The Living Years
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Written by Mike Rutherford and B.A. Robertson
From the album, Living Years (Mike & The Mechanics), 1988


Key: A-Flat Major, Time: 4/4, Tempo: 98

[Intro]
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[Verse 1:] (0:30-)
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 Every generation______
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 Blames the one before___
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And all of their frustrations____
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Come beating on your door._____

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I know that I'm a prisoner
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To all my father held so dear
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I know that I'm a hostage
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To all his hopes and fears
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I just wish I could have told him
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 In the living years.    oh,


[Verse 2] (1:08-)

 Crumpled bits of paper
 Filled with imperfect thought
 Stilted conversations
 I'm afraid that's all we've got.

 You say you just don't see it
 He says it's perfect sense
 You just can't get agreement
 In this present tense
 We all talk a different language
 Talking in defence.


[Chorus:] (1:48-)
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Say it loud,  say it clear
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You can listen as well as you hear

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It's too late  when we die
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To ad-mit we don't see eye to eye.


[Verse 3] (2:27-)



 So we open up a quarrel
 Between the present and the past
 We only sacrifice the future
 It's the bitterness that lasts.

 So don't yield to the fortunes
 You sometimes see as fate
 It may have a new perspective
 On a different day
 And if you don't give up, and don't give in
 You may just be OK.


[Chorus] (3:06-)


[Verse 4] (3:45-)

 I wasn't there that morning
 When my father passed away
 I didn't get to tell him
 All the things I had to say

 I think I caught his spirit
 Later that same year
 I'm sure I heard his echo
 In my baby's new born tears
 I just with I could have told him
 In the living years


[Chorus] (4:23-)


[Coda:] (5:02-)
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   Say it loud,  say it clear