On Children Tab par Damien Rice

Am                    G
Your children are not your children.
              F                                        C
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself,
            Dm                 Am
They come through you, but not from you
                 F                             Em
And though they're with you, they belong to themselves.


 
         Am                                 G
You may give them your love, but not your thoughts.
    F                           C
For they have thoughts of their own,
        Dm                                Am
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
           F                 Em       Am
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
                 F          Em           Am
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams,



             F 
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh
G           Am 
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh
        F     G         Am
Ooh-ooh-ooooh-ooooh-ooh-ooooh



        Am                G
You may strive to be like them,
    F                          C
but seek not to make them like you.
    Dm             Am
For life goes, not backward
    F                  Em
nor tarries with yesterday.



            Am                   G
You are the bows from which your children,
          F               C
as living arrows are sent forth,
    Dm                            Am
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
       F        Em         Am
and He bends you, with His might
         F             Em        Am
that His arrows may go swift and far.



             F 
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh
G           Am 
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh
        F     G         Am
Ooh-ooh-ooooh-ooooh-ooh-ooooh
             F 
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh
G           Am 
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh
        F     G         Am
Ooh-ooh-ooooh-ooooh-ooh-ooooh



         F                       G           Am
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
      F                    G                              Am
as He loves the arrow that flies, He loves all that is is stable,
         F                       G           Am
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness,
               Dm                   G                                    Am
for even as he loves the arrow that flies, he loves also the bow that is stable


Am, F, C, G, Am, F, G, Am