Song as it stands -- still fairly rough :) (Patreon)

As promised, the chord progressions and lyrics for the song as it stands. I included a rough recording so it makes more sense since I tweaked it a bit more today. I think it's close but still needs polish and practice. I'll update this when it's totally done :D

For the most part, I'm strumming then fingerpicking each chord. (this changes to just strumming in every prechorus & chorus after the first)

ALSO -- Formatting is WAY off on this, I went through and fixed it all and as soon as it posted it got wonky again. I'll upload a version when it's all finalized to make it easier to play :D

VERSE ONE:  

   C         F                G         C

Alone I was a fish, tryin to climb a tree 

     C          F              G          C

Feeling stupid & discouraged, by all the monkeys looking down at me   

    Dm          G             Em     F

No one said they were above me, but it wasn’t hard to see (but I could see) 

   F                 G            Em                C

And it only proved how easy…climbing trees should be. 

VERSE TWO:

     C     F                 G      C

But no matter what I tried, It hurt my fins to climb

         C             F                   G            C

Two branches back for every branch up, Falling farther behind

     Dm         G Em                     F

Til one day back at the bottom, I turned from the tree 

            F            G            Em   C

And for the first time saw the ocean…and a fish like me. 

And the fish said 

PRE-CHORUS: 

C                                   F

Hey, you, it’s totally true, we fish aren’t great at climbing 

                  C                               G             C

But that doesn’t mean we aren’t great at swimming, jumping, diving.  

        C               G                F

The world is full of fish like us, once climbing to fit in — 

C                        G             C

But potential turns successful when WE learn how to swim.

CHORUS:

      C                         F

So when you get discouraged

       G     C

Try different, try again

   C                  F

Cause failing might just mean you’re

       G

Trying to climb…

          C

Instead of swim.

 

VERSE THREE:

   C                   F         G         C    

I looked down at my fins and saw the fish was right 

   C              F    G              C

I wasn’t built the same... and maybe that’s alright

        Dm                       G   Em         F        

So I took a breath, jumped in and tried to swim

     F             G             Em  C

And when I floundered, other fish showed me how to use my fins  

Yeah, you showed me

D                                        G

Yeah, dude, it’s totally true, we fish aren’t great at climbing 

                 D                             A          G

But that doesn’t mean we aren’t great at swimming, jumping, diving.  

        D                A                 G

The world is full of fish like us, once climbing to fit in — 

   D                        A              D

But potential turns successful when WE learn how to swim. 

CHORUS:

     D                         G

So when you get discouraged

       A       D

Try different, try again

    D           G

Cause failing might just mean you’re

        A

Trying to climb…

         D

Instead of swim.

VERSE FOUR: 

         C                   F                G             C

When I looked back that tree was tiny, I had come so far 

       C       F           G              C

And the fish were all amazing, though some still had their scars

         Dm             G           Em          F

And most of us were happier than we thought we’d ever be

       F         G      Em           C

Turns out the ocean’s more exciting than any tree. 

BRIDGE: 

        G              C    D                       G

The world likes to convince us that we should all climb trees 

      G             C         D                 G

So sometimes, fish don’t realize (understand?) how awesome fish can be.

G                     C         D     G

So next time you see someone at the bottom of a tree 

G                 C             A   D

Pass them on this message from those fish and me:

Be the fish that says: 

D                                  G

Hey, you, it’s totally true, we fish aren’t great at climbing 

                D                             A          G

But that doesn’t mean we aren’t great at swimming, jumping, diving.  

       D                                A                 G

The world is full of fish like us, once climbing to fit in — 

D                        A             D

But potential turns successful when WE learn how to swim. 

CHORUS:

     D                         G

So when you get discouraged

      A    D

Try different, try again

            D                   G

Cause failing might just mean you’re

         A

Trying to climb…

         D

Instead of swim.