G             G               G              G 
 See him wasted on the sidewalk in his jacket and his jeans, 
          C              C                G        G 
 Wearin' yesterday's misfortunes like a smile-- 
 C              C              G             Em 
 Once he had a future full of money, love, and dreams, 
            A7                 A7          D (...sus4)    D 
 Which he spent like they was goin' outa style-- 
         G                 G               G             G 
 And he keeps right on a'changin' for the better or the worse, 
  C                 D               G       G 
 Searchin' for a shrine he's never found-- 
         C           C             G            G 
 Never knowin' if believin' is a blessin' or a curse, 
            C            D                G        G 
 Or if the goin' up was worth the comin' down-- 


         C            C 
 He's a poet, he's a picker-- 
          G              G 
 He's a prophet, he's a pusher-- 
         D              D               D                 G 
 He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned-- 
         C             C                G               G 
 He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, 
        D              D              D               G       G   
 Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home. 
   
 {modulate whole-step up:} 
 A (...sus4)    A (...sus4)  
   
   
 VERSE 2: {add sus4 to 2nd half of 
A measures at will} 
   
         A              A             A                 A 
 He has tasted good and evil in your bedrooms and your bars, 
            D          D          A      A 
 And he's traded in tomorrow for today-- 
  D                D                 A            F#m 
 Runnin' from his devils, Lord, and reachin' for the stars, 
      B7              B7              E      E 
 And losin' all he's loved along the way-- 
              A                    A               A              A 
 But if this world keeps right on turnin' for the better or the worse, 
            D            E           A      A 
 And all he ever gets is older and around-- 
           D               D            A              A 
 From the rockin' of the cradle to the rollin' of the hearse, 
      D (or Bm )     E                A       A 
 The goin' up was worth the comin' down-- 
   
  Chorus 
         D            D 
 He's a poet, he's a picker-- 
          A              A 
 He's a prophet, he's a pusher-- 
         E              E               E                 A 
 He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned-- 
         D             D                A               A 
 He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, 
        E              E              E               A        A / G# F# 
 Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home. 
   

 E                            E                E              { A :coda riff} 
     There's a lotta wrong directions on that lonely way back home