Intro:
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm    E   

Verse:
  Gbm   Abm          B     Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E
I don't know how I'm gonna tell you 
  Gbm   Abm       B      Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E
I can't play with you no more
  Gbm   Abm          B     Abm     Gbm  E        Gbm  E 
I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me
Gbm Abm         B        Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  
My  friend, the boy next door

Interlude:
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm    E   

Verse:
  Gbm   Abm          B      Abm    Gbm  E  Gbm  E
I can't believe what people saying
       Gbm   Abm      B         Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E
You're gonna let your hair hang down
    Gbm  Abm     B        Abm     Gbm E        Gbm  E
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long
       Gbm    Abm    B       Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm
You're in the darker side of town

Interlude:
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm    E   

Verse:
    Gbm      Abm   B       Abm     Gbm  E  Gbm  E    
And when I'm out I see you walking 
    Gbm        Abm  B   Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E
Why don't your eyes see me?
Gbm      Abm       B      Abm    Gbm     E      Gbm  E
Could it be you've found another game to play?  
Gbm  Abm      B      Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm
What did mama say to me?

Chorus:
Bm                                            (main pattern x1)
That's the way, Oh, that's the way it ought to be
Bm                                              B     E7  Gbm
Yeah, yeah, mama say that's the way it ought to stay

Interlude: E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm   E  

Verse:
    Gbm   Abm   B       Abm      Gbm    E     Gbm  E    
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
    Gbm     Abm              B           Abm   Gbm  E  Gbm  E 
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes?
    Gbm     Abm       B      Abm   Gbm   E     Gbm  E
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying
Gbm Abm          B    Abm   Gbm  E  Gbm  
Had they got you hypnotized?

Interlude:
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm   
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm   E  

Verse:
    Gbm   Abm   B       Abm     Gbm  E       Gbm  E
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
    Gbm      Abm      B       Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E
But all that lives is born to die
    Gbm  Abm    B        Abm     Gbm    E       Gbm  E
And so I say to you that nothing really matters 
    Gbm     Abm   B         Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E
And all you do is stand and cry

Interlude:
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm  
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm   
    E  Gbm  Abm   B   Abm  Gbm  E   Gbm   E   

Verse:
  Gbm        Abm     B    Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E 
I don't know what to say about it 
     Gbm     Abm  B            Abm  Gbm  E  Gbm  E
When all you ears have turned away
    Gbm       Abm     B        Abm   Gbm     E        Gbm   E
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see
   Gbm      Abm    B        Abm   Gbm  E  Gbm
Is that the way it ought to stay?

Chorus:
Bm                                            
That's the way               
                                                          Bm
Oh, that's the way it ought to be, Oh don't you know now
                                      B           E7     Gbm  
Mama said   that's the way it's gonna stay, yeah

Outro (2x): 
    E  Gbm  Abm  A  B
    A  B  E   
    A  B  E  
 This arrangement is its contributor’s own interpretation, shared for private study, education and non-commercial use. The underlying song, lyrics and music remain the property of their copyright owners. To request removal, see Legal & Copyright.