A Better Place To Be Version 2 Chords & Lyrics - Harry Chapin

It w[D]as an early mor[D]ning barroom
And the pla[D7]ce had just opened [G]up
And a l[Em]ittle man came [Em]in so fast
And h[Em]e started at his cups[A7]
And the br[D]oad who served the wh[D]iskey
She was a [D7]big old friendly [G]girl
Who t[Em]ried to fight her e[Em]mpty nights
By[Em] smiling at the world [A7]
And she [G]said "Hey, bub, i[A]t's been a while
[F#m]Since you've been around [B7]
Where the [Em]hell you been hidi[A]ng
And w[G]hy you look so down [D]
Well, the [G]little man s[A]at there
Like he'd ne[G]ver he[A]ard a sound [D]
The w[Cm]aitress she gave out[G] with a cough
And [Bb]acting not the least[F] put off she spoke[Em] once ag[A]ain
She said [D]"I don't want to[G] bother you
[Em] [Em] – [Em] - [Em]
Consider it's understood
[A] [Em] – [Em] - [Em]
I know I'm not no beauty queen
But I [A]sure c[Em]an l[A7sus4]isten good [D]

And the [G]little man
Took his [A]drink in his hand
And he r[Em]aised it to his lips [D]
He [G]took a couple sips [D]
And then he [Em7]told the wait[A]ress this s[D]tory
I [D]am the midnight watchm[Am]an down at [C]Miller's [G]Tool and Die [D]
And I watch[G] the metal rus[F#m]ting, I [Bm]watch the time go by [C]
A [A]week ago at the din[G]er I [F#m]stopped to get a bite [B7]
And t[Em]his here lovely la[A]dy she sat [G]two seat[Em7]s from[A] my [D]right
And [G]Lord, [G]lord, [Em7]lord, (L[G]ord, L[G]ord, [Em7]Lord) [D]she was alright

Yo[D]u see she was so damn [Am]beautiful that she could wa[C]rm a wi[G]nters fro[D]st
But s[G]he looked long past l[F#m]onely and w[Bm]ell nigh onto [C]lost
Now I[A]'m not much of a mo[G]ver or a pi[F#m]ck'em up easy [B7]guy
But I de[Em]cided to glide on ov[A]er and give h[G]er [Em7]one good t[D]ry
And [G]Lord, [G]lord, [Em7]lord, [G]she wa[G]s wort[Em7]h a try [D]

We[D]ll I was tongue tied like a sch[Am]oolboy, I stam[C]mered o[G]ut some wo[D]rds
It did n[G]ot seem to m[F#m]atter much 'cause [Bm]I don't think she [C]heard
She ju[A]st looked clear on thr[G]ough me to a s[F#m]pace back in my h[B7]ead
It sh[Em]amed me into sil[A]ence as qui[G]etly [Em7]she s[D]aid
If you w[D]ant me to come w[G]ith you
[Em] [Em] – [Em] - [Em]
Then that's all right with me

[A] [Em] – [Em] - [Em]
'Cause I know I'm going no-where
And a[A]nywhere's a [Em]better [A7sus4]place to [D]be
[A]Anywheres a [Em]better pl[A7sus4]ace to [D]be

Well, I [D]drove her to my boa[D]rding house
And I [D7]took her up to my room [G]
And I [Em]went to turn on the [Em]only light
[Em]To brighten up the gloom [A7]
But she [Dm]said, "Please leave the light off,
Oh, [Gm]I don't mind the dark"
And as her cl[F]othes all tumbled 'round her
[Asus4] [A] [Asus4] - [A] - [Asus4] - [A]
I could hear my heart
The [D]moonlight shone u[Am]pon her as she l[C]ay back [G]in my b[D]ed
It was the [G]kind of scene I [F#m]only had ima[Bm]gined in my [C]head
I [A]just could not [G]believe it to [F#m]think that she was r[B7]eal
And a[Em]s I tried to t[A]ell her, she said &quo[G]t;Ssssh,[Em7] I know just how [D]you feel
And if you [D]want to come here [G]with me
[Em] [Em] – [Em] - [Em]
Then that's all right with me
[A] [Em] – [Em] - [Em]
Cause I've been so lonely
Lovin' s[A]omeone is a b[Em]etter wa[A7sus4]y to be[D]
[A]Anywhere's a [Em]better [A7sus4]place to [D]be

Well the [D]mornin' came so [Am]swiftly I [C]held her [G]in my a[D]rms
And s[G]he slept like a [F#m]baby, [Bm]snug and safe from [C]harm
I [A]did not want to sh[G]are her or [F#m]dare to break the m[B7]ood
So bef[Em]ore she woke I [A]went out to [G]buy us both some f[Dm]ood
I c[Dm]ame back with my paper bag to [Gm]find that she was gone
She'd [F]left a six-word letter sayin' "I[Gm]t's time that I m[D]oved on"
You know the [D]waitress she took her ba[D]r rag and she wi[D7]ped it across her eye[G]s
And [Em]as she spoke her [Em]voice came out as[Em] something like a sigh [A7]
She said I w[D]ish that I was [D]beautiful or that [D7]you were halfway [G]blind
And [Em]I wish I weren't so G[Em]od-damned fat, [Em]I wish that you were [A7]mine
[A7]And I wish [G]that you'd come wi[A]th me [F#m]when I leave for home [B7]
For we [Em]both know all 'bout emp[A]tiness and [G]livin' [Em]all alone [D]
[D]And the lit[Em7]tle man looked at the emp[F#m]ty glass in his hand and he smiled[Em7] a crooked in
[Em7] [D] [Em7] [D] [G] - [Em7] - [A]
He said "I guess I'm out of gin and I know we both have been so lonely
And if you w[D]ant me to come [G]with you then that's alright with [Em]me
[A] [Em] [A] [Em7] [A7] [D] [D] - [G] - [D]
'Cause I know I'm going no-where and anywhere's a better place to be