Belle and Sebastian - Put the Book Back On the Shelf: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Put the Book Back On the Shelf" on your guitar with our chord guide. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

E                      B
Sebastian you're in a mess
You had a dream,
               F#m
they called you king of all the hipsters,
       A                B
is it true or are you still the queen?
E                             B
Like getting blood out of a stone
                            F#m
The city left you lost and gone
                                   A
You came to dance, but there's no poignancy
      G#m
when they all leave you...
Amaj7        Emaj7
standing alone
Amaj7        Emaj7
standing alone

The wider issues of the day
Just pass you by, you're gonna pay
For looking at the floor
When people talk to you
You wrote a book about yourself
The people left it on the shelf
You'll write another one
Now, you've got a story that's worth talking about
Talking about, talking about

         Emaj7             Amaj7
Are you happy with yourself?
         Emaj7             Amaj7
Are you talking to yourself?
         Emaj7             Amaj7
Are you happy with yourself?
         Emaj7
Put the book back on the shelf

I've seen the company you keep
You're on the sofa hidden deep
While on the telly Sid James speaks
To you like God

You're always looking for a sign
But boy, you blow it every time
You hear a voice begin to speak
You ignore it and go softly to sleep
Softly to sleep, softly to sleep

Are you happy with yourself?
Are you happy with yourself?
Are you happy with yourself?
Are you happy with yourself?

Put the book back on the shelf
Put the book back on the shelf
Put the book back on the shelf
Put the book back on the shelf


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

Amaj7

Guitar chord Amaj7

B

Guitar chord B

E

Guitar chord E

Emaj7

Guitar chord Emaj7

F#m

Guitar chord F#m

G#m

Guitar chord G#m

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "Put the Book Back On the Shelf" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Put the Book Back On the Shelf" by Belle and Sebastian.

Belle and Sebastian Song List