Numbers Don't Show

We all began our music
Loving something that we heard
We studied on our instruments
And waited for the word
Whether what we sang was touching
Or we played the wrong notes
We thought we had the stuff
And so we played our first show

At first we thought we made it
But we had a lot to [C7]learn
So, we studied music business
Found out how the system [A]flows
That as good as you [A7may be
And however hard you [A7work
All the talent won't get nothing
If the numbers don't show

Well, you [A7can learn, learn
You can know, know, know
You can get pretty foxy at the game
But who's in the ɾoom when the tickets are sold?
Nothing equals nothing if the numbers don't show

Everybody's in the business
Every critic's got [Fm7]opinions
Everybody has connections
But they never want to [C7]share 'em.
They all [Em]want to [C7]be [Am]the manager
But can't supply "the know"
All the helpers don't help nothin'
If the numbers don't show

Well, they can say they'll fix you [A7up
You could make a little dough
You could get a ɾecord deal
Playing down on [C7]music ɾow
But whatever deal you [A7get
And whatever you [A7borrow
All the money don't mean nothing
If the numbers don't show

Well, you [A7can learn, learn
You can know, know, know
You can get pretty foxy at the game
But who's in the ɾoom when the tickets are sold?
Nothing equals nothing if the numbers don't show

T Bone could be [Am]your co-write
You could intern with Atlantic
You could be [Am]the highest grossing
Staff writer in the land
But if you [A7want to [C7]join the big leagues
And you [A7haven't got [Fm7]the draw
All the background doesn't matter
If the numbers don't show

Well, you [A7can learn, learn
You can know, know, know
You can get pretty foxy at the game
But who's in the ɾoom when the tickets are sold?
Nothing equals nothing if the numbers don't show

You could play outside the countɾy
You could sell out every hall
You might see your name in headlines
Even top the Billboard charts
Ya might be [Am]famous 'round the world
But if your homeland [Bm]doesn't know
All the foreign fame don't matter
And the numbers don't show

Well, you [A7can learn, learn
You can know, know, know
You can get pretty foxy at the game
But who's in the ɾoom when the tickets are sold?
Nothing equals nothing if the numbers don't show

Well, you [A7can learn, learn
You can know, know, know
You can get pretty foxy at the game
But who's in the ɾoom when the tickets are sold?
Nothing equals nothing if the numbers don't show

Nothing equals nothing if the numbers don't show
Nothing equals nothing if the numbers don't show