A
Arthur was born just a plain simple man
E A
in a plain simple working class position
Though the world was hard and its ways were set
E A
he was young and he had so much ambition
All the week he was overtaken
E A
by people who make the big decisions
But he tried and he tried for a better life
E A
and a way to improve his own condition
D A - G - D - A
If only life were easy it would be such fu-u-un
D A - G - D - A
Things would be more equal and be plenty for everyone
D
Arthur the world's gone and passed you by
A D
Don't you know it, don't you know it
You can cry, cry all night but it won't make it right
A D
Don't you know it, don't you know it
Arthur we know and we sympathize
A D
Don't you know it, don't you know it
Arthur we like you and want to help you
A D
Somebody loves you, don't you know it
It shifts keys back to the A-E section for the guitar solo and the "How's
your wife" verse, then goes back to D-A after repeating the middle eight
("If only life were easy"). At the end there's this part:
A D
Don't you know it, don't you know it
A D
Somebody loves you, don't you know it
A D A - D
Don't you know it, don't you know it
And then it's back to "Arthur, the world's gone..." with its D - A chords,
which are continued for the long fade-out.
On those late verses where there's no singing on the "don't you know it"
parts, you can play an A7 instead of an A.
During the A & E chords ("verses"), the following is played:
G | --2--2--0--2--0--0--2--2--0--2--0--0--1----1----1----1--1--0--2--
The prechorus I just play the chords noted. Over the D & A chords
("chorus"), I play:
B | --3--3--1--3--1--1--3--3--1--3--1--1--5----5----5----5--5--1--3--
and during the solo, this line is moved up an octave to:
B | -10-10--8-10--8--8-10-10--8-10--8--8-12---12---12---12-12--8-10----
with liberal bends on the E's at the 12th fret.
