Billy Joel - If I Only Had the Words  

Originally in A (then C), I play in E capo 1 (then G capo 1)

Highest note is the b7 of the first key

Intro

E	E	E7
→	→

Am	A	Bsus2	B	E
→		→

E	E	E7
→	→

Am	A	Bsus2	B	E
→		→

G	B7
→

Vox on the 5 on “only”

	E	E/G#	A	A	E/G#
If I o	nly had the	words to	tell you	→	→

	F#m7	F#m7/E	D9	B7	B7/D#
If you	only had the time to u	nder	stand	→	→

	E	E/G#	A	A	E/G#
Though I	know it wouldn’t	change your	feelings	→	→

	F#m7	B7sus4	E	G	B7
And I	know you’ll carry	on the best you	can	→	→

	E	E/G#	A	A	E/G#
If I	only had the	urge to	tell you	→	→

	F#m7	F#m7/E	D9	B7	B7/D#
If you	only knew how hard it i	s to	say	→	→

	E	E/G#	A	A	E/G#
When the	simple lines have	all been	taken	→	→

	F#m7	B7sus4	E	E	D/F#
And the	radio re	peats them every	day	→	→

	G	G/B	C	C	G/B
If I	never find the	song to	sing you	→	→

	Am7	Am7/G	F9	D7	D7/F#
If you	always find it h	ard to compre	hend	→	→

	G	G/B	C	C	G/B
Well you	know there wouldn’t	be much	meaning	→	→

	Am7	D7sus4	G	G	G/A
If I	had to sing those	tired words a	gain	→	→

Bridge

B7	B7/C#	B7/D#	Em
Life,	goes	on and	on

	D	D/F#	G	Gmaj7
And to	night will	soon be	gone

	Cmaj7	Bm7
But if we	try

	Am7	Dsus4	D	Dsus2	D
We can be	sure	→	→	→	→

	G	G/B	C	C	G/B
If I	only had the	words to	tell you	→	→

	Am7	Am7/G	F9	D7	D7/F#
If you	only had the time to u	nder	stand	→	→

	G	G/B	C	C	G/B
But I	only have these	arms to	hold you	→	→

	Am7	D7sus4	G
And it’s	all that you can	ask of any	man

Other bridge

G	G	G7
→	→

Cm	C	Dsus2	D
→		→

G	C	F	Am	D	C/D
Laa,	la la	la	laa la la	la

	G	G/B	C	C	G/B
If I	only had the	words to	tell you	→	→

	Am7	Am7/G	F9	D7
If you	only had the t	ime to under	stand

	D7/F#	G	G/B	C	C	G/B
Oh b	ut I	only have these	arms to	hold you	→	→

	Am7	D7	G	G7
And it’s	all that you can	ask of any	man

Cm	C	Dsus2	D	G
→		→

Cm	C	Dsus2	D	G
→		→