Stevie Wonder - These Three Words

[Intro]
G D/F# Em Dm
Cmaj7 Bm7 Am7 D9sus4

[Verse]
G D/F#
When was the last time
Em Dm
That they heard you say
Cmaj7 Bm7 Am7 Am7/D
“Mother or father, I love you”?
G D/F#
And when was the last time
Em Dm
That they heard you say
Cmaj7 Bm7 Am7 Am7/D
“Daughter or son, I love you”?

[Pre-Chorus]
Em F6
Ones you say you cherish every day
C/G Adim7
Can instantly be taken away
E/B C#m7
Then you’d say “I know this can’t be true”
Am7
When you never took the time
Am7/D
To simply tell them “I love you”

[Verse]
G D/F#
When was the last time
Em Dm
That they heard you say
Cmaj7 Bm7 Am7 Am7/D
“Sister or brother, I love you”?
G D/F#
And when was the last time
Em Dm
That they heard you say
Cmaj7 Bm7 Am7 Am7/D
“Darling or best friend, I love you”?

[Pre-Chorus]
Em F6
The one for whom you’d give your very life
C/G Adim7
Could be taken in the twinkling of an eye
E/B C#m7
Through your tears you’d ask “Why did you go?”
Am7
Knowing you didn’t always show
Am7/D
Just how much you loved them so

[Chorus]
Am7 Bm7 Bm7/E
These three words
Bm7/E Gmaj9 Am7
Sweet and simple
Am7 Bm7 Bm7/E
These three words
Bm7/E Gmaj9 Am7
Short and kind
Am7 Bm7 Bm7/E
These three words
Bm7/E Gmaj9 Am7
Always kindle
D9sus4
An aching heart to smile inside

[Bridge]
E7sus4 E7
I know a family
Am7
Who hasn’t a cent to their name
F#7sus4 F#7
And yet the joy and love they have between them
Bm7
They always claim
E7sus4
And when one’s called from life
A7
The survived mourn the lost
Dmaj9 Bm7
And will never be the same
E9sus4
Yet they rejoice
A7 D9sus4 E9sus4
In knowing they gave them their all

[Chorus]
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
These three words
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
Sweet and simple
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
These three words
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
Short and kind
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
These three words, these three words
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
Always kindle
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
An aching heart
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
to smile inside
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
(These three words) these three words, sweet and simple, oh
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
(Sweet and simple) oh, sweet and simple
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
(These three words) these three words, these three words, these three words
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
(Short and kind) short, kind
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
(These three words) these three words, thanks for giving me free time, woman, for these three words
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
(Always kindle), they always kindle
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
(An aching heart) an aching heart, you can’t let nobody’s heart ache now
C#m7/F# Amaj9 Bm7
(To smile inside) you gotta learn to smile, you smile, you smile inside
Bm7 C#m7 C#m7/F#
These three words