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Shades of Gray
Shades of Gray
Words & Music by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
Copyright 1966 by Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
6920 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
All Rights Reserved
lyrics from reprint of 1966 sheet music
C F G7sus G7
When the world and I were young just yesterday.
C F G G7
Life was such a simple game a child could play.
F G7 C
It was easy then to tell
G
Right from wrong
Am
Easy then to tell
Em
Weak from strong,
F C Am
When a man should stand and fight
Dm Em F6 G
Or just go along.
F C Am
But today there is no day or night
Dm G7 C
Today there is no dark or light
F G Am G F
Today there is no black or white
C F G7sus G7
Only shades of gray.
C F G7sus G7
I remember when the answers seemed so clear,
C F G G7
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear
F G7 C
It was easy then to tell
G
Truth from lies
Am
Selling out
Em
From compromise
F C Am
Who to love and who to hate
Dm Em F6
The foolish from the wise.
F C Am
But today there is no day or night
Dm G7 C
Today there is no dark or light
F G Am G F
Today there is no black or white
C F G7sus G7
Only shades of gray.
C
It was easy then to know
G
What was fair
Am
When to keep
Em
And when to share
F C Am
How much to protect your heart
Dm Em F6
And how much to care.
F C Am
But today there is no day or night
Dm G7 C
Today there is no dark or light
F G Am G F
Today there is no black or white
C F G7sus G7
Only shades of gray.
I guess times don’t really change. “Shades of Grey” lyrics apply not only 40 years ago, not only now, but it seems, in my simple mind, timeless. It is one of my favorite songs none-the-less. Thank you for my series of commas & cliches.
shades of gray is a beautiful song i love it monkees are number#1 im only 10 i found the monkees last year i was waching home inprovement and they sang the theme song hey hey were the monkees!!! after that i never go a day with out them thanks to the monkees i know all your songs by heart i was devastated when i heard davy went on i love the monkees and i wanna become a pro singer and sing there songes!!!