A5
   The first time I heard it
C/G
   Didn't know what it was
Fmaj7
   I listened to it over and over
D
   I couldn't get enough
A5
   I knew every syllable
C/G
   And the space in between
Fmaj7
   And I wondered
D
   What my own song would be


[Chorus]
                   Am
I thought I understood what the words meant
                      C/G
I thought I knew the meaning behind
                 Fmaj7
I memorized the sounds and the rhythms
                         D
And wondered about the stories inside
                   Am
I thought I understood what the words meant
                          C/G
I thought that they were written for me
                  Fmaj7
A message spelled out in a language
                       Dm
That only those who've been there
                 Am
Been there can read


[Verse 2]
A5
   The first time I heard it
C/G
   Didn't know what it was
Fmaj7
   It was foreign and angry and brilliant
D
   I couldn't get enough
A5
   But the story behind it
C/G
   You revealed it to me
Fmaj7
   And I realized
         D
You had lived through what I'd never seen


[Chorus]
               Am
I never understood what the words meant
                  C/G
I never knew the meaning behind
                 Fmaj7
I memorized the sounds and the rhythms
                      D
But didn't know the stories inside
               Am
I never understood what the words meant
                      C/G
The words were never written for me
                  Fmaj7
A message spelled out in a language
                       Dm
That only those who've been there
                 Fmaj7
Been there can read


[Instrumental Break]
(First chord continues from end of chorus)
Fmaj7 D Am C/G
Fmaj7 D


[Chorus]
                 Am
I wish I didn't know what the words meant
                   C/G
Or understand the meaning behind
                 Fmaj7
I memorized the sounds and the rhythms
                     D
And now I know the stories inside
                Am
I wish I didn't know what the words meant
                      C/G
That they were never written for me
                  Fmaj7
A message spelled out in a language
                       Dm
That only those who've been there
                 Am
Been there can read


[Outro]
C/G
Been there
                 Fmaj7
Been there can read
D
Been there
                 Am
Been there can read