Arthur

The Kinks

Compositor: The Kinks

Tom: A

A
Arthur was born just a plain simple man
      E                            A
in a plain simple working class position

Though the world was hard and its ways were set
        E                          A
he was young and he had so much ambition

All the week he was overtaken
    E                         A
by people who make the big decisions

But he tried and he tried for a better life
       E                         A
and a way to improve his own condition
   D                                         A-G-D-A
If only life were easy it would be such fu-u-un
D                                                 A-G-D-A
Things would be more equal and be plenty for everyone
D
Arthur the world's gone and passed you by
           A                  D
Don't you know it, don't you know it

You can cry, cry all night but it won't make it right
           A                  D
Don't you know it, don't you know it

Arthur we know and we sympathize
           A                  D
Don't you know it, don't you know it

Arthur we like you and want to help you
A                              D
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:

           A                  D
Don't you know it, don't you know it
A                              D
Somebody loves you, don't you know it
           A                  D          A-D
Don't you know it, don't you know it

And then it's back to "Arthur, the world's gone..." with its D-A 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.



Date: May 24, 1997  3:43 PM
From: Christopher Carl Heckman


"Arthur" lead guitar bits.

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.