A5
Arthur was born just a plain simple man
E5 A5
in a plain simple working class position
Though the world was hard and its ways were set
E5 A5
he was young and he had so much ambition
All the week he was overtaken
E5 A5
by people who make the big decisions
But he tried and he tried for a better life
E5 A5
and a way to improve his own condition
D5 A5 - G5 - D5 - A5
If only life were easy it would be such fu-u-un
D5 A5 - G5 - D5 - A5
Things would be more equal and be plenty for everyone
D5
Arthur the world's gone and passed you by
A5 D5
Don't you know it, don't you know it
You can cry, cry all night but it won't make it right
A5 D5
Don't you know it, don't you know it
Arthur we know and we sympathize
A5 D5
Don't you know it, don't you know it
Arthur we like you and want to help you
A5 D5
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:
A5 D5
Don't you know it, don't you know it
A5 D5
Somebody loves you, don't you know it
A5 D5 A5 - D5
Don't you know it, don't you know it
And then it's back to "Arthur, the world's gone..." with its D5 - A5 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.
