How Will I Ever be Simple Again?
Richard Thompson, from Daring Adventures
Transcribed by phillip@phoenix.princeton.edu
 
Capo 1st fret
 
        A                             D         A
Oh, She danced in the street with the guns all around her,
    A                                     E
All torn like a rag doll, barefoot in the rain
        A                        D             A
And she sang like a child too-ra day too-ra da dee
    A                  E       A
Oh, how will I ever be simple again?
 
She sat by the banks of the dirty grey river
And tried for a fish with a worm on a pin.
There was nothing but fever and ghosts in the water
Oh, how will I ever be simple again?
 
Bridge 1
D                      A
War was my love and my friend and companion
    D                       A          E
And what did I care for the pretty and plain?
        A                         D            A
But her smile was so clear and my heart was so troubled
    A                  E       A
Oh, how will I ever be simple again?
 
Solo (tab below)
 
In her poor burned-out house I sat at her table
The smell of her hair was like cornfields in May
And I wanted to weep and my eyes ached from trying
Oh, how will I ever be simple again?
 
Bridge 2
So graceful she moved through the dust and the ruin
And happy she was in her dances and games.
Oh teach me to see with your innocent eyes, love.
Oh, how will I ever be simple again?
 
Guitar Solo
   A                            
-|------------------|----------0-------|-------------------|
-|------------------|-------2-----2----|-------------------|
-|----2-----2--2----|-2-h4-----------4-|-4-p2--2-----------|
-|-------2----------|------------------|----------4--2-----|
-|-0--------------0-|------------------|----------------4--|
-|------------------|------------------|-------------------|
 
   D                     A                     A
-|----------0-h2--0----|-0--------0-h2--0----|------------------|
-|-------3-----------0-|-------------------0-|-0-h2--------2--3-|
-|----2--------2--2--2-|-------2-----2--2--2-|----------2-----4-|
-|-0-------------------|----2----------------|-------2----------|
-|---------------------|-0-------------------|-0----------------|
-|---------------------|---------------------|------------------|
 
   A                 A                     E
-|-----------------|---------------------|------------------------|
-|-3-/5-------5--7-|-7-p5--------5--5-s3-|-3--0-h3-p0-------------|
-|-4-/6----6-------|----------6----------|------------2--1--------|
-|------7----------|-------7-------------|------------------2-s4--|
-|-----------------|----0----------------|------------------------|
-|-----------------|---------------------|------------------------|
 
   E                     A                 A
-|---------------------|-----------------|-0---------4-s5--|
-|---------------------|------------0-h2-|------0----------|
-|-1-------------------|-------2---------|-----------------|
-|----2--2-p0----------|----2------------|-----------------|
-|-------------2-s4--2-|-0---------------|-----------------|
-|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
 
   D                     A                A
-|-5--2-h5-p2----------|----------------|------------------|
-|-------------3-------|----------------|-2---------2------|
-|----------------2----|-----------2--4-|-2----2-------2---|
-|-0-----------------4-|-2----2-------4-|------------------|
-|---------------------|-0--------------|-0----------------|
-|---------------------|----------------|------------------|
 
   A                  E              A                 A
-|------------------|------------4-|-5-p4--0---------|---------------|
-|----2-------------|---------5----|---------3--2----|---------------|
-|-4-----4-p2-------|------4-------|---------------4-|-2-------------|
-|-------------4--2-|-4-s6---------|-----------------|------4----2---|
-|------------------|--------------|-0---------------|---------------|
-|------------------|-0------------|-----------------|---------------|