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If I only had the words to tell you

Billy Joel

RockAdvanced for beginners18 chords

How to play it

Fingering diagrams for the shapes in this song. × = don't play, ○ = open string.

BbDiagram coming soon
D××
EbDiagram coming soon
Cm7Diagram coming soon
Ab7Diagram coming soon
F7Diagram coming soon
DbDiagram coming soon
Dm7Diagram coming soon
Ab11Diagram coming soon
F
GbDiagram coming soon
Ebm7Diagram coming soon
B9Diagram coming soon
Gbmaj7Diagram coming soon
BbmDiagram coming soon
AbDiagram coming soon
Fm7Diagram coming soon
Db9Diagram coming soon

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

Text size
 
              Bb           Bb/D      Eb           Bb/D 
If I only had the words to tell you 
          Cm7                 Ab7        F7 
If you only had the time to understand 
                  Bb                     Bb/D              Eb          Bb/D       
Though I know it wouldn?t change your feelings 
          Cm7                   F7(sus4)             Bb         Db     F7 
And I know you?ll carry on the best you can. 
 
Bb               Bb/D      Eb           Bb/D 
If I only had the urge to tell you 
          Cm7                  F7(sus4)     Ab7         F7 
If you only knew how hard it is to say 
                 Bb                       Bb/D      Eb         Bb/D 
When the simple lines have all been taken 
              Dm7     F7(sus4)              Bb        Ab11         Ab7     
And the radio repeats them ev?ry day. 
 
       Db                  Db/F     Gb          Db/F 
If I never find the song to sing you 
           Ebm7                                     B9         Ab7 
If you always find it hard to comprehend 
                 Db                           Db/F         Gbmaj7      Gb    Db/F 
Well, you know there wouldn?t be much meaning 
      Ebm7                   Ab11            Db 
If I had to sing those tired words again. 
 
F7   Bbm       F7         Bbm 
Life        goes on and on 
           Ab       Db   Ab         Db 
And tonight      will soon be gone 
              Gbmaj7  Fm7                    Ebm7           Ab11     Ab7 
But if we try                  we can be sure. 
 
      Db                Db/F       Gb        Db/F 
If I only had the words to tell you 
        Ebm7                                   Db9         Ab7 
If you only had the time to understand 
         Db                      Db/F     Gbmaj7    Gb  Db/F 
But I only have these arms to hold you 
             Ebm7               Ab11         Db 
And it?s all that you can ask of any man. 
 
 
 
 
 
          
 

Details

Rating

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Chord set

Bb · D · Eb · Cm7 · Ab7 · F7 · Db · Dm7 · Ab11 · F · Gb · Ebm7 · B9 · Gbmaj7 · Bbm · Ab · Fm7 · Db9

Practice tip

Loop the first two chords slowly until the change is clean, then add the rest.