What You Water Grows
This is the start of Doc Watson’s Ready for Times to Get Better. I, however, cannot play with his skill and didn’t like the down message, so I changed the story. I also cannot play the F#dim easily, so I swapped that for D7.
Doc Watson is the real artist, and I also like the way this one turned out.
CAPO 4
Am - Am - Dm - Dm
F - G - Am - Am
C - G - Dm - Am
Am Am
I've got to tell you I've been racking my brain,
F G Am
I have to find a way out.
Am
I've had enough of this continual rain.
F G Am
A change is coming no doubt.
C G
It's been a too long time,
Gm6/Bb D7
With no peace of mind.
Dm F Am
And I'm ready for the times to get better.
C G
A long lonely time,
Gm6/Bb D7
With no peace of mind.
Dm F Am
And I'm ready for the times to get better.
Am Am
But morning light breaks gold across the floor,
F G Am
The coffee's dark and warm.
Am
A bluebird lands outside my kitchen door,
F G Am
Perfect in its form.
C G
What you water grows,
Gm6/Bb D7
Both the weeds and rose.
Dm F Am
Choose the garden you will tend today
C G
What you water grows,
Gm6/Bb D7
That's the way it goes.
Dm F Am
Plant your focus or it fades away.
Am Am
My Loved one's laugh spills silver down the hall,
F G Am
Like bells in mountain air.
Am
I could count my fears or I could count it all—
F G Am
The beauty everywhere.
C G
What you water grows,
Gm6/Bb D7
Both the weeds and rose.
Dm F Am
Choose the garden you will tend today
C G
What you water grows,
Gm6/Bb D7
That's the way it goes.
Dm F Am
Plant your focus or it fades away.
Am Am
The worried thoughts fly silent through the night,
F G Am
Like flaming darts they sail.
Am
And I'm learning where to put my light,
F G Am
What story I will tell?
C G
What you water grows,
Gm6/Bb D7
Both the weeds and rose.
Dm F Am
Choose the garden you will tend today
C G
What you water grows,
Gm6/Bb D7
That's the way it goes.
Dm F Am
Plant your focus or it fades away.
Here is the original, from Doc Watson for comparison:
Taken from the album Doc Watson The Bottom Line Archive
Am F G Am
1 2 3 + 4 1 2 3 4 +
e |-----|-------------------|-------0---------|------------------|-----0-----------------|
B |-----|---1--0---0--------|-1-0-----3---1-0-|---1--0-1-0-------|------3-1----3p1p0-----|
G |-----|--------2---2----2-|-----2-----2---2-|-2------------2-0-|-2--------2------------|
D |-----|-------------------|-----------------|------------------|---2-------------------|
A |-----|-0--------0-0------|-0---0-------0---|------------------|-0-----------0---------|
E |-0-3-|------0--------0---|---------0-------|-1----1---3---3---|-----0-------------0-3-|
Am F G Am
e |-------------------|-------0---------|------------------|-------0------------------|
B |---1--0---0--------|-1-0-----1---1---|---1--0-1-0-------|---------3-1----------1-3-|
G |--------2---2----2-|-----2-----2---2-|-2------------2-0-|-2-----------2--------2-4-|
D |-------------------|-----------------|------------------|----2-------------2-------|
A |-0--------0-0------|-0---0-------0---|------------------|-0-------------0----------|
E |------0--------0---|---------0-------|-1----1---3---3---|-------0------------------|
C G Gm6/Bb F#dim Dm F Am
e |-0-3--0------------|---0----------| ------0--------|-------------------|
B |-1------3-1--3--3--|-3---3----1-1-|-3-1-3---1--1h3-|-1---------1-0-1-3-|
G |-------------------|-------2--2-2-|----------------|---2---------------|
D |----------------0--|--------------|-0---0----------|-------------------|
A |-3----3------------|-1------------|---------3--3---|-0-------0---0-----|
E |-------------3-----|----------2---|----------------|-----0-------------|
C G Gm6/Bb F#dim Dm F Am
e |-0-3-0------------|---0----------|-------0--------|---------5p3p0------------|
B |-1-----3-1--3--3--|-3---3----1-1-|-3-1-3---1--1h3-|-1--------------3p1p0---0-|
G |------------------|-------2--2-2-|----------------|---2------------------2---|
D |---------------0--|--------------|-0---0----------|--------------------------|
A |-3---3------------|-1------------|---------3--3---|-0-------0------------0---|
E |------------3-----|----------2-2-|---------------|-----0-3------------------|
[Verse 1]
Am
I've got to tell you I've been racking my brain,
F G Am
I have to find a way out.
Am
I've had enough of this continual rain.
F G Am
A change is coming no doubt.
[Chorus]
C G
It's been a too long time,
Gm6/Bb F#dim
With no peace of mind.
Dm F Am
And I'm ready for the times to get better.
C G
A long lonely time,
Gm6/Bb F#dim
With no peace of mind.
Dm F Am
And I'm ready for the times to get better.
[Instrumental]
Am F G Am
1 2 3 + 4 1 2 3 4 +
e |-----|-------------------|-------0---------|------------------|-----0-----------------|
B |-----|---1--0---0--------|-1-0-----3---1-0-|---1--0-1-0-------|------3-1----3p1p0-----|
G |-----|--------2---2----2-|-----2-----2---2-|-2------------2-0-|-2--------2------------|
D |-----|-------------------|-----------------|------------------|---2-------------------|
A |-----|-0--------0-0------|-0---0-------0---|------------------|-0-----------0---------|
E |-0-3-|------0--------0---|---------0-------|-1----1---3---3---|-----0-------------0-3-|
Am F G Am
e |-------------------|-------0---------|------------------|-------0------------------|
B |---1--0---0--------|-1-0-----1---1---|---1--0-1-0-------|---------3-1----------1-3-|
G |--------2---2----2-|-----2-----2---2-|-2------------2-0-|-2-----------2--------2-4-|
D |-------------------|-----------------|------------------|----2-------------2-------|
A |-0--------0-0------|-0---0-------0---|------------------|-0-------------0----------|
E |------0--------0---|---------0-------|-1----1---3---3---|-------0------------------|
C G Gm6/Bb F#dim Dm F Am
e |-0-3--0------------|---0----------|-------0--------|-------------------|
B |-1------3-1--3--3--|-3---3----1-1-|-3-1-3---1--1h3-|-1---------1-0-1-3-|
G |-------------------|-------2--2-2-|----------------|---2---------------|
D |----------------0--|--------------|-0---0----------|-------------------|
A |-3----3------------|-1------------|---------3--3---|-0-------0---0-----|
E |-------------3-----|----------2---|----------------|-----0-------------|
C G Gm6/Bb F#dim Dm F Am
e |-0-3-0------------|---0----------|-------0--------|---------5p3p0------------|
B |-1-----3-1--3--3--|-3---3----1-1-|-3-1-3---1--1h3-|-1--------------3p1p0---0-|
G |------------------|-------2--2-2-|----------------|---2------------------2---|
D |---------------0--|--------------|-0---0----------|--------------------------|
A |-3---3------------|-1------------|---------3--3---|-0-------0------------0---|
E |------------3-----|----------2-2-|----------------|-----0-3------------------|
[Verse 2]
Am
You try to take from me what I cannot give.
F G Am
No happiness can abide.
Am
I have a dream that I’ve been trying to live.
F G Am
It's burning holes in my mind.
[Chorus]
C G
It's been a too long time,
Gm6/Bb F#dim
With no peace of mind.
Dm F Am
And I'm ready for the times to get better.
C G
A long lonely time,
Gm6/Bb F#dim
With no peace of mind.
Dm F Am
And I'm ready for the times to get better.