It Could've Been Me

Words by Sheila Walsh
Music by Phil Keaggy

Tab transcription and Keaggy-esque approximations
by Mark Soileau

Tuning: Open G

1 D
2 B
3 G
4 D
5 G
6 D

r^  =3D  rake the strings downward with the back of nail


Intro:

   G                                  G2/C
|--5--------5-------------------------5----5-----------5---|
|--3------------3---------------------3----3---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--5------------4-p-0------------5---------5---------------|
|----------------------0-h-4-s-5-----------5---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
(repeat 4 times)

Verse

  G                                  G2/C
|--5--------5-------------------------5----5-----------x---|
|--3------------3---------------------3----3---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--5------------4-p-0------------5---------5---------------|
|----------------------0-h-4-s-5-----------5---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
I  heard    the news       to-day                    that a-


   F                                  F2/Bb
|--3--------3-------------------------3----3-----------3---|
|--1------------1---------------------1----1---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--3------------2-p-0------------3---------3---------------|
|----------------------0-h-2-s-3-----------3---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
  no-    ther   sold - ier    tumb-led                 a


   F                                  C/G
|--3--------3-------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--1------------1---------------------1----1--------1------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--3------------2-p-0------------0---------2---------------|
|----------------------0-h-2-s-3-----------0---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
fragile     warrior       slipped   and  fell    from

   G                                  G2/C
|--5--------5-------------------------5----5-----------5---|
|--3------------3---------------------3----3---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--5------------4-p-0------------5---------5---------------|
|----------------------0-h-4-s-5-----------5---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
 grace                                                 The


   G                                     G2/C
|--5--------5-------------------------5----5-----------x---|
|--3------------3---------------------3----3---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--5------------4-p-0------------5---------5---------------|
|----------------------0-h-4-s-5-----------5---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
  vultures     swooped   to    tear his heart        and

   F                                  F2/Bb
|--3--------3-------------------------3----3-----------3---|
|--1------------1---------------------1----1---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--3------------2-p-0------------3---------3---------------|
|----------------------0-h-2-s-3-----------3---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
  pin   him   to the   ground                       and


   F                                  C/G
|--3--------3-------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--1------------1---------------------1----1--------1------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--3------------2-p-0------------0---------2---------------|
|----------------------0-h-2-s-3-----------0---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
                                           r^
 from    the   shadows               someone   took  his

   Dsus/G
|-------------------------------------0--------------0-------|
|-------------------------3------------------3---------------|
|------------0-----0---------------0--------------0----------|
|---------4-----------4---------4----------------------------|
|--0------------0-----------0-------------0------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|
     place

   C                           D
|-------------0----------------------------0(5)-----------|
|---5----------------5--------7------------------7-----0--|
|---------0-------------0--------------0------------0-----|
|------5----------------------------7---------------------|
|---5------------5---------------7------------7-----------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
 Today    we   talk   am-  ong   our selves          we


    Bm                         C
|------------0-------------0-------------------0------------|
|---3--------------3-----------5--------------------5-------|
|---------0------------0-------------------0------------0---|
|------4------------------------------5---------------------|
|---4-----------4-----------------5--------------5----------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
   never bought     his      words                        we

    Am                      B9sus
|-----------0------------0------------0-------------0---|
|--0h1------------1-------------------------1-----------|
|--------------------0------------0-------------0-------|
|-------2----------------------3------------------------|
|--0h2---------2------------3------------3--------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
  say we've seen    the    madness      in      his

   F                     G
|--------------------------------------(harmonic?)------|
|--------1------------0----------------0----------------|
|-0h2---------2--------------0---------0----------------|
|-----3-----------3-------------0------0----------------|
|-------------------------0------------0----------------|
|-0h3-------3-----------------------------------------------|
  eyes                                                  To-

    C                          D
|-------------0----------------------------0(5)-----------|
|---5----------------5--------7------------------7-----0--|
|---------0-------------0--------------0------------0-----|
|------5----------------------------7---------------------|
|---5------------5---------------7------------7-----------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
  mor-   row    he's   for    gotten       as    we've

    Bm                         C
|------------0-------------0-------------------0------------|
|---3--------------3-----------5--------------------5-------|
|---------0------------0-------------------0------------0---|
|------4------------------------------5---------------------|
|---4-----------4-----------------5--------------5----------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
   scrubbed  him   from our   hearts                   and

    Am                      Bb9sus
|-----------0------------0------------0-------------0---|
|--0h1------------1-------------------------1-----------|
|--------------------0------------0-------------0-------|
|-------2----------------------3------------------------|
|--0h2---------2------------3------------3--------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
  as    he   bleeds  we   slowly                turn our


  Bb  (strumming)             C   (strumming)
|-----------5--5------5------5-------5------5--5------|
|-----6-----6--6------6------5-------5------5--5------|
|----7------7--7------7------7-------7------7--7------|
|---8----------8------8------5-------5------5--5------|
|--------------x------x-----(5)---------------(5)-----|
|--5-----------5-------------5-----------------5------|
 eyes                      (Chorus:) It could've been


  Bb  (strumming)             C   (strumming)
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
|----5------------------------7---------------------|
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
|---(3)----------------------(5)--------------------|
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
 me                              I could've been the


  Bb  (strumming)             C   (strumming)
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
|----5------------------------7---------------------|
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
|---(3)----------------------(5)--------------------|
|----3------------------------5---------------------|
   one    to lose my             grip    and


 Dm  (strumming)
|----3------------------------0---------------------|
|----3------------------------1---------------------|
|----2------------------------2---------------------|
|----0------------------------0---------------------|
|----2------------------------x---------------------|
|----0------------------------x---------------------|
   fall                          It could've been


  Dsus/G  (strumming)       C9/G
|------0-------------------------0----------------|
|------3-----------------0h1-----------1----------|
|------0----------------------------------0-------|
|------4----------------------2-------------------|
|------0------------------0---------0-------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
     me                                        the

  Bm                           Am
|--------------0-----------0--------------0----------0---|
|----3---------------3-----------1--------------1--------|
|----------0------------0--------------0-----------0-----|
|-------4---------------------------2--------------------|
|----4------------4--------------2-----------2-----------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
   one   whose     al  ways       stand   -   in'

    F                  G
|--------------------------------------(harmonic?)------|
|--------1------------0----------------0----------------|
|-0h2---------2--------------0---------0----------------|
|-----3-----------3-------------0------0----------------|
|-------------------------0------------0----------------|
|-0h3-------3-----------------------------------------------|
  tall                                     for un-

    C                         D
|-------------0----------------------------0(5)-----------|
|---5----------------5--------7------------------7-----0--|
|---------0-------------0--------------0------------0-----|
|------5----------------------------7---------------------|
|---5------------5---------------7------------7-----------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
  less  you hold me           tightly    Lord  and

   Bm                        C
|------------0-------------0-------------------0------------|
|---3--------------3-----------5--------------------5-------|
|---------0------------0-------------------0------------0---|
|------4------------------------------5---------------------|
|---4-----------4-----------------5--------------5----------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
  I  can   hold   on         too             then  to-


   Dsus/G                      C9/G
|-------------0-------------------------------0--------------|
|---3---------------3----------1----------------------1------|
|---------0------------0-----------------0----------------0--|
|------4-----------------------------3-----------------------|
|---0------------0----------------0---------------0----------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|
  morrow      in the           news            it could  be

   Bb9sus
|------------0------------0-------------0-------------|
|--1---------------1---------------------------1------|
|--------0------------0------------0--------------0---|
|-----3-------------------------3---------------------|
|--3------------3------------3-------------3----------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
     me

    Bb9sus/Eb                       F/G
|----------------------------0------0-------------------|
|------------1----------------------1-------------------|
|--------0--------------0-----------2-------------------|
|-----3-------------3---------------3-------------------|
|-----------------------------------0-------------------|
|--1------------1---------------------------------------|
                                        It could be

    G                                G2/C
|--5--------5-------------------------5----5-----------x---|
|--3------------3---------------------3----3---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--5------------4-p-0------------5---------5---------------|
|----------------------0-h-4-s-5-----------5---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
   me.

   G                                  G2/C
|--5--------5-------------------------5----5-----------x---|
|--3------------3---------------------3----3---------------|
|--------0----------------------------0----0--------0------|
|--5------------4-p-0------------5---------5---------------|
|----------------------0-h-4-s-5-----------5---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|


(to verse 2)


Pretty much same stuff for the rest of the tune, but
I think Phil uses some different inversions up the neck
on the last verse.
Same chords, just different fingering.

Ends with the natural harmonic on the 12th fret and fades out.


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