Copied from: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/When_It_Sings

This song will likely sound better on guitar in drop D tuning.

D A/C# D/C  Bm Bb A

G (320003@1)F#m (244222@1)name="chord_022000@1">Em   G (320003@1)F#m (244222@1)name="chord_022000@1">Em

D (xx0232@1)             A/C# (042220@1)   D/CAll (x30232@1)the words you say to me have music in them
         Bm (x24432@1)            Bb (x1333x@1)       AAll (x02220@1)the sorrows and the joys, like magnetism
       G (320003@1)          F#m (244222@1)  Em (022000@1)        
And a selfish boy looks through a prism
     C (x32010@1)      Bm (x24432@1)    Bb (x1333x@1) A (x02220@1)       DAnd (xx0232@1)says what is but never asks what isn't

Bm (x24432@1)                 GBut (320003@1)a voice contains many precious things
    C#m (x13321@4)              F#mIt (244222@1)laughs and then it sings
             F(/D) F7 (131241@1)           Gm(/D)
And all the lies     that we can tell
    Bb (x1333x@1)name="chord_x13341@1">Bbsus4 A+ A6 (x04xxx@1) A-5  
e||----------------------||
B||-6---------6--7-------||
G||----8--------------8--||
D||----------------------||
A||----------------------||
D||-8*--------7*---------||  *let ring
   To our    foolish selves

D (xx0232@1)        A/C# (042220@1)        D/C (x30232@1)Maybe this is the love song that I refused to
  Bm (x24432@1)            Bb (x1333x@1)      AWrite (x02220@1)her when I loved her like I used to
       G (320003@1)            F#m (244222@1)name="chord_022000@1">Em    
And I fear my heart may spin and fracture
      C (x32010@1)      Bm (x24432@1)  Bb (x1333x@1)     A (x02220@1)    DLike (xx0232@1)tears of stone falling from a statue

Bm (x24432@1)                      GBut (320003@1)a voice contains all that's true and false
       C#m (x13321@4)           F#mThen (244222@1)cries for someone else
              F(/D) F7 (131241@1)     Gm(/D)
And for some honest   tenderness
Bb Bsus4 A+   A6 A-5
So I    must confess

D (xx0232@1)             A/C# (042220@1)   D/CAll (x30232@1)the words you say to me have music in them
         Bm (x24432@1)            Bb (x1333x@1)       AAll (x02220@1)the sorrows and the joys, like magnetism
       G (320003@1)          F#m (244222@1)  Em (022000@1)        
And a selfish boy looks through a prism
     C (x32010@1)      Bm (x24432@1)    Bb (x1333x@1) A (x02220@1)       DAnd (xx0232@1)says what is but never asks what isn't