Rush - Second Nature: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Second Nature" 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 Second Nature Guitar Chords and Lyrics by Rush

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 "Second Nature" smoothly on your guitar.

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

B F#
A memo to a higher office
B F#
Open letter to the powers that be
B F#
To a god, a king, a head of state
B F#
A captain of industry

B F#
To the movers and the shakers
B F# C#
Can't everybody see
E B/F#
It ought to be a second nature
E B/F#
I mean the places where we live
E B/F#
Let's talk about this sensibly
E B/F#
We're not insensitive

B F#
I know progress has no patience
B F# C#
But something's got to give

Chorus:
A              G                           A
I know you're different, You know I'm the same
                G                     D
We're both too busy to be taking the blame
                E                             F#m
I'd like some changes, but you don't have the time
                E                           A
We can't go on thinking it's a victimless crime
           G        A                        G
No one is blameless, But we're all without shame
D             E    F#m                      E
We fight the fire while we're feeding the flames

Folks have got to make choices
And choices got to have voices
Folks are basically decent
Conventional wisdom would say
Well we read about the exceptions
In the papers every day

It ought to be second nature
At least, that's what I feel
Now I lay me down in Dreamland
I know perfect's not for real
I thought we might get closer
But I'm ready to make a deal

Chorus:
Today is different, and tomorrow the same
It's hard to take the world the way that it came
Too many rapids keep us sweeping along
Too many captains keep on steering us wrong
It's hard to take the heat
It's hard to lay blame
To fight the fire while we're feeding the flames

It ought to be second nature
At least, that's what I feel
Now I lay me down in Dreamland
I know perfect's not for real
I thought we might get closer


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

C#

Guitar chord C#

D

Guitar chord D

E

Guitar chord E

F#

Guitar chord F#

F#m

Guitar chord F#m

G

Guitar chord G

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 "Second Nature" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Second Nature" by Rush.

Rush Song List