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The Way We Were

Aretha Franklin

R&B / SoulMedium for beginners14 chords

How to play it

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

Em7○○○○○
Am×○○
E7○○○○
Am7×○○○
Dm7Diagram coming soon
G7○○○
C7×○
Em○○○○
A7×○○○
Dm××○
F
G○○○
FmDiagram coming soon
C×○○

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

Text size
 
              C7M      Em7           F7M      Am9   Am   F7M 
Mem'ries      light the corners of my mind 
    Em7               E7  Am      Am7+ F7M   
Misty water-colored mem'ries         
      E4/7     E7  C7M Am7 Dm7 G7 
of the way   we were 
  C7M      Em7      F7M         Am9      Am    F7M 
Scattered pictures     of the smiles we left behind 
           Em7     E7  Am  Am7+  F7M       E4/7     E7 C7M C7 
Smiles we gave to one another      for the way   we were 
 
Bridge 
 
F7M                   Em7    Dm7 
Can it be that it was all so simple then 
Em            Em7          A7sus4     A7 
Or has time rewritten every line 
Dm             Dm7+     Dm7 
If we had the chance to do it all again 
Em7      C7M        F         G7 
Tell me, would we, could we 
  C7M    Em7      F7M          Am9    Am F7M 
Mem'ries   may be beautiful and yet 
            Em7    E7    Am  Am7+ F7M       
What's too painful to remember 
        E4/7       E7    Am7    Am7/G F7M 
We simply choose to forget 
             Em7     F7M           Em7   F7M 
So it's the laughter     we will remember 
               Em7 Am7  Dm7 
Whenever we remember  
   Dm7/G    C7M    F7M F 
The way we were 
    Fm      C     F7M  C7M 
The way we were

Details

Rating

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Chord set

Em7 · Am · E7 · Am7 · Dm7 · G7 · C7 · Em · A7 · Dm · F · G · Fm · C

Practice tip

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