1. |
Sail Away
04:43
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Sail Away
Copyright 1996 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
Cmaj7 Bbm7 Ab(Add G, Add D#) D D7
G Bm Am Bm
G Bm Am Bm
G Bm Am Bm
Sail, (echo "sail" in harmony)
G Bm Am Bm
Sail Away
G Bm Am Bm
I can sail, (echo "sail" in harmony)
G Bm Am Bm
Sail away
Like a bird up in the sky
Or a delicate butterfly
I can Sail
Sail Away
If the seas of life get rough
I'll just smile and say "That's tough!"
'Cause I can Sail
Sail Away
I can sail (echo "sail" in harmony)
Sail away
Sail (echo "sail" in harmony)
Sail away
Like an eagle on the fly
Or a cloud that's gliding by
I can sail
Sail away
If the stress of life gets high
And comes tumbling down from the sky
I'll just sail
Sail away
Bridge
Dm Cmaj7
Sail Away
Bb E E7
Sail Away
A Dbm Bbm DbM
Sail, (echo "sail" in harmony)
Sail away
Sail (echo "sail" in harmony)
Sail away
Help me launch this weathered dingy
Set the sails and they'll start singing
"Sail away"
In harmony
We'll just look for calmer water
Where the dolphin and sea otter
Play all day
Sail away
Sail (echo "sail" in harmony)
Sail away
We'll just sail (echo "sail" in harmony)
Sail away
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2. |
Back Bar Blues
03:43
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Back Bar Blues
Copyright 1972 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
C Am7 Am
C Am7 Am
C Am7 Am
Low lights and Honky Tonks,
C Am7 Am
They’re what comfort me.
D D7
Since the day you left me,
F G
You said you wanted to be free.
Lonely Bars and whiskey,
They make my eyesight dim,
As I just sit here wonderin’
How the hell your getting long with him.
Chorus:
F C
There’s nothing’ wrong with me,
F C
I just need some company.
F C
What made you that way?
D G
What made you want to leave that day?
Now I’m so sad and lonely
I feel so bad inside.
Those painted ladies comfort me,
They’ve taken all of my pride.
When will I find another,
Who walks and talks like you?
When will I find that special girl
To take away these blues?
Chorus
Low lights and Honky Tonks,
They’re what comfort me.
Since the day you left me,
You said you wanted to be free.
My only friend’s Jack Daniels,
Occasionally Mary Jane.
My blood shot eyes keep telling’ me
Their both drivin’ me insane
Chorus
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3. |
Calico Heart
03:59
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Calico Heart
(Martha’s Song)
Copyright 2007 Robert Lindsay Nathan, Gary Cross
A Dbm
Two stones that you gave me
Bm E
Will they save or enslave me?
A A(add A#)
What do they symbolize?
Bm E
Are they tears behind eyes?
Two stones that you gave me
Will the weight of them stay me?
Should I carry them light?
Like two torches at night?
To frighten away
All the sins we hold tight
Never knowing can‘t empathize
With tears behind eyes.
D E
I know it’s not near enough
A F#m
To earn your soft and tender touch
D E D E
But maybe for now, bare with me a while
D E D E
It’s as much as my Calico Heart, will allow
A Dbm Bm E
A A(add A#) Bm E
Keep it locked away safe
Like the face of the stones
Nothing gets in
Only cold from alone
I speak only the truth
Of flowers of youth
My gem is now dust
It’s sparkle now rust
As this poetry pains me
Your “slipper” sustains me
So here’s one more try
I’ll aim to explain me.
Chorus
Bridge:
Dm7 Dbm
Tell me how it is done
Dm7 Dbm
Melding two into one
Bm B7
Like the heart made of stone
E E7
In that song sung by Joan?
Outro:
D E
I know it’s not near enough
A F#m
To earn your soft and tender touch
D E D E
But maybe for now, bare with me a while
D E D F#m F7
It’s as much as my Calico Heart, will allow
D E D E
But maybe for now, bare with me a while
D E D E
It’s as much as my Calico Heart, will allow
A Dbm Bm E
A
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4. |
Colbert County Blues
03:25
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Colbert County Blues
copyright 1994 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
modulate up(lead modulate down from F#9)
G7/// G7/// G7/// G7/// C9/// C9/// G7/// G7/// D9// Db9 C9/// G7/// G#7 G7
G7
There's a place
G7
Called Colbert County
C9
It's just right south
G7
South of Tennessee
G7
It's the Heart
G7
And home of Dixie
C9
And some of that good ole' simple
G7
Southern chivalry
D9 C9
Where a southern belle and a Rebel yell
G7
Go together like a country band playin' like hell, like this...
modulate up(lead modulate down from F#9)
G7/// G7/// G7/// G7/// C9/// C9/// G7/// G7/// D9// Db9 C9/// G7/// G#7 G7
Well I was raised
In Colbert County
On the Shoals of the river
They call the Tennessee
Where a friend
Called southern music
Was born
And grew up with me
Where Greg Allman's band and a group called Alabam
Got together every now and then to record a jam, like this...
modulate up(lead modulate down from F#9)
G7/// G7/// G7/// G7/// C9/// C9/// G7/// G7/// D9// Db9 C9/// G7/// G#7 G7
Well if a die
In Colbert County
Just scatter my ashes
In the river they call the Tennesse
Cause there's no, no, no, no, no
Place else but Texas
That I'd Ever
Ever want to be
Where a blue tick hound and that southern sound
Can be heard every evnin' when the sun goes down, like this....
modulate up(lead modulate down from F#9)
G7/// G7/// G7/// G7/// C9/// C9/// G7/// G7/// D9// Db9 C9/// G7/// G#7 G7
Outro:
D9// Db9 C9// Db9 D9// Db9 C9// Db9 D9// Db9 C9// /C9
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5. |
Don't Tell Me
03:04
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Don't tell me
Copyright 1984 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Cma7 Cma6
You said,
Cma7 Cma6
The life that I love
Cma7 Cma6
Can't be any better
Cma7 Cma6
Than the one you had before
Dmi7 Dmi6 Dmi7
Without me
Dmi6 G13 G7#5b9 Cma9
Darlin' oh darlin', we'll just see
But, I say
Our love is the best
Show me another
That could ever stand the test
Of the time we've shared
The problems we've cared to see through
Am
So don't tell me
E Am E
Don't tell me that we're through
Am E Am E Am
Don't tell me I've gotta find someone new
F C
'Cause this is the best that's ever been
F
Let's see it on though
F G
Until the end of time
Well, you said
The love that we;ve lived
Can't be any better
Than the love we've got to give
We'll you know, it's no lie
There's more to our lives than meets the eyes
And nobody makes me
Feel the way you do
I always tingle
From my head down to my shoes
When I'm with you
Darlin' I know you feel it too
So don't tell me
Don't tell me that we're through
Don't tell me I've gotta find someone new
'Cause this is the best that's ever been
Let's see it on though
Until the end of time
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6. |
Down & Out in Dudeville
03:09
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Down and Out in Dudeville
Copyright 2005 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
Dm G C
Dm G C
Am Em
F G
C
I miss my home in Texas
C G
A place that I dearly love
C
I miss migas and beans for breakfast
G G
And her bluebonnet skies, above
Dm G C
If I could get off, this company tit,
Dm G C
And their drip fed bread, I’d take a long trip
Am Em
Back to my Texas hills and that wide open land
F G
With a song in my heart, and a Shiner in my hand!
Well I miss my friends in Texas
Folks that I truly love
I miss lovin’ and livin’ that’s reckless
It’s all I’ve been thinking’ of.
I miss campfires and guitars on starry lit nights
Banjos and fiddles, tuned and played right
Rednecks and hippies, that howl at the moon
For beefsteak and spuds, on the side with a tune!
I miss my home in Texas
A place that I dearly love
I miss migas and beans for breakfast
And her bluebonnet skies, above
Now I’m lost here in Dudeville, feeling down and out
In a hotel here in SoCal in the middle of a drought,
Nobody knows me here, nobody cares
When I sing my songs of Texas life, all I get are stares.
So I miss my home in Texas
A place that I dearly love
I miss migas and beans for breakfast
And her bluebonnet skies, above
Break
And I miss my friends in Texas
Folks that I truly love
I miss lovin’ and livin’ that’s reckless
It’s all I’ve been thinking’ of.
Those blue bonnet skies above
Folks that I truly love
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7. |
Martyr's Song
03:25
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Martyr’s Song (Revisited from circa 1974)
Copyright 2008 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
G C(addG) D G
C D G (D C G D G)
G C(addG) D G
C D G
G C(addG)
All my friends say you’ve done me wrong
D G
But I know that’s not true.
C D G (D C G D G)
Yes, I’m the one who’s really hurting you.
G C(addG)
And I’m just out to hurt myself
D G
Wanting to love you,
C D G
Knowing you could never love me true
Chorus:
C D
But now your’s gone and I’m hanging on
G C
To a memory of love
Am7 D G
Wondering if I could fall in love again
C D
I may be wrong to even write this song
G C
But just in case you hear
Am D G
I just wanted you to know that I still care
I saw you just the other day
Another by your side
A hopless ghost of ego haunts my pride, (Alt1: No one could know how much it hurts inside Alt2: Another tear-storm tangles with my pride)
Yes, I’m a fool for loving you
And for feeling this way
But I can’t help from wanting you every day
Chorus
Break
Modulating Bridge:
Dm7 C
That’s the way love goes
Bb E A
Sharp as a thorn and soft, as a rose
Outro (Chorus)
D E
Yes, now you’re gone and I’m hanging on
A D
To a memory of you
D E A
Wondering if I could fall in love again
D E
I may be wrong to even write this song
A D
But just in case you hear
D E
I just wanted you to know…
D E
That I still love you so
D E
I just wanted you to know
F#m F#…
That I still care
D E
I just wanted you to know
A
That I’m still here.
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8. |
Girl From The South
03:28
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Girl from the South
Copyright 2004 Robert Nathan/James Mahoney
C G Am Fm7
C G Am Fm7
Dm G C
C
She had a Southern slack jaw
G
And a long Texas drawl
Am
I knew she was my type
F
There was no, pretense or hype.
C
So we hit it off
G
And we hit it on
Am
And I found her by my side
F
When the moon went to sleep at dawn
Chorus (follows each verse):
C G Am Fm7
Oh,I love a Girl from the South
C G Am Fm7
I love those Girls from the South
C G Am Fm7
Gotta love those from the south
Dm7 G C
Now I could go on
And I could go off on how
She won’t egg me on
She'll never beg or boss
She just legs me on
As we turn and we toss
That slow talkin' girl
With a back slidin' drawl
She's a slow talking girl
This gem from the south
And her drawl it's like a pearl
That slid from her mouth
And her drawl is so slow
That time stands quite still
With no where to go
Just flat out of will
I’ll show you the way
Where the bonnie belles play
Maybe you’ll find one
With a Southern slack jaw
And a long Texas drawl
And maybe you won’t
So try not to bawl
If even you don’t
Find a slow talkin' girl
With a back slidin' drawl
She’ll make you beg,
She’ll make you crawl
And her drawl will be so slow
That you’ll stand quite still
With no where to go
You’ll be, flat out of will
Outro:
Gotta have a girl
Gotta love a girl
Wanna squeeze a girl
Gotta tease a girl
Wanna please a girl
Oh, I need a girl
Have you told that girl, yeah
Just wanna hold that girl?
And - you - love - her - so.......
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9. |
My Mother's Smile
03:51
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My Mother's Smile
Copyright 2004 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
C Em(7add C) Am7 Dm7 G
C Em7(add C) Am7 Dm7 G
C Em7(add C) Am7
I was just a child,
Dm7 G
When first I saw My Mother's Smile
C Em7(add C) Am7
When one time late at night,
Dm7 G
I woke up in a fitful fright
F G
From visions of that booger cow
C Em7 (add C) Am7
Or some scary dream that slips me now
F G C Em7(add C) Am7 Dm7 G C Em7(add C) Am7 Dm7 G
Yes I remember, My Mother's Smile
I barely remember, when I was a kid
The trouble I caused or mischief I did.
My mother was there to console me
When I stubbed my toe or I skinned my knee
Comfort came in a little while
From the warmth and the love of My Mother's Smile
Yes, I remember, My Mother's Smile
F G
She had charm and she had grace
C Am7
She had that sweet southern belle style
F G
She had warmth she had eclectic taste
C Am7
And I’d walk a million miles,
F G C
If once more I could see, My Mother’s Smile
One Halloween, I was in the third grade
A Flying Purple Eater suit she made
So I could trick or treat that night
I left home, a frightful sight
I look back after all this while
And I'm followed by My Mother's Smile
Yes I remember, My Mother's Smile
Four month’s after her youngest child wed
Before the air turned cool and the leaves turned red
She left us on a Friday morn
Our hearts bled, our souls were torn
It took a while to reconcile
It took the memory of My Mother's Smile
Yes I remember, My Mother's Smile
She had charm and she had grace
She had that sweet southern belle style
She had warmth she had eclectic taste
And I’d walk a million miles,
If once more I could see, My Mother’s Smile
A year went by and the couple's first born
Came into the world, cool waters turned warm
I held her namesake in my arms
Looked into the eyes of this tiny newborn
It took a little while
But I swear I saw My Mother's Smile
Yes once more I can see My Mother's Smile
She'll have charm and she'll have grace
She'll have that sweet southern belle style
She'll have warmth, she'll have eclectic taste
And I'll walk those million miles,
Cause once once more I can see My Mother's Smile
Outro:
Am
My Mother's Smile
F G C
Yes once more I can see, My Mother's Smile
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10. |
Moments
03:25
|
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Moments
Copyright 2005, Robert Lindsay Nathan
C C(add G) C C(add D) Dm
All the friends I’ve ever had
G7 G7(add D) G7(add C) C
Like slices from a loaf of bread
C C(add G) C C(add D) Dm
Have kept my searching spirit fed
G7 G7(add D) G7(add C) C
Sustaining this lonely life I’ve led
Like diamonds in the shifting sands
Or leaves that drift upon the winds
Only God knows where it all will end
Precious moments with our friends
Chorus
F G C
So don’t let another minute pass
F G C
Since the one I remember was our last
F G
The insanity of the vanity
C A7 Am
That we hold in such esteem
Dm7
Is just a ripple
Dm7 G
On an ocean of this dream
So if your sails have lost the wind
Think of me your long lost friend
I’ll keep foul weather all at bay
And guide you to a calmer day
Storms behind us never last
Like passioned colored petals they will pass
To memories that never end
From precious moments with our friends
Chorus
Repeat first
Outro:
Only God knows where it all will end
Precious moments that we spend
Fade
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11. |
Rumpelstilskin
04:08
|
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Rumpelstiltskin Men
(Ode to the Grifters)
Copyright 2010 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro
G Em Bm G7(3) C Cm G G7
C Cm G Em Am7 D7sus D7 G C D
G Em
I just thought I’d mention
Bm G7
Please pay your abject attention
C Cm
To the man behind the curtain
G Em
On this I’m fairly certain
C D G C D
He's a Rumpelstiltskin man
He is no wizard of the ounce
Stands idly by to spring and pounce
On all your love and labor
Grift you with a piece of paper.
That Rumpelstiltskin man.
C D
Bankstesrs, pranksters, politicians
G Em
Advertise that they’re magicians
C D
Prognosticating as they stall
Am7 D7sus D7
Their house of cards is doomed to fall.
I knew something surely stank
As I peered into that marbled bank
For every Oz that I put in
Wiz leveraged it from one to ten
Those Rumpelstilskin men
And then he turned behind my back
And launched a clever sneak attack
With the puppet politician
He insured his lame positions.
Those Rumpelstiltskin men
Chorus
G Em
As Wiz’s leveraged Oz rolls in
Bm G7
He’ll sow nothing and pretend
C Cm
The pyramid will never end
G Em
These neo Rumpelstiltskin men
C Cm
That’s the slant that Wiz will spin
G Em
Don’t bank on Wiz he is no friend
C D G C D
Those Rumpelstiltskin men
G Em Bm G7
Somewhere, under their house
C Cm G G7
Of cards there’s glue
C Cm G Em
Binding puny paper props
Am7 D7sus D7 G C D
With I Owe You’s
G
It wouldn’t be my fault
C
If I became John Galt
C D C5add9 Ab G
So why oh why don’t you?
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12. |
Mr. Clark
03:56
|
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My Hero Mr. Clark
Copyright 2005 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
C(add G) C C(add D) C Dm Dm(drop F) Dm
G7 Gm7 G7 Gm7 G6 C C(add F) C(add G)
C(add G) C C(add D) C Dm Dm(drop F) Dm
G7 Gm7 G7 Gm7 G7 Gm7 G7 G Gm7 Gm6 C
C(add G) C C(add D) C
If a genie jumped from a bottle
Dm Dm(drop F) Dm
To grant me just one wish
G7 Gm7 G7 Gm7 G6
I would not ask for a million bucks
C C(add F) C(add G)
Or anything so foolish
I wouldn’t ask for material things
Or a hedonistic lark
I’d only ask for a circle of song
G Gm7 Gm6 C
With My Hero Mr. Clark
F
Play em all just one more time
C
About that old gray cat on the wall
G7
Or Texas 1947
C C7
And that diesel cannonball
F
I’m never too old for Coat from the Cold
C
I love the song you call The Dark
G7
Play em all just one more time
C
My Hero Mr. Clark
I'd listen to a couple of his
Maybe play a couple of mine
And ask him what he thought of my verse
And it’s meter and it’s rhyme
And wind it all up with Amazing Grace
At a designated time
Or maybe a verse of My Mother's Smile
Would make the evening so fine
Bridge
Am
I can see them all so clear,
Em
The people, things and places that he holds so dear,
Dm7
This troubadour has made his mark
G7
Our Hero Mr. Clark
Break
Play it just one more time
About that old gray cat on the wall
Or Texas 1947
And that diesel cannonball
I’m never too old for Coat from the Cold
I love the song you call The Dark
Play em all just one more time
My Hero Mr. Clark
If a genie jumped from a bottle
To grant me just one wish
I would not ask for a million bucks
Or anything so foolish
I wouldn’t ask for material things
Or a hedonistic lark
I’d only ask for a circle of song
With My Hero Mr. Clark
I’d only ask for a circle of song
With My Hero Mr. Clark
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13. |
Second Hand Lions
04:09
|
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Second Hand Lions
Copyright 2005 R Nathan/J Mahoney
Intro:
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
C
You know I'm gonna come around
Em
When I’m really cranky and old
Dm7
Looking for a drunken old night
G
Where memories unfold
Of remember whens and thems
Mistaken mistakes and unfettered sins.
Tales of stuff we might never had done
Places we went had so much fun
(Add one measure in G then rest)
Where pot bellied pickers
And sharp city slickers
On wooden dance floors
Worn out by shit kickers
Find gals in tight pants
And guys gettin tight
They all wind up rantin'
Late into the night
Tellin' tall tales of Texas
These tall tastes of Texas
Livin' crazy things done
Some just begun
Soon to be, Second Hand Lions
They'll all be reminiscing
With their second hand dreams
And the youth that they're missin'
Chorus
Dm7 G C
Ahhh, Second Hand Lions
Dm7 G C
Playin' forty-two and moon
F G C Am
As our dominos all shuffle
` F G C
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Bridge:
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
And with a little luck,
From the tailgate of a pick-up truck,
Parked backed to a fire at camp
We’ll lay one down that's dark and damp.
With a melody so sweet and pale
Driftin’ through the air like scented ale
Warms the soul and sooths the flesh
With wicked words so cool and fresh.
(Add one measure in G then rest)
About unrealized dreams
And old unhatched schemes
We’re too proud to live
And too poor to die.
So we've got to unite
And stay up all night
Lay it all down,
Then pick it back up,
Like that rusty old pickup truck
That never get's stuck
We'll know just where to go
With our load of rhythm and blues in tow
Chuggin’ down that road
That we call yesterday,
Tomorrow my friend
We'll play those surly songs again
About us, Second Hand Lions
Playin' forty-two and moon
As our dominos all shuffle
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Bridge:
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Break
Chorus
Ahhh, Second Hand Lions
Playin' forty-two and moon
As our dominos all shuffle
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Outro:
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
|
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14. |
The Long Road
03:40
|
|||
The Long Road (All Along)
Copyright 2005 Robert Lindsay Nathan
Intro:
Cm7 Cm7(add D) Fm7 Fm7(Add D)
Cm7 Cm7(add D) Fm7 Fm7(Add D)
Cm7 Cm7(add D)
I paid off all my debts
Fm7 Fm7(Add D)
With a lifetime of regrets.
Cm7 Cm7(add D)
And I called in all my bets,
Fm7 Fm7(Add D)
On a dream I ain’t had yet.
Dm G
And I hit the open road
C Am
With a pocket full, of empty songs
Dm G
And I told all my friends
C Am
That I wouldn’t be gone to awfully long.
Dm7 G
But my disjointed destiny
C Am
Knows I’m crazy and I don’t belong
Dm G
You should’a been with me all along
So I sit here once again
With paper and a pen
And no rhyme to begin
Or story line to spin
What could be worse,
My languishing life or chaotic verse?
And what came first,
This random route or cantonic curse?
When a candle burns at both ends
No one knows where the story begins
You should’a been with me all along
Bridge:
Am Em
Somewhere on the open range
Am Em
I began to feel a little strange
Dm7 G
The cactus spoke; said “you need to change”
Am Em
I felt my spirit rearrange
So all it took at best
Was this unplanned trip into the west
As the dry air filled my chest
A finally felt my soul at rest
I'd found a new verse
And it's melody began to burst
All about
A new beginning I began to shout
If a candle burns at both ends
Slice it though; a new story begins
I should’a left you long ago
Outro:
Cm7 Cm7(add D) Fm7 Fm7(Add D) Cm7
Why‘d I keep your memory so damn long?.
Cm7 Cm7(add D) Fm7 Fm7(Add D) Cm7
|
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15. |
The Builder
03:36
|
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The Builder
(Shelter Me)
Copyright Robert Lindsay Nathan
C
If you’re wondering why I haven’t written
Em Em(addF#,G)
Or why I haven’t bothered to call,
F
It’s not that I’ve lost my feelings for you
Dm
Or the fact that we’ve ended it all
G
I’ve been building a fortress of stone
Am
Around the hope that’s left in my life
F
And every course that I’ve laid, is a year that I’ve paid
G
Wondering if my plans could be right
Am
And the roof will keep out the weather
Am G F
And the windows will keep out the wind
F Em Dm
And the dreams that I keep, on the daytime of sleep
G
Will help this old worn heart to mend
So if you’re wondering why I haven’t written
Or why I haven’t bothered to call
It’s not that I, sit alone and cry
Behind this psycho-traumatic wall
I’ve been building a fortress of stone
Around the hope that’s left in my life
And the warmth that’s inside, is what’s left of my pride
That your tongue carved away like a knife.
And the roof will keep out the weather
And the windows will keep out the wind
And the door to my past, I can never unlatch
Lest the beasts of the night crawl in
Shelter me from the weather
Shelter me from the wind
Shelter me from, all the things that I’ve done
Shelter me from what might have been
Shelter me from the weather
Shelter me from the wind
Shelter me from, all that I have become
Shelter me from all I have been
Oh shelter me……
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Robert Lindsay Nathan Canyon Lake, Texas
Robert Lindsay (Bama) Nathan was born in New Orleans on September 24, 1952. He was raised in Muscle Shoals Alabama and formally educated in Texas (Gig 'em Aggies). He has been writing songs since the early 1970's and has circled the globe playing them.
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