| Am ‑ G | A teenage girl makes headlines in the Seattle news |
| Am ‑ G | For questioning religion in 1932 |
| E ‑ Am ‑ | Frances Farmer was her name, she had ideas in her head |
| F ‑ E E7 | They tried to stop her crazy dreams, she never heard a word they said |
| When they told her | |
| Am Dm | Paint by numbers, color in the lines |
| Am Dm | March in rhythm never out of time |
| Am Dm | Paint by numbers, walk in single file |
| Am Dm Am E7 | Learn the system, conform to the style |
| Am ‑ G ‑ | To Hollywood she travelled to be an actress there |
| Am ‑ G ‑ | And everyone was dazzled by her beauty and her flair |
| E ‑ Am ‑ | But Frances wasn't satisfied with all the money and the fame |
| F ‑ E E7 | They tried to teach her all the rules but she refused to play the game |
| When they told her | |
| Paint by Numbers ... | |
| Am | But that's not how Picasso painted |
| G | That's not how Beethoven played |
| F E E7 | They rearranged tradition and history was made |
| Am | That's not how Picasso painted |
| G | That's not how Beethoven played |
| F E Dm Am | They dared to be different and did it their own way, their own way |
| Am ‑ G ‑ | They locked away poor Frances, told her she was insane |
| Am ‑ G ‑ | And shocked her with the treatments that slowly killed her brain |
| E ‑ Am ‑ | But her spirit lives with me and that is why I sing this song |
| F ‑ E E7 | 'Cause when a brilliant mind is put away my senses tell me something's wrong |
| When they tell you | |
| Paint by Numbers ... | |
| Am | That's not how Picasso painted! |