But there is a better answer, though it takes longer to understand. The better answer goes like this. Chords are flowing through the song, but they are also flowing into the minds of your listeners. To the listener, chords have an effect. Some chords feel stable and strong while others feel like they're leaning or going somewhere.
Some chords create tension, waiting for another chord to come along and relax the tension.
And there is also a kind of guessing game going on. The audience is wondering what chord comes next. Sometimes they guess right. Sometimes you throw them a curve. In general, you want to throw enough curves to keep your audience guessing, but not so many that they start striking out.