G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [Verse 1] D C I lived a happy life ‘til I was ten years old G When debt landed dad in prison and our country house was sold D C Lodged with a lady in her London flat, so cold G Worked at a boot polish factory, labelling jars quite dull all told Am Goodness only knows C D G I was a miserable soul G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [Verse 2] D C For a time I went to school but then I found a job G As a clerk to a lawyer, oh, it made my poor head throb D C I failed to be an actor despite my loud gob G Ended up reporting speeches of the parliamentary mob Am Then as everybody knows C D G I started writing prose G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [Chorus 1] Am Put my life into my books C D Friends and enemies and crooks Am Legal bosses up they crop C D In “The Old Curiosity Shop” Am Fagin in “Oliver Twist” C D A factory pal, you get the gist G D Em And although my memory’s quite foggy C D G Got Scrooge from the grave of Ebenezer Scroggie G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [Verse 3] D C My first book was an overnight sensation G But I drove myself too hard to enjoy the adulation D C Despite my wealth, my family begged for money G I wrote of it in “Chuzzlewit” which people said was funny Am Didn’t sell like books before C D G My family still asked for more G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [Chorus 2] Am “Little Dorrit” is a tale C D About my dad in debtor’s jail Am While “Hard Times” tells my life C D ‘Bout when I tried to leave my wife Am “Little Nell’s” death was my poor dear C D Departed sister-in-law G D Em And “David Copperfield”, working in a factory C D G I must confess that that was really me G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [Bridge] Em C D In my life, felt shame ‘bout poverty in childhood Em C D Wrote about sadness, suffering and fear Em C D Also wrote about people with funny names Em C D G Bumble, Smallweed, Scrooge, Uriah Heep And Wackford Squeers G Gsus4 G Gsus4 [Chorus 3] Am Whilst writing “Edwin Drood” C D A train crash didn't help my mood Am Still I drove myself on C D With readings far across the pond Am Died before I wrote Drood’s end C D Sort of thing drove me ‘round the bend G D Em So Dickens, take a Dickens, take a bow C And Heaven knows D G I’m miserable now