It Doesn't Have to Be that Way - chords, tab and comments
Good artists should be forced to stay on the ground. On September 20th 1973 a Beechcraft plane crashed into a pecan tree in Louisiana at takeoff, ending the promising career of both Jim Croce and lead guitarist Maury Muehleisen. Also the agent, the road manager, a comedian and the pilot perished. The team had just got a breakthrough with "Bad Leroy Brown", and the future seemed bright.
Despite of this, Croce thought about leaving music business to get more time with the family. A letter his wife Ingrid received after his death closes with "Remember, it’s the first 60 years that count and I’ve got 30 to go. I love you".
This song is from "Life and Times" (1973), his forth studio album, and essential to his many fans. A fifth album "I Got a Name" was released posthumously; finished just before the plane crash. Sure, he got a name - only thirty years old.
I'd like to stress the importance of Maury Muehleisen, thus there's a link to his tribute site at the bottom of the page, as well as Jim's. His splendid harmonies and special fingerpicking were a perfect match to Croce's songs. He's been a major inspiration to my own treating of the guitar, together with Happy Traum and Stefan Grossman. Bless their memories.
G Bm Em G7 C C/Cb Am7 snowy nights and Christmas lights icy window panes G Bm Em B7 A7 D7 make me wish that we could be together again G Bm Em G7 C C/Cb Am7 and the windy winter avenues just don't seem the same G Bm Em B7 and the Christmas carols sound like blues C D7 G D7 ... but the choir is not to blame G Em C G but it doesn't have to be that way C Bm A7 D7 what we had should never have ended G Em C G and I'll be dropping by today C Bm Em A7 D7 G we could easily get it together tonight it's only right
G
G7
C
D7
Bm
B7
Em
Am7
A7
