[Strophe]
D 
When I walk beside her 
  C 
I am the better man 
G 
When I look to leave her 
        D 
I always stagger back again 
 D 
Once I built an Ivory tower 
     C 
so I could worship from above 
G 
When I climbed down to be set free 
    D 
She took me in again
[Refrain]
D 
There's a big 
           Am 
A big hard sun 
                   G 
Beatin' on the big people 
                D 
In the big hard world
[Strophe]
D 
When she comes to greet me 
       C 
She is mercy at my feet 
G 
When I see her pin her charm 
        D 
She just throws it back at me  
D 
Once I dug an early grave 
   C 
To find a better land 
G 
She just smiled and laughed at me 
         D 
And took her bruise back again
[Refrain]
D 
There's a big 
           Am 
A big hard sun 
                   G 
Beatin' on the big people 
                D 
In the big hard world  
D 
There's a big 
           Am 
A big hard sun 
                   G 
Beatin' on the big people 
                D 
In the big hard world
[Strophe]
D 
When I go to cross that river 
         C 
She is comfort by my side 
G 
When I try to understand 
D 
She just opens up her hands
[Refrain]
D 
There's a big 
           Am 
A big hard sun 
                   G 
Beatin' on the big people 
                D 
In the big hard world
[Strophe]
D 
Once I stood to lose her 
       C 
When I saw what I had done 
G 
Bound down and threw away the hours 
       D 
Of her garden and her sun  
D 
So I tried to warn her 
  C 
I turned to see her weep 
G 
40 days and 40 nights 
         D 
And it's still coming down on me
[Refrain]
D 
There's a big 
           Am 
A big hard sun 
                   G 
Beatin' on the big people 
                D 
In the big hard world  
D 
There's a big 
           Am 
A big hard sun 
                   G 
Beatin' on the big people 
                D 
In the big hard world