Tim Minchin - Rock N Roll Nerd

Am
doesn’t have a problem with drugs ,
Dm
he just doesn’t do them ,
G
he’s fine that his mates have tattoos ,
Am
but he reckon’s they’ll rue them ,

Am
he likes going to pubs ,
Dm
but he hates it when the music’s too loud ,
G
he tends not to go to rock concerts ,
Am
’cause he can’t stand the crowd

Dm G
and all he’s ever wanted to be
C G/B Am C/G
is a rock star on rage or mtv ,
Dm G
but he knows that it’s not very likely ,
E
now that he’s thirty he knows that . . .

E Am
he will always be
G
a rock’n’roll nerd ,
C G/B
he’ll keep writing songs the world will never hear ,
Am C/G
and though the won’t be heard
Dm/F E ( or minor – not sure )
he’ll keep on writing , oh yeah ,

D Gm
but you see the problem is
C7 F
he always thought he’d be a star ,
A# D#
but he learnt piano instead of guitar ,
D Gm
which in the nineties didn’t get you very far ,
C7 F
so while the other kids were learning stairway
A# D#
he was the piano to their forte ,

D
but he was convinced one day
D#
he’d rock their fxxking arses ,
D D#
or be an icon for the disenfranchised masses ,
D D#
grow his hair long and rebel against the state ,
Emb5 F
but for now that’d have to wait ,
D/F# G
’cause he’s running late for his morning classes .

Am
and he will always be
G
a rock’n’roll nerd ,
C G/B
he’ll keep playing gigs that no – one knows about ,
Am G
and though it sounds absurd
Dm/F E
he’ll just keep playing , oh yeah ,
D Gm
but you see the problem is
C7 F
there’s not much depth in what he’s singing ,
A# D#
he’s a victim of his upper – middle class upbringing ,
D
so he can’t write about the ’hood , or bling – bling ,

Gm C7 F
so he sits and imagines his girlfriend is dead
A# D#
to try and find some angst in his middle class head ,
D
but the bitch is always fine at half past nine when they
Gm
go to bed ,
C7 F
he hasn’t spent a single night in prison ,
A# D#
he has no issues with nutrition ,
D D#
he has no drinking problem and no drug addiction
D D#
unless you count the drugs they put in chicken ,
D D#
marijuana always tends to make him cough ,

Emb5 F
he doesn’t look good with his t – shirt off ,
D/F#
and when he tries to act tough , you can tell he’s
Gm
tricking .

( ba da ba ba ba ba ba ba ba )

Cm
while his mates all stay out late ,
D# F
popping pills and havin fun ,
Cm
he stays home and showers ,

and gets a good eight hours ,
D# F
he gets his thrills from his morning run ,
Cm
while his mates all go on dates ,
D# F
taking speed and drinking cans of beam ,
Cm
he stays home and cooks ,

and curls up with a book ,
D# F
and the girl he’s had since he was seventeen

Gm
’cause he’s never really been part of the scene ,
A#
while the other kids liked gunners he liked queen ,
C7
he’s more into beatles that the stones ,
D# F
he’s more stevie wonder than ramones ,
Gm
he never owned a panel van ,
A#
he never shot a sepultura fan ,
C7
he doesn’t know the difference between metal and thrash ,
D# F
he couldn’t tell you nothing about axl and slash ,
Gm
he likes ben folds and the jackson five ,
A#
he knows all the words to stayin’ alive ,
C7
and although he wants to be all grungy and cool

D# F
he spent eleven years in a private school ,
Gm
so it doesn’t matter how hard he tries ,
A#
he cannot hide behind his rock’n’roll lies ,
C7
’cause you’ve either got it or you don’t ,
D# F
yeah , you’ll either rock it or you won’t ,
Gm
you’ve either got it or you don’t ,
A#
yeah , you’ll either rock it or you wont .

C7/// D#// F// D/F#// E/G#//

F G
you can criticise him and he won’t care ,
F C/E D
’cause he wants to rock , and he will never be deterred ,
F/G
he’ll always be a fxxked – up little tryhard wannabe
Am
rock’n’roll nerd
E/G# C/G D7/F#
( stairway to heaven chords )
F Am
a rocknroll nerd