You Had To Be There
View chords used in this chart
D
He sat down, picked up the phone
Bm
And said, "Boy, I'm your old man"
A
He touched the glass between the two
Bm
As if to shake his hand
D
The boy, he didn't budge
Bm
Not even so much as a blink
A
The man said, "Oh, come on
Bm A
Better late than never, don't you think?"
D
He said, "I read it in the paper
Bm
Can't believe you're 21
A
Can't believe some son of mine
Bm
Could do the things I hear you've done"
D
He went on like some big hero
Bm
Who flew in to save the day
A
And the boy said, "If you're here
Bm A
To steer me right, man, it's too late"
D
"You had to be there
A
And I'm talkin' from day one
Bm A
That's the only time a man should talk
G A
Through glass to his new son"
D
"And you'd have to go back
A
And teach me how when I was nine
Bm A
'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball
G A
Even if she had the time"
Em
"And I should have been learnin' how to fish
F#m
Instead of learnin' how to smoke
G
I bet if you'd have whooped my tail
F#m
I'd never thought it was a joke"
Em
He said, "Sometimes the will
F#m
For doin' wrong is way too strong
A
For any Mama's prayers
D
You had to be there"
D
The man said, "Boy, I'm sorry
Bm
That you hate me like you do"
A
The boy said, "Dry it up, man
Bm A
We ain't makin' this about you"
D
"It's about a teenage girl against the world
Bm
Who was left there high and dry
A
About a kid who might have stood
Bm A
A whole lot better shot at life"
D
"You had to be there
A
And I'm talkin' from day one
Bm A
That's the only time a man should talk
G A
Through glass to his new son"
D
"And you'd have to go back
A
And teach me how when I was nine
Bm A
'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball
G A
Even if she had the time"
Em
"And I should have been learnin' how to fish
F#m
Instead of learnin' how to smoke
G
I bet if you'd have whooped my tail
F#m
I'd never thought it was a joke"
Em
He said, "Sometimes the will
F#m
For doin' wrong is way too strong
A
For any Mama's prayers
D
You had to be there"
D
Before the boy hung up the phone
Bm
He said, "They say I'm out of time"
A
And it hit the man right there and then
Bm D
"My God, son, so am I"
How to play You Had To Be There
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is D. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.