R.E.M. - The Ascent Of Man: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "The Ascent Of Man" on your guitar with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. 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.

Learn The Ascent Of Man Guitar Chords and Lyrics by R.E.M.

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the guitar chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "The Ascent Of Man" smoothly on your guitar.

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

A              B
So hesitation pulled me back
                     A
I'm stronger when I don't attract
                    B
In your eyes I'm a lamb without a rack
                     A
And I am getting confused
       B                       A
I'm a cactus trying to be a canoe
As you pan for ore
                 B
In the desert, floored
I say to you
                              F#             G#m
That I could never imagine a place so beautiful
                        F#      B
I could never steal your gold away.

Chorus:
       E                 C#m
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
E                                 C#m
(I try to walk like a big wham bam
I came across like a battering ram
E                                 C#m
I try to float like a telegram sam
I'm trying to divine you

My book is called "The Ascent of Man"
I marked your chapter with a catamaran
The accent's off, but I am what I am

Chorus

I looked for you, it's my last grandstand
A motorscootered goat-legged Pan
Figure eighting in quicksand

Chorus

So hesitation pulled me back
I'm stronger when I don't attract
And with my hands tied I won't crack


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

C#m

Guitar chord C#m

E

Guitar chord E

F#

Guitar chord F#

G#m

Guitar chord G#m

B

Guitar chord B

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 "The Ascent Of Man" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "The Ascent Of Man" by R.E.M..

R.E.M. Song List