The Frays How to Save a Life was inspired by lead singer Isaac Slades experience of mentoring a teenager struggling with drug addiction. The song discusses the effort to connect with the young person and help him find his way back.
Key: G
Introduction:
G
D/F#
G
Bm
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D/F#
Step one you say we need to talk
Em
D
D/F#
G
He walks you say sit down it’s just a talk
D/F#
Em
He smiles politely back at you
D
D/F#
G
You stare politely right on through
D/F#
Em
Some sort of window to your right
D
D/F#
G
As he goes left and you stay right
D/F#
Em
Between the lines of fear and blame
D
D/F#
And you begin to wonder why you came
C
D
Em
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
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D/F#
Somewhere along in the bitterness
C
D
Em
And I would have stayed up with you all night
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D/F#
G
Had I known how to save a life
D
Em
D
G
D/F#
Let him know that you know best
Em
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D/F#
Cause after all you do know best
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D/F#
Try to slip past his defense
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D
D/F#
Without granting innocence
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D/F#
Em
Lay down a list of what is wrong
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D/F#
The things you’ve told him all along
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D/F#
Pray to God he hears you
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D/F#
And I pray to God he hears you
C
D
Em
And where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
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D/F#
Somewhere along in the bitterness
C
D
Em
And I would have stayed up with you all night
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D/F#
G
Had I known how to save a life
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Em
D
G
D/F#
As he begins to raise his voice
Em
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D/F#
G
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
D/F#
Drive until you lose the road
Em
D
D/F#
Or break with the ones you’ve followed
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D/F#
He will do one of two things
Em
D
D/F#
He will admit to everything
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D/F#
Or he’ll say he’s just not the same
Em
D/F#
And you’ll begin to wonder why you came
C
D
Em
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
G
D/F#
Somewhere along in the bitterness
C
D
Em
And I would have stayed up with you all night
G
D/F#
Had I known how to save a life
C
D
Em
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
G
D/F#
Somewhere along in the bitterness
C
D
Em
And I would have stayed up with you all night
G
D/F#
G
Had I known how to save a life
D
G
D/F#
G
How to save a life
D
G
D/F#
How to save a life
C
D
Em
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
G
D/F#
Somewhere along in the bitterness
C
D
Em
And I would have stayed up with you all night
G
D/F#
Had I known how to save a life
C
D
Em
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
G
D/F#
Somewhere along in the bitterness
C
D
Em
And I would have stayed up with you all night
G
D/F#
G
Had I known how to save a life
D
G
D/F#
G
How to save a life
D
G
D/F#
G
D/F#
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Bm
G
How to save a life Piano riff that happens periodically throughout the song: