Impossible Soul chords

Sufjan Stevens

Key: 

Simplify chords 

  			
Intro: D - D/C# - D/G - D/C# D/C# 

D                  D/B 
Oh, woman, tell me what you want 
    D/A       D/G 
And I'll calm down without bleeding out 
       D                     D/A 
With a broken heart that you stabbed for an hour 
D                     D/B           D/A         D/G 
Woman, I was freaking out because I want you to know 
D                       D/A 
My beloved, you are the lover of my impossible soul 

D                             D/B              D/A      D/G 
Woman, too, promise me you'll stay and put off all your woes 
      D                      
I was wigging out, too much worry 
             D/A 
I could not get you at all 
    D                 D/B 
And you said what you want, you would laugh it off 
           D/A       D/G 
But I know you won't go, not for it at last 
         D                      D/A 
Must you write it off for the impossible soul? 
    D                             D/B                  D/A     D/G 
And I was in a dream, I was gone away without you, but not too slow 
       D                                        D/A 
Lest I put it off, for I put it right for the impossible soul 

    Em             D                    Bm      C 
And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you 
G          A 
If I could get you at all 
G                              Bm               A 
Don't be a wreck, trying to be something that I wasn't at all 

(verse vamp solo x2) 

D                                   D/B             D/A      D/G 
Seems I got it wrong, I was chasing after something that was gone 
       D                                          D/A 
To the black of night, now I know it's not what I wanted at all 
    D                                         D/B 
And you said something like, "All you want is all the world for yourself" 
          D/A         D/G 
But all I want is the perfect love 
          D                      D/A 
Though I know it's small, I want love for us all 

    Em             D                    Bm      C 
And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you 
G          A               G 
If I could get you at all 
             Bm               A 
Trying to be something that I wasn't at all 

Part II 
G              Bm 
Do you want to be afraid? 
A              C#m 
Do you want to be afraid? 
    G#m                    Em                  Bm 
For life in the cage where courage's mate runs deep in the wake 
        A                       E 
For the scariest things are not half as enslaved 

C                    F  
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted 
G              Bm 
Do you want to be alone? 
F#m            C#m 
Do you want to be alone? 
    G#m                   Em 
For life isn't stained of righteousness pain 
    Bm                     A                         E 
The seed and the hail, all impossible flights for an interesting light 

C                    F 
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted 
G              Bm 
Do you want to love me more? 
F#m            Bm 
Do you want to love me more? 
    G#m 
For love is the breath 
   Em 
If water and wave 
    Bm                           A 
Is cursed by the same thing that nurtured its shame 
      E 
Is it worth all the work? 

C                    F 
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted 
E                  G 
Have you failed to feel delight? (No, I don't want to feel pain) 
Bbm                A 
Have you failed to feel delight? (No, I don't want to feel pain) 
   C                       C#m                      Em 
Instead of the life, lived tired and lost, have you left it at last 
         F#m                           C#m 
Where it floundered its death with the language of ghosts 

A                    F 
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted 
E              G 
Do you want to be afraid? (No, I don't want to feel pain) 
Bbm            A 
Do you want to be afraid? (No, I don't want to feel pain) 
    C 
For life in the cage (for life in the cage) 
      C#m 
Where courage's mate (where courage's mate) 
     Em 
Runs deep in the wake (runs deep in the wake) 
        F#m 
For the scariest things (for the scariest things) 
        C#m 
Are not half as enslaved (are not half as enslaved) 
Am                   F 
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted 
Now 

Instrumental break  
E - Bm F#m A#m - A - 
G#m D C C#m Em A# F G# 

G#                   C# 
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted 
G 
Now 

Em7 (ad lib) 
(No, don't be distracted) (x13) 

Fade to Bm-Em vamp 

Part III 
       Em                   Dmaj7 
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest 
         Em                          Dmaj7 
All my delight, all that mattered, I couldn't be at rest 
            Em                             Dmaj7 
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't be at rest 
       Em                   Dmaj7 
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest 

Em - Dmaj7 (x2) 

    Em                   
And don't be shy in the window 
     Dmaj7 
Come down and give your best 
    Em                      Dmaj7 
Oh, delight in the window I couldn't be at rest 
       Em                   Dmaj7 
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest 
            Em                             Dmaj7 
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't give my best 

Dmaj7 - A Em - Dmaj7 - Dmaj7 

Em            D           Bm                 A               
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all  x3 
Em            D           Bm                 A 
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to speak at all 

G-Dmaj7 (ad lib) 

D - Em - G - A  

D 
Hold on, Suf            
Hold on, Suf            
Em               G - A  
Hold on, Sufjan        x3 

N.C. 
1, 2, 3, 4! 

Part IV 
D                        G            
It's a long life, better pinch yourself 
Em                      A 
Put your face together, better get it right 
D                        G 
It's a long life, better hit yourself 
Em                      A 
Put your face together, better stand up straight 
D                 G 
It's a long life, only one last chance 
Em                        A 
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance? 
D                 G 
It's a long life, better pinch yourself 
Em                      A 
Get your face together, better stand up straight 

D/F#        Em              G 
Boy, we can do much more together 
A 
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right) 
D/F#        Em              G 
Boy, we can do much more together 
A 
(Better give love, give love, give love, give love) 
D/F#        Em              G 
Boy, we can do much more together 
A 
(better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right) 
D/F#        Em             G       A 
Boy, we can do much more together; It's not so impossible 
D Em Bm A 
        It's not so impossible 
D Em Bm A (muted) 
        It's not so impossible 

D                 Em 
It's a long life, better pinch yourself 
Bm                      A 
Get your face together, better roll along 
D                 Em 
It's a long life, better pinch yourself 
Bm                      A 
Put your face together, better stand up straight 
D                Em 
It's a long life only one last chance 
Bm                        A 
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance? 
D                 Em 
It's a good life, better pinch yourself 
D                 Em 
Is it impossible? Is it impossible? 

D/F#        Em              G 
Boy, we can do much more together 
A 
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right) 
D/F#        Em              G 
Boy, we can do much more together 
A 
(Better give love, give love, give love, give love) 
D/F#        Em              G 
Boy, we can do much more together 
A 
(better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right) 
D/F#        Em             G        
Boy, we can do much more together;  
A 
It's not so impossible 

G                 A 
It's a long life, better pinch yourself 
Bm                      A/C# 
Put your face together, better get it right 
D                 Em 
It's a long life, better hit yourself 
G                       A 
Put your face together, better stand up straight 
G                  A 
In the wrong life, everything is chance 
Bm                A/C# 
Does it register? Do you wanna dance? 
D                  Em 
In the right life, it's a miracle 
G            A 
Possibility, do you wanna dance? 

Em  Bm  F#m  A 
             It's not so impossible x2 
Em  Bm  F#m  A(muted) 
             It's not so impossible 

BASS NOTES:  D  G  Bm  A x2 

(spoken) Do you wanna dance? 

to fingerpick 
G           D/F#         A              G                  
Boy, we can do much more together (It's not so impossible) 
D/F#        F#m          A              G                  
Boy, we can do much more together (It's not so impossible) x4 

G           D/F#         A              G 
Boy, we can do much more together (It's not so impossible) 
D/F#        Bm           F#m            G 
Boy, we can do much more together (It's not so impossible) 

return to chords 
Em          G            F#m             
Boy, we can do much more together (It's not so impossible) 
G           Em           Dmaj7             
Boy, we can do much more together 

Instrumental 
F#m  Am  C#m  A#m 
Gm   Em  Ebm  D 

F#m         Am              C#m         A#m                 
Boy, we can do much more together (it's not so impossible)  
Gm          Em              Ebm         D                   
Boy, we can do much more together (it's not so impossible)  x3 

F# 
Boy 

PART V 
G       Em  -    Bm  -  Bm  x4 

G       Em                 Bm         
I never meant to cause you pain 
G                Em          Bm 
My burden is the weight of a feather 
G       Em                Bm 
I never meant to lead you on 
G               Em         Bm 
I only meant to please me, however 

                      Cadd2 
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more 
Dsus2 
Boy, we can do much more 
G           Em             Bm 
Boy, we can do much more together 
G           Em             Bm 
Boy, we can do much more together 

G                 Em          Bm 
I'm nothing but a selfish man 
G                 Em         Bm 
I'm nothing but a privileged brother 
G           Em                 Bm 
And did you think I'd stay the night? 
G                     Em          Bm 
And did you think I'd love you forever? 

                      Cadd2 
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more 
Dsus2 
Boy, we can do much more 
G           Em             Bm 
Boy, we can do much more together 
G           Em             Bm 
Boy, we can do much more together 

                  C            Bm7 
I gotta tell you, girl, I want nothing less 
Am7          D 
Girl, I want nothing less  
C            Bm7               Bm 
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure 
C            Bm7               Bm 
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure 

                   
                      Cadd2 
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more 
Dsus2 
Boy, we can do much more 
G            Em            Bm 
Boy, we made such a mess together 
G            Em            Bm 
Boy, we made such a mess together 
G            Em            Bm7 
Boy, we made such a mess together 
G            Em            Bm7 
Boy we made such a mess together