Better Place To Be Chords & Lyrics - Harry Chapin

It was an e[D]arly morning ba[Dmaj7]rroom

And the pla[D7]ce had just opened [Gmaj7]up

[Em] [Em]/[D#]
And a little man came in so fast

And h[Em/D]e started at his cups [A7]


And the br[D]oad who served the wh[Dmaj7]iskey

She was a [D7]big old friendly [Gmaj7]girl

[Em] [Em]/[D#]
Who tried to fight her empty nights

By[Em/D] 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/G] [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
Consider it's understood

[A/C#] [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
I know I'm not no beauty queen

But I [A/C#]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 [Cmaj7]

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[A11] my [D]right

[G] [G/F#] [Em7] [G] [G]/[F#] [Em7] [D]
And Lord, lord, lord, (Lord, Lord, Lord) 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 [Cmaj7]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

[G] [G/F#] [Em7] [G] [G]/[F#] [Em7] [D]
And Lord, lord, lord, (Lord, Lord, Lord) she was worth a try

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 [Cmaj7]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/G] [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
Then that's all right with me

[A/C#] [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
'Cause I know I'm going no-where

And a[A/C#]nywhere's a [Em]better [A7sus4]place to [D]be

[D] - [G] - [G/F#] - [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
[A] - [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
[A]

[A/C#]Anywheres a [Em]better pl[A7sus4]ace to [D]be


Well, I [D]drove her to my boa[Dmaj7]rding house

And I [D7]took her up to my room [Gmaj7]

[Em] [Em]/[D#]
And I went to turn on the only light

[Em/D]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 [Cmaj7]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/G] [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
Then that's all right with me

[A/C#] [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
Cause I've been so lonely

Lovin' s[A/C#]omeone is a b[Em]etter wa[A7sus4]y to be[D]

[D] - [G] - [G/F#] - [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
[A] - [Em] - [Em]/[D#] - [Em/D]
[A]

[A/C#]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 [Cmaj7]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[Dmaj7]r rag and she wi[D7]ped it across her eye[Gmaj7]s

[Em] [Em]/[D#] [Em/D] [A7]
And as she spoke her voice came out as something like a sigh

She said I w[D]ish that I was [Dmaj7]beautiful or that y[D7]ou were halfway b[Gmaj7]lind

[Em] [Em]/[D#] [Em/D] [A7]
And I wish I weren't so God-damned fat, I wish that you were 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]

And the [Em7]little man looked at the [F#m]empty glass in his hand and he smi[Em7]led a crooked grin [D]

[Em7] [D] [Em7] [D/F#] [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] [Dmaj7] - [Gmaj7] - [D]
'Cause I know I'm going no-where and anywhere's a better place to be