Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write The Book Acoustic

transcribed by kellie G
from 1983 ’punch the clock’
key C#m
* capo on the 4th fret *
the song is in an A/B/C format , making it a little tricky

intro :
Am / Em / Fmaj7 / G ( i like Gm better )
Am / Em / Fmaj7 / G

verse ( form A ) :
C Em
don’t tell me you don’t know what love is
Am Em
when you’re old enough to know better
Am Dm
when you find strange hands in your sweater
Em
when your dreamboat
A
turns out to be a footnote
Dm
i’m a man with a mission
Em G
in two or three editions , and

chorus ( form B )

C Em F G
i’m giving you a longing look
C Em F
everyday , everyday , everyday ,
G C
everyday i write the book

Em / F / G

verse ( form C ) :

Am
chaaa – pter one , we didn’t really get along
C Em C
chapter two , i think i fell in love with you
Am
you said you’d , stand by me in the middle of chapter three
Dm
but you were up to your old tricks in chapters
Em G
four , five , and six , and

repeat chorus ( form B )

C Em F G
i’m giving you a longing look
C Em F
everyday , everyday , everyday ,
G C
everyday i write the book

Em / F / G

verse ( form C ) :
Am
the wa – ay you walk
C
the way you talk and try to kiss me and laugh
Em C
in four or five paragraphs .
Am
all your compliments and your cutting remarks
Dm Em G
are captured here in my quotation marks , and

repeat chorus

C Em F G
i’m giving you a longing look
C Em F
everyday , everyday , everyday ,
G Am ( return to intro )
everyday i write the book

Am Em Fmaj G
oo oooooo everyday i write the book

verse ( form A ) :
C Em
don’t tell me you don’t know the difference
Am Em
between a lover and a fighter
Am Dm
with my pen and my electric typewriter
Em
even in a perfect world
A
where everyone was equal
Dm
i’d still own the film rights
Em G
and be working on the sequel , and

repeat chorus ( form B ) x 3
C Em F G
i’m giving you a longing look
C Em F
everyday , everyday , everyday ,
G C
everyday i write the book
Em F
everyday , everyday ,
G C
everyday i write the book
Em F
everyday , everyday ,
G Am
everyday i write the book ( back into following intro but miss the G )

oooo oooo oooooo
Am / Em / Fmaj

C / Em / F / G / C to when you would like to end