I Was Only Joking Tab by Rod Stewart

Capo: No capo

GuitarPianoUkulele

C
C7
F
Fm6
G
A
Amaj7
A7
D6/9
Dm6
E
Dm6/9
D
F#m
Bm
A6

Intro 1
C 
C 
 (C major)     (C major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-8-------8---8--------------8--8h-|-10------8---8--------------------|
G|-------------------------9--------|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
C7 
F 
 (C7)     (F major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|---------8---8---8---8----8h-10---|-8---6---6---6--------------------|
G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
Fm6 
C 
 (F minor6)     (C major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-8b----8-----6---8b----8-----6----|-5h6p5---------------------8--6---|
G|----------------------------------|---------5---5--------------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
G 
C 
 (G major)     (C major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-5--8--6-5------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|------------7--5-4----------------|----------------------------------|
D|--------------------7--5-3--------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------7--5--|-4--------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
A 
Amaj7 
A7 
D6/9 
 (A major)  (A minoraj7)  (A7)  (D6/9) 
Dm6 
A 
E 
A 
 (D minor6)  (A major)  (E major)  (A major) 

Verse 1

Ever since I was a kid in school

I messed around with all the rules

Apologized, then realized

I'm not different after all

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Verse 2

Me and the boys thought we had it sussed

Valentino's all of us

My dad said we looked ridiculous

But, boy, we broke some hearts

Verse 3

In and out of jobs, running free

Waging war with society

Dumb, blank faces stared back at me

But nothing ever changed

Verse 4

Promises made in the heat of night

Creepin' home before it got too light

I wasted all that precious time

And blamed it on the wine

Chorus 1
D 
E 
A 
I was only  (D major) jo  (E major) king, my dear  (A major) (my dear)
D 
E 
F#m 
Looking for a  (D major) way to hide  (E major) my  (F sharp minor) fear  (my fear)
D 
E 
A 
What kind of  (D major) fool  (E major) was I?  (A major) (was I)
I could
Bm 
 (B minor)    never                                 win (never win)
E|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|
D|-------------------------7---9----|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4
Bm 
E 
A 
 (B minor)     (E major)     (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|-6--------------------------------|---------6---6--------------------|
D|---------9-------7----------------|----------------------------------|
A|-------------------------9--------|-7--------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4

Verse 5

Never found a compromise

Collected lovers like butterflies

Illusions of that grand first prize

Are slowly wearin' thin

Verse 6

Susie, baby, you were good to me

Giving love unselfishly

But you took it all too seriously

I guess it had to end

Chorus 2
D 
E 
A 
I was only  (D major) jo  (E major) king, my dear  (A major) (my dear)
D 
E 
F#m 
Looking for a  (D major) way to hide  (E major) my  (F sharp minor) fear  (my fear)
D 
E 
A 
What kind of  (D major) fool  (E major) was I?  (A major) (was I)
I could
Bm 
 (B minor)    never                                 win (never win)
E|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|
D|-------------------------7---9----|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4
Bm 
E 
A 
 (B minor)     (E major)     (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|-6--------------------------------|---------6---6--------------------|
D|---------9-------7----------------|-----------------------------2----|
A|-------------------------9--------|-7-------------------0--2-4-------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4

Solo 1
A 
Amaj7 
 (A major)     (A minoraj7) 
E|----------------------------------|------------------------5---------|
B|-----------------5-------7---5----|-----------------------5-5---7----|
G|---------2--4-6-------------------|-5-4------------------6-----------|
D|-4--------------------------------|------7--7-----------7------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
A7 
D6/9 
 (A7)     (D6/9) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-7-8---7-----5--7-8----7-----5----|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|-7-------------------7---9---10---|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
Dm6 
A 
 (D minor6)     (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|-(10)--------9-109p7-109-7---7----|-7---6----------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|---------9---7---------------6-7--|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
E 
A 
 (E major)     (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-------------5--------------------|----------------------------------|
G|-4-6-4---------------7---6---4----|----------------------------------|
D|-------7-6------------------------|-7---------------------------7----|
A|----------------------------------|---------------------7---9--------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------7h9---------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
A 
Amaj7 
 (A major)     (A minoraj7) 
E|-----------------9---10--12-------|-(12)-----------------------------|
B|---------10-----------------------|----------------------------------|
G|-----9----------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|-11-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
A7 
D6/9 
 (A7)     (D6/9) 
E|-12--10--9-------10-9-------------|----------------------------------|
B|-------------12--------1210-10-10-|-10-------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|-----9-------7---7----------------|
D|----------------------------------|-----------------------------7----|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
Dm6 
A 
 (D minor6)     (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|---------12--12----------14-------|
B|-------------10-1012---10----9----|-10-------------------------------|
G|-7-----10-------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
E 
A 
 (E major)     (A major) 
E|-16-------------------------------|-17-------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4

Solo 2
A 
D 
 (A major)     (D major) 
E|-17--------------17b-----17-------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|-17b------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
E 
F#m 
 (E major)     (F sharp minor) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-(17)--------15--17--17b-----15---|-14-------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|-------------------------18--19---|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
Bm 
F#m 
 (B minor)     (F sharp minor) 
E|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|-19b---------18--19b---------18---|-19----18p16--16--14------14--16b--|
D|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
E 
E 
 (E major)     (E major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|-(16)--------16--16----------14---|-13--14--16--14--13---------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
A 
D 
 (A major)     (D major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-10--------------10---------------|----------------------------------|
G|-----9---------------9------------|----------------------------------|
D|---------11--------------11-------|-12b---------12--12----------11---|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
E 
F#m 
 (E major)     (F sharp minor) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|-12--14--14------12--11-----------|----------------------------------|
A|-------------------------12--14---|-14-16-----------------------9----|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
Bm 
F#m 
 (B minor)     (F sharp minor) 
E|----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------1012141515-|-17------15--14----------------------|
G|---------------9-11-13------------|-----------------14---------13h14p13-|
D|-------9-11-12--------------------|-------------------------------------|
A|-11-12----------------------------|-------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
E 
A 
 (E major)     (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|-----------------14--16--16b------|-14-------------------------------|
D|-14--16--16-----------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
D 
E 
A 
 (D major)     (E major)  (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|-----9---11--9--------------------|
D|---------4---7---9-------7--------|-11--------------11------9---7----|
A|-----5----------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
D 
E 
F#m 
 (D major)     (E major)  (F sharp minor) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|-----------------17b---17b---17b--|
G|----------------------------------|----14-1616b----------------------|
D|-----4---7---9-----------7---9----|-16-------------------------------|
A|-5--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
D 
E 
A 
 (D major)     (E major)  (A major) 
E|-----17--17b-----17---------------|----------------------------------|
B|-------------------------17b-17---|-15--14--17--15--14----------14---|
G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
Bm 
Bm 
 (B minor)     (B minor) 
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|-15-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D|-------------------------7---9----|-11------9-------7----------------|
A|----------------------------------|-------------------------9--------|
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
   1       2       3       4          1       2       3       4
E 
A 
 (E major)     (A major) 
E|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|-7-----------7--------------------|
E|---------9------------------------|
   1       2       3       4

Verse 7

Now you ask me if I'm sincere

That's the question that I always fear

Verse seven is never clear

But I'll tell you what you want to hear

Verse 8

I try to give you all you want

But giving love is not my strongest point

If that's the case, it's pointless going on

I'd rather be alone

Verse 9

'Cause what I'm doing must be wrong

Pouring my heart out in a song

Owning up for prosperity

For the whole damn world to see

Verse 10
A 
Amaj7 
 (A major) Quietly now while I  (A minoraj7) turn a page
A7 
D6/9 
 (A7) Act one is over without  (D6/9) costume change
Dm6/9 
A 
 (D minor6/9) The principal would like to  (A major) leave the stage
E 
A6 
The  (E major) crowd don't understand  (A6) 