[Intro]
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[Verse 1]
G            Am    C                  G
Hey, sad and blue, what are you gonna do?
G             Am       C                    D
Blow yourself away, or tie up your own left shoe?
                 G              Am
And walk out the door, ready to roar
C                      G
Check your guns at the door
          G                   Am
There's a man that you should see
  C              D                      Am
A Generation X Bukowski who knows about life


[Chorus]
    Em      Am Em  D
The life imitating art
Am Em Am Em D


[Verse 2]
        G         Am          C              G
Well, I saw him today hanging out at the old Railway
        G                   Am        C                        D
Chasing ghosts and drinking armour, a price he's always had to pay
       G               Am                    C                    G
And we all felt pretty stunned, watching him hitch out on Highway One
     G               Am             C                      D
A guitar against his elbow, knowing more than they'll ever know


[Chorus]
           Am        Em      Am Em  D
Know about life, the life imitating art
                   Am    Em      Am Em  D
Ah, you hear about life, life imitating art


[Bridge]
Bb Am  C     G   D          Bm      Em
Oh-oh, pills and crowns and nervous breakdowns
Bb Am  C     D         Bm        Em
Oh-oh, Why so few will crawl with you
Bb Am    C      G D     Bm         Em
Oh-oh, I can't remember who first said this but,
Bb    Am      D
"Ignorance is bliss!"


[Verse 3]
       G       Am    C                G
When I go on patrol, drinking Tequila Gold
       G                  Am         C                     D
Broken hearts and burning bridges, a lumber-jacket for the cold
                G            Am
And a kiss from you, hand in glove
       C                G
Do you feel like making love?
          G                  Am        C                      D
There's a blanket out in the garage, a ghetto-blaster full of stars


[Chorus]
        Am         Em     Am   Em D
And I'm glad we've got nowhere to go
       Am                      Em    Am     Em D
We can listen all night to the rain against my window
                Am        Em      Am Em  D
And think about life, the life imitating art
                 Am        Em      Am Em  D
And drink to the life, the life imitating art


[Bridge]
Bb Am  C    G  D            Bm     Em
Oh-oh, All you needed was a little defence
Bb Am    C   D        Bm    Em
Oh-oh, A Polygram of common sense
Bb Am  C       G   D           Bm         Em
Oh-oh, Vincent Van Gogh with a gun at his temple
Bb Am                     D
Oh yeah, that's what that meant

Yea, what that meant


[Verse 4]
    G                  Am
The twisted punch-line says
             C                     G
They'll understand you when you're dead
    G                   Am           C             D
You say that you're not angry, just "savagely disappointed"
      G                Am             C                 G
And I just want you to know, when you feel like letting go
          G                   Am        C               D
There's a thousand souls like me taking shelter in your coat


[Chorus]
              Am        Em      Am Em  D
To hear about life, the life imitating art
                  Am        Em      Am Em  D
Ah, to hear about life, the life imitating art
                                       Am        Em      Am Em  D
Should be collecting royalties for the life, the life imitating art
                              Am        Em      Am Em  D
You're part of the royalty of life, the life imitating art