G  F  G  F  G  F  G  F 

      G                          D 
He thought he was the King of America 
       C                              G      D 
Where they pour Coca Cola just like vintage wine 
    G                            D 
Now I try hard not to become hysterical 
             C                  G     D 
But I'm not sure if I'm laughing or crying 
   C 
I wish that I could push a button 
 C                                 F       C 
And talk in the past and not the present tense 
C 
And watch this hurtin' feeling disappear 
           F        Em 
Like it was common sense 

G         F    G           F 
It was a fine idea at the time 
G          Em   F    C     G    C  Em  Am  G  C 
Now it's a brilliant mistake 

     G                                 D 
She said that she was working for the ABC News 
           C                       G               D 
It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use 
       G                          D 
Her perfume was unspeakable it lingered in the air 
             C                      G           D 
Like her artificial laughter her mementos of affairs 
 C 
"Oh" I said "I see you know him" 
                    F           C 
"Isn't that very fortunate for you" 
     C 
And she showed me his calling card 
C                                     F                 Em 
He came third an fourth and there were more than one or two 

G         F    G           F 
He was a fine idea at the time 
G          Em   F    C     G    C  Em  Am  G  C 
Now it's a brilliant mistake 

      G                          D 
He thought he was the King of America 
    C                            G      D 
But it was just a boulevard of broken dreams 
    G                                     D 
A trick they do with mirrors and with chemicals 
      C                                G                D 
The words of love in whispers and the axe of love in screams 
   C 
I wish that I could push a button 
 C                                 F       C 
And talk in the past and not the present tense 
C 
And watch this hurtin' feeling disappear 
           F        Em 
Like it was common sense 

G         F    G           F 
It was a fine idea at the time 
G          Em   F    C     G    C  Em  Am  G  C 
Now it's a brilliant mistake 

G         F    G           F 
It was a fine idea at the time 
G          Em   F    C     G    C  Em  Am  G  C  G 
Now it's a brilliant mistake