D G D A

[Verse 1]
D                               G                 D
They say I'm getting older and my hair is turnin' grey
                                               A
They say I should be slowing down, give it all away
D                        G               D
Living like a gypsy doesn't bother me at all
        G            D                A             D
And I'd sooner be a 'has been' than a 'never was at all'


[Verse 2]
  D                                 G                D
Now, I could've been a shearer and I could've been a vet
                                                A
Could've been a lot of things, of this much you can bet
 D                               G                D
A man can sit there hangin' like a picture on the wall
        G            D               A              D
But I'd sooner be a 'has been' than a 'never was at all'


[Chorus]
      G                             D
Oh, Id sooner be 'has been' than a 'never was at all'
                                    A
All my life I had a go, really had a ball
  G                  D                              G
If you don't climb the ladder, mate, then you can never fall
                   D                 A              D
And I'd sooner be a 'has been' than a 'never was at all'


[Solo]
D G D A


[Verse 3]
    D                               G                  D
When I look at that old suitcase and I think of how it was
                                                         A
The bad times and the good times, hey, and we did it just because
  D                        G                D
I know I had to try it and today I'm standing tall
          G            D              A               D
Cause I'd sooner be a 'has been' than a 'never was at all'


[Verse 4]
   D                                  G                 D
Now, you won't reach the finish line if you don't ever start
                                                         A
You'll never live and you'll never love if you don't have a heart
   D                                   G                D
So don't just sit there whinging mate, it's no damn good at all
         G           D               A              D
And I'd sooner be a 'has been' than a 'never was at all'


[Chorus]
      G                             D
Oh, Id sooner be 'has been' than a 'never was at all'
                                       A
Give it everything I'd got, really had a ball
  G                  D                              G
If you don't climb the ladder, mate, then you can never fall
                     D               A              D
And I'd sooner be a 'has been' than a 'never was at all'
        G          D                A               D
And I'd sooner be a 'has been' than a 'never was at all'
   G            A         D
Oh laydee oh, laydee Oh, laydee