Intro: D G (x4) 

verse 1 
         D                        G 
Couldn't wait to ride out of that one horse town 
       D          G 
Didn't see no use in sticking around 
      D                 G               A 
I was green and busting at the seams to leave 
      D             G 
I was sitting on G, waiting on O 
          D             G 
The day I hit eighteen, I hit the road 
            D                     G              A 
Traded that county maintain for a four lane city street 

Pre-Chorus 
              Em                    D                   G 
But sometimes things ain't what you think they're gonna be 
Em                  D               G 
What you want ain't always what you need 


[Refrão]

                    D 
Don't know what you got 'til it's gone 
           A 
And you're out on your own 
        G                      A 
All you want is what you can't get back 
                D                 A 
Once you let it go, then you know what you have 
             G              A 
Don't hold a candle to what you had 
Bm                 A 
Sometimes what you think you'll find 
G                   D                Em 
It ain't quite what real life has in store 
A                               D G D G 
So be careful what you wish for 

verse 2 
        D          G 
She was holding on just a little too tight 
         D               G 
Talked a little too much about the rest of our lives 
  D               G                          A 
I broke her heart thinking freedom would set me free 
               Em                    D                   G 
Well sometimes things ain't what you think they're gonna be 


[Refrão]

                    D 
Don't know what you got 'til it's gone 
           A 
And you're out on your own 
        G                      A 
All you want is what you can't get back 
                D                 A 
Once you let it go, then you know what you have 
             G              A 
Don't hold a candle to what you had 
Bm                 A 
Sometimes what you think you'll find 
G                   D                Em 
It ain't quite what real life has in store 
A                               D 
So be careful what you wish for 

Bridge 
             Em                                     D 
'Cause these city lights can't shine quite like the stars 
       G                          A 
I wish I could wish her back into my arms 


[Refrão]
 
                    D 
Don't know what you got 'til it's gone 
           A 
And you're out on your own 
        G                      A 
All you want is what you can't get back 
                D                 A 
Once you let it go, then you know what you have 
             G              A 
Don't hold a candle to what you had 
Bm                 A 
Sometimes what you think you'll find 
G                   D                Em 
It ain't quite what real life has in store 
Em                            A 
And you can't get her back no more 
A                              D G D 
So be careful what you wish for 
G               D        G  D 
Be careful what you wish for