Capo 1 

         Cadd11    C 
When you have a child 
    Cadd11                C    
You learn it's a serious business 
          Am     D/A    Am     D/A 
To have a little fun 
         Gadd11         G 
You give grace and get forgiveness 
     Gadd11 
Not seven times seven 
    G                   Cadd11  C  Cadd11   C 
But seven times seventy-one 

And when you have a child 
Those four walls you call a house 
Take on a life of it's own 
When you bring 'em home 
You will cry and you will laugh 
When they hurt it cuts you in half 
                               Gadd11     G 
It's your flesh and bone 

    Em         Am 
And year after year 
         Em              Am 
Pictures fill page after page 
     Em           Am 
They never really grow up 
           Em          Am 
Still your baby at any age 
    Dm    
The first time you hold 'em 
     C 
It's like you see God's smile 
       F         Gadd11   G 
What a smile 

         Cadd11    C 
When you have a child 

And then boy meets girl 
And perfume and gasoline 
Rain on your perfect world 
Curfews are often broken 
Thank you’ s aren't spoken 

             Dm 
He's got the keys to that old Dodge 
          C 
And she's wearing a corsage  
       F               Gadd11   G 
And her mama's pearls 

And year after year 
Pictures fill page after page 
They never really grow up 
Still your baby at any age 
And the first time you hold 'em 
It's like you feel God's smile 
What a smile 

         Cadd11    C 
When you have a child 




    Am                   Bb  
You pray that phone call never comes 
       Dm 
And if God forbid 
    C/E       
How would you live 
F                G  
How could you go on 
    G#dim          Am    F 
And on and on and on 




And year after year 
Close the chapter and turn the page 
Blue ribbons and losing seasons 
Flipping tassles on the stage 
Oh but you don't need a photograph 

You've got at least a million 
Pictures of that smile 

When you close your eyes 
When you love a child 
Ohh when you love a child