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It’s a Good Life if You Don’t Weaken
The Tragically Hip
Nice and simple here, just the chords. I am tuned down a half step.
Comments?
Intro
Am Fmaj7
Am Fmaj7
When the colour of the night
Am Fmaj7
And all the smoke for one life
Dm G
Gives way to shaky movements,
Dm
Improvisational skills,
F
A forest of whispering speakers
Am
Let’s swear that we will
Fmaj7
Get with the times
Am
In a current health to stay
Fmaj7
Let’s get friendship right
Dm
Get life day-to-day
G
In the forget-yer-skates dream
C
Full of countervailing woes
G
In diverse-as-ever scenes
F(bar)
Proceeding on a need-to-know
G(bar) F(bar)
In a face so full of meaning
G(bar) F(bar)
As to almost make it glow
G(bar) F(bar)
O’ for a good life, we just might have to weaken
C
And find somewhere to go
Fmaj7
Go somewhere we’re needed
C
Find somewhere to grow
Fmaj7
Grow somewhere we’re needed
Intro
Am Fmaj7
Am Fmaj7
When the colour of the night
Am Fmaj7
And all the smoke for one life
Dm G
Gives way to shaky movements,
Dm
Improvisational skills,
F
A forest of whispering speakers
Am
Let’s swear that we will
Fmaj7
Get with the times
Am
In a current health to stay
Fmaj7
Let’s get friendship right
Dm
Get life day-to-day
G
In the forget-yer-skates dream
C
Full of countervailing woes
G
In diverse-as-ever scenes
F(bar)
Proceeding on a need-to-know
G(bar) F(bar)
In a face so full of meaning
G(bar) F(bar)
As to almost make it glow
G(bar) F(bar)
O’ for a good life, we just might have to weaken
(Repeat chorus twice)
Dm G
Cause in the forget-yer-skates dream
Dm
You can hang your head in woe
G
In diverse-as-ever scenes
Am Fmaj7
You know which way to go
Am Fmaj7 (fade)
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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MelissA Average |
#1 by MelissA at Jul 19, 1975 at 10:43 AM EST |
| I first heard this song while I was asleep and my friend was watching the TV. This song was playing and it crept into my dreams. For some reason I dreamt that Rutger Hauer was singing it to Kristy Swanson. The next morning I asked my friend if he was listening to Tragically Hip, and he was like "Yeah, it's their new song, it rocks." Then I asked him if he was watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer or something, and he was like "No." So I guess I'm a nut. | |
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Collin Average |
#2 by Collin at Oct 17, 1975 at 7:39 PM EST |
| musically, it's beautiful, just like many of their slower songs. this song almost makes me want to cry, for no good reason... as someone said in the Hip's Canadian Music Hall of Fame montage at the Junos: "if i wasn't married to her (pointing to wife), i'd be married to Gord". | |
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Randy Wanna Be |
#3 by Randy Burden at Apr 8, 1976 at 11:47 PM EST |
| To me, this song is about individuality in a relationship. When the colour of the night and all the smoke for one life This line just reminds me of standing by yourself, out in the country side, at the dusk of a winter´s day. You know when you turn around to go back to the city, that you´ll have to deal with friends and family and work and life, but for now, you are the only life. gives way to shaky movements, improvisational skills, a forest of whispering speakers When you go back to ´life´, you find yourself woefully unprepared. So you fake it, just trying to do the best that you can. I think the forest of whispering speakers are those little voices you hear around you. Your friends and family, who think they know what you should do, your intuition, the voice of God. let's swear that we will get with the times, in a current health to stay let's get friendship right get life day-to-day I think these lines deal with a relationship. It´s like ´Things aren´t perfect, and I don´t know what the hell I´m doing, but I just want a simple, strong relationship with someone I love. Let´s be healthy, let´s be friends again, let´s just live life day to day without worrying about the future and all those things that don´t really matter. in the forget-yer-skates dream full of countervailing woes I think this once again refers to the sense of inadequacy. You´ve shown up at the rink without your skates. Therefore, you can´t play in the game. I think this might refer to a break in the relationship. And I think countervailing woes is sort of the idea that, on one hand, you really want to get on the ice. But on the other hand, it´s overwhelming you, and you´re glad to be able to sit this one out. in diverse-as-ever scenes proceeding on a need-to-know I think this line is just going with the flow of life. Go on a need to know basis. in a face so full of meaning as to almost make it glow This refers to a partner, that feels some strong emotion. O' for a good life, we just might have to weaken and find somewhere to go go somewhere we're needed find somewhere to grow grow somewhere were needed. To me, those lines mean that to really live life, and feel good, you need to weaken. To let down those defenses, and put yourself in a space where you can grow. In the sense of the relationship, I think it means two people finding their own separate paths, because they were stifling each other. Growing up and growing apart. | |
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D-backs, 2006 w Rhythm Player |
#4 by D-backs, 2006 world series champions! !! at Jul 23, 1976 at 5:57 AM EST |
| Hip most certainly does rock, these lyrics are deep, i love them! | |
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Vinny Average |
#5 by Vinny Spano at May 11, 1977 at 10:15 PM EST |
| i dont know what the song means but i love this song its deep!!!!!! | |
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Josh Average |
#6 by Josh at Jul 19, 1978 at 1:34 PM EST |
| I love this song, the video and the hip. This song just gets to you somehow. | |
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Dan Average |
#7 by Dan Flores at Apr 13, 1981 at 10:25 PM EST |
| This is a great song, one of the best off "In Violet Light". | |
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jessie Wanna Be |
#8 by jessie sinanan at Apr 22, 1981 at 11:42 AM EST |
| I think the lyric of the song is actually an argument AGAINST the title. Something Gord probably heard before, and decided he didn't agree with. It seems that this song is about choice. And how we're forced to make these choices that affect our life, even when we are not "ready" to make these choices. "shaky movements", "improvisational skills", speak about someone who is unsure of themselves. the smoke is clearing and the paths are coming clearer, and he/she must decide. gord seems to also be speaking of keeping to the essentials.. "a current health to stay, let's get friendship right, get life day-to-day".. and this might also be about that too "forget yer-skates-dream full of countervailing woes".. and the rest of it.. the next four lines are actually my favorite in the song.. I think it's all about choice, based on limited information, and made with limited experience. kind of reminds of the bridge in "Courage". | |
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Allen Average |
#9 by Allen Stone at Jun 3, 1981 at 6:02 AM EST |
| I heard this song on the radio and just had to find the lyrics for it, I love it but I've only heard it twice. :( It came on this morning while I was getting ready for class and my sister gave me one of those "what the hell is this?" looks but she doesn't like a lot of what I listen to,lol. | |
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Joan Average |
#10 by Joan Rius at Jul 19, 1981 at 8:13 PM EST |
| the Tragically Hip are possibly the only genuinely Canadian band that hasn't yet bought into American pop culture... As for this song, it has affected me just as deeply as "Bobcaygeon" affected me the first time I heard it way back when. Just saw these guys live last night, and they are one damn hell of a good show. (Sam Roberts rocked the roof down too). | |
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Gabe Average |
#11 by Gabe Hawkins at May 2, 1986 at 5:03 PM EST |
| wonderful track. highly recommended. the best canadian band ever. | |
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DUMBASS Average |
#12 by DUMBASS Thomas at Jun 3, 1986 at 12:38 AM EST |
| just a comment.. the forget-your-skates dream is a terrible event. there are few worse things that can happen to a hockey player then get to the rink and not have your skates. it has happened to me for real and i had those dreams as a kid. you wake up and you think, oh fuck good thing that was a dream because what was happining to me in that story was pretty shitty. nice, back to sleep, skates are on the rack. | |
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john Average |
#13 by john at Feb 17, 1988 at 3:54 PM EST |
| I love this so too, so beautifully artistic.. But I should add it's "It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken" (Inluding the quotation marks) I got Hipenonymous for Christmas, and that's what it's listed as. So maybe it's something that somebody told Gordie before, and he wrote a song about it | |
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Fatty [eats chi Average |
#14 by Fatty [eats children] kid at Nov 29, 1988 at 4:13 AM EST |
| my boyfriend got me to love this song. its on my top...50 now (which is a compliment because i think my list is a top 1000) :) | |
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Secondhand Smok Wanna Be |
#15 by Secondhand Smoka at May 16, 1992 at 11:08 AM EST |
| Fuckin awsome track. The Hip will remain Canadian legends forever. i think this song is about people who are in a bit of trouble but know that they must stay strong and move on. they're willing to face unknown challenges instead of being defeated because life is too good to waste even if its hard at times | |
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IM A MAN WHO C Rhythm Player |
#16 by IM A MAN WHO CHANGED INTO A BEAST at Sep 13, 1993 at 6:08 AM EST |
| i cant believe no one had said anything about his song...it is so awesome and T-Hip is one of the greatest bands ever. | |
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Indy Lead Player |
#17 by Indy Windrose at Aug 25, 2001 at 7:38 AM EST |
| well i havent heard the song, but i just have to agree with carms on that one... the hip havent sold out their Canadian roots just to be more of an American commodity. The Tragically Hip are proud to be Canadian, and in turn makes me damn proud to be Canadian. Definately without a doubt, my favourite band of all time. They should be crowned Canada's Band" | |
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Derek Lead Player |
#18 by Derek O'Kanos at Oct 25, 2003 at 8:09 PM EST |
| a face so full of meaning as to almost make it glow :D | |
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Anthony Wanna Be |
#19 by Anthony Amell at Dec 3, 2005 at 3:39 AM EST |
| I agree the hip rules!!!! I love them so much!!! This song is great too. | |
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