Method Acting / Cortez the Killer — Dave Rawlings Machine
Chords and lyrics for Method Acting / Cortez the Killer by Dave Rawlings Machine (key of Em).
Verse 1
This was originally authored by an Ultimate Guitar user named barrymiles. I
took the liberty of adding chords
to every line other than the solos.
* I don't know if the "B7add4" (X-2-1-2-0-0) is the one that was originally
intended, but it sounds alright.
* Personally, for the solo sections, I just fill in with a progression from
Em-- C -- G -- Bm7
And for the last line of every verse in "Cortez," I like to add another G
and Bm7
But I've also only been playing less than a year and know nearly nothing
about music theory or guitar, so
I've tried to leave the original text alone.
There's no [Em]beginning to the story
A bookshelf [Bm7]sinks into the sand
And a [C]language learned, forgot in turn
[G]Studied once again[D/F#]
It's a [Em]shocking bit of footage
Viewed on a [Bm7]shitty TV screen
You can [C]squint at snow and static
To [G]make out what it [D/F#]means
And keep [Em]stretching that antenna
Hoping that [Bm7]it will come clear
I need some [C]reception, a higher message
[G]Please tell me what [D/F#]to feel
Chorus
'Cause [C]I don't [D]know what [G]tomorrow [G/B]brings
It's [C]alive with[D] such [G]possibilities[G/B]
But I [C]know that[D] I feel [G]better when[G/B] I sing
[C]Burdens are [B7add4]lifted from me
That's my voice[Em] rising
So T-Bone, [Em]please keep the tape rolling
Gil keep [Bm7]strumming that guitar
We need a [C]record of our failures
We [G]must document our [D/F#]love
I sat too [Em]long in my silence
Grown too [Bm7]old on my pain
To shed this[C] skin, be born again
It [G]starts with an [D/F#]ending
Chorus
And I [C]don't [D]know what [G]tomorrow [G/B]brings
It's [C]full of [D]such [G]possibilities[G/B]
But I [C]know that[D] I feel [G]better when[G/B] I sing
[C]Burdens are [B7add4]lifted from me
That's my voice[Em] rising
Bridge
[C]It's not a movie,[Bm7] no private screening
[Am7]This method [D]acting—I call it living
[C]It's like a [Bm7]fountain, the door is open
We[Am7] have a problem[D] with no solution
[C]But to love and to [B7add4]be loved
Chorus
So [C]thank you [D]friends for [G]the time [G/B]we shared
Your [C]love stays[D] with me [G]like [G/B]sunlight and air
And [C]though I [D]truly wish I [G]could [G/B]keep hanging around here
My [C]joy is [B7add4]covering me
Soon I will [Em]disappear
Solo
He came [Em7]dancing across the water
With his [D]galleons and guns
Looking [Am7]for the new world
In the palace in the sun
On the [Em7]shore lay Montezuma
With his [D]coca leaves and pearls
In his [Am7]halls, he often wondered
The secrets of the world
And his [Em7]subjects gathered round him
Like the [D]leaves around a tree
In their [Am7]clothes of many colors
For the angry gods to see
And the [Em7]women all were beautiful
And the [D]men stood straight and strong
They [Am7]offered life in sacrifice
So that others could go on
Solo
(over Cortez verse progression)
Hate was [Em7]just a legend
And war [D]was never known
The people[Am7] worked together
And they lifted many stones
Then they [Em7]carried them to the flatlands
But they [D]died along the way
And they [Am7]built up with their bare hands
What we still can't do today
And I know[Em7] she's living there
And she [D]loves me to this day
I just [Am7]can't remember when
Or how I lost my way
Solo
(back to Method Acting verse progression)
X