ONG: The Teacher's Argument
ARTIST: Michael Gore

From the musical, Fame

Dm                    Dm/C  
Artists are special celestial fools
Dm/B                        Bb  
blessed with the talent for breaking the rules
    Dm         /C          /B      Bb      Gm7  
I'm fit for confinement in cubicle schools
Bb/C  Am/C   Gm/C   
artists are 
Bb/F  F
special

Dsus4/E   A7sus4    A7   

Dm                     /C  
Artists are people not primitive fools
     Dm/B                    /Bb  
they learn what to do before breaking the rules
     Dm/A          /Ab          C/G       F     Dm7  
they know that the brain is the finest of tools
F/G  Em/G   Dm/G   
artists are 
F  C
people


Eb                    C7  
Whether in theatre or music or dance
     Eb                   C7  
they have to be given the chance
   Bb         Am                 Gm 
to fly by the seat of their pants
                 Gm
to develop their minds and be nurtured
     A7sus4
like plants

A7sus4    A7   

Dm
Artists are part of the same human race
as everyone else in the same bloody place
    F/A         /Ab         C/G          F   D7  
you learn to survive or you fall on your face
          Gm   C   
artist or not
A7        Dm (5 bars)
artist or not

A7sus4
A7
Fm7

I've seen them come and go for all these years
Fm7                                                        Ebmaj7
kids with no talent for anything more than carrying spears
another year another shipment
            C#/G                                 F#/C   C7b5
lacking the drive or the style or the basic equipment
            Fno3rd
this one is different.

Ano3rd

              D      F#7   Bm         A  
And i can see me then, unremarkable me
               D            D7  
the kid in the ballet class
               G             C#  
the princess i wanted to be
         F#m         F  
tutu and pointe shoes
          Em   Eb  
hair in a bun
             Bb       Eb  
completely unnoticed 
             A7sus4
as if i were no one


            Dm                   /C  
this one is different i tell you
             G/B   Gm/Bb    A7   
this one can dance
            Dm
this one is special i tell you
           A# G Cno3rd (5 bars)
give him a chance

Fno3rd
Gno3rd (2 bars)


What did they tell me when i was a girl
Learn...
Day after day when i was a girl
Learn...
    B
The land of dreams waits over the meadow
C#
if you can find a way
out of the ghetto
D      E
learn, learn
         A               G    D
put your faith in books
that will protect you
         A              G    D
put your faith in books
and a mind of your own
        A              G    D    C 
neither charm or looks
will make them respect you
you must learn to stand
you must learn to stand alone


this one is different
put your faith in books
this one can dance
put your faith in books
artists are special
artists are people
this one must have the chance
this one must have the chance.