 B     Bbm   B
They don't seem to mind

F#
I gave myself to sin
  Bbm
I gave myself to Providence
    E
And I've been there and back again
    Abm
The state that I am in
F#
I gave myself to sin
  Bbm
I gave myself to Providence
    E
And I've been there and back again
    Abm                 C#
The state that I am in

C#         B
Oh love of mine
          F#            B
Would you condescend to help me
          C#           B
Cause I’m stupid and blind
         Bbm       Abm
Oh and desperation is the Devil's
F#              B
Work, it is the folly
     C#          B
Of a boy’s empty mind
       Bbm             Abm
Oh and now I'm feelin’ dangerous
F#             B
Riding on city buses
      C#           B
For a hobby is sad
              F#            Abm
Why don’t you leave me to a living end
  Bbm              B
I promise that I'd entertain
   C#             B
My crippled friend
   Bbm             B
My crippled friend

F#
I gave myself to sin
  Bbm
I gave myself to Providence
    E
And I've been there and back again
    Abm
The state that I am in
F#
I gave myself to sin
  Bbm
I gave myself to Providence
    E
And I've been there and back again
    Abm
The state that I am in
F#
I gave myself to sin
  Bbm
I gave myself to Providence
    E
And I've been there and back again
    Abm
The state that I am in
F#
I gave myself to sin
  Bbm
I gave myself to Providence
    Ebm
And I've been there and back again
    C#
The state that I am in

B
I gave myself to sin
    F#
And I’ve been there and back again
   C#
Oh yeah
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