Verses:
------

   A             '             E             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _  
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-2-----------|-2-----------|-0-----------|---------0---|
G|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----1---1---|-----1-------|
D|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
A|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
1. Like a bird     on the        wire              like a
2. Like a worm     on a          hook              like a
3. Like a baby         still     born              like a
4. But I swear   by    this      song              and by

   A             '             D             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-------------|-------------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
B|-2-----------|-2-----------|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
G|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
D|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|-0-------0---|-0---0---0---|
A|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. drunk in a midnight         choir               I have
2. knight from some old fashioned book             I have
3. beast with his              horn                I have
4. all that I have done        wrong               I will

   A             '             E             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-2-----------|-2-----------|-0-----------|---------0---|
G|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----1---1---|-----1-------|
D|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
A|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
1. tried in my                way                    to be
2. saved all my               ribbons                  for
3. torn                       everyone who reached out for
4. make                       it all up to

   A             Asus4         A             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-2-------2---|-3-------3---|-2-----------|-2-----------|
G|-----2-------|-----2-------|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|
D|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
A|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. free.                                 . . . . .  to verse 2
2. thee.                                 . . . . . to bridge 1
3. me.                                   . . . . .  to verse 4
4. thee.                                 . . . . . to bridge 2


Bridge 1 & 2:
------------

   D             '             '             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
B|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
G|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
D|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. If I,                      if I              have been
2. I    saw a beggar          leaning on       his wooden

   A             '             '             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-------0---|
B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2-------|
D|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
A|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. unkind
2. crutch

   Bm            '             '             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|
G|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
D|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|
A|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. I hope that you                     can just let it go
2. He    said to me              "You must not ask for so

   A             '             '             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-------0---|
B|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2-------|
G|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
D|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. by
2. much"

   D             '             '            '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
B|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
G|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
D|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. If I,                                   if I have been
2. And a pretty woman    leaning    in her       darkened

   A             '             '             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-------0---|
B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2-------|
D|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
A|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. untrue
2. door

   Bm            '             '             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|
G|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
D|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|
A|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1. I hope you know                         it was never to
2. she cried to me                   "Hey, why not ask for

   E             '             '             '
    _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _
   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
e|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-------------|-----0-------|-----0-------|---------0---|
G|-----1---1---|-2-------2---|-1-------1---|-----1-------|
D|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
A|---------2---|-2-------2---|-------------|-------------|
E|-0-----------|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
1. you                                   . . . . . to verse 3
2. more?"                                . . . . . to verse 1


*:·..·:*¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*


Lyrics and Chords:
-----------------

Verse 1:
-------

       A    '      E   '
Like a bird on the wire,
       A    '              D   '
like a drunk in a midnight choir
       A    '      E   '     A   Asus4   A  '
I have tried in my way to be free.


Verse: 2:
--------

Like a worm on a hook,
like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.


Bridge 1:
--------

D    '    '     '     A  '  '  '
If I, if I have been unkind,
Bm         '    '              '   
I hope that you can just let it go 
A    '    '     '
by.
D    '    '     '     A  '  '  '
If I, if I have been untrue
Bm         '    '           '   
I hope you know it was never to 
E    '    '     '
you.


Verse: 3:
--------

Like a baby, stillborn,
like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.

Verse: 4:
--------

But I swear by this song
and by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.

Bridge 2:
--------

I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
he said to me, "You must not ask for so 
much."
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
she cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for 
more?"

Verse: 1:
--------

Oh like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.