Emily — Joanna Newsom
Chords and lyrics for Emily by Joanna Newsom (key of A).
Verse 1
If you're new to guitar, sorry, you're still gonna have to use bar chords
(but shout out to you
for trying to take on a 12 minute song).
[C]Em 022000
D xx0232
[Am]F 133211
[A]E 022100
F#m 244222
[Amaj7]Bm 224432
C#m 446654
F# 244322
G#m 466444
B 224442
Quite a few! but less bar chords than you'd have to use in another tab, so
it should be
a little nicer to your hands.
Verse 1
The [C]meadowlark and the [Em]chim-choo-ree and the [D][Am]sparrow
[C]Set to the sky in a [Em]flying spree, for the [D]sport of the [Am]Pharaoh
[C]Little while later the [Em]Pharisees dragged a [D]comb through the [Am]meadow
[C]Do you remember what they [Em]called up to you and [D]me, in our [Am]window?
There is a [C]rusty light on the [Em]pines tonight, sun pouring [D]wine, lord, or
[Am]marrow
Into the [C]bones of the birches and the [Em]spires of the churches juttin' [D]out
from the [Am]shadow
and the [C]yoke and the axe, and the [Em]old smokestacks, and the [D]bale and the
[Am]barrow
and [C]everything sloped like it was [Em]dragged from the rope in the [D]mouth of the
south [Am]below
Verse 2
[F]We've seen those [A]mountains kneeling, [E]felten and [F#m]grey
[F]We thought our [A]very hearts would [E]up and melt [F#m]away
From the [D]snow in the [Amaj7]nighttime, just [E]going, and [F#m]going
and the [D]stirrin' of [Amaj7]windchimes, in the [E]mornin', in the [F#m]mornin'
[Bm]Helps me [E]find my [Bm]way back [E]in
[Bm]From the [E]place where [Bm]I have [E]been
Verse 3
and [C#m]Emily, I saw you last night [F#]by the river!
I [C#m]dreamed you were skippin' little stones across the [F#]surface of the water!
[G#m]Frowning at the [B]angle where they were [A]lost and slipped under [C#m]forever
In a [G#m]mud-cloud, [B]mica-spangled, like the [A]sky'd been breathing on a [C#m]mirror
[C#m]Anyhow -- I sat by your side,[F#] by the water
You [C#m]taught me the names of the stars overhead that I [F#]wrote down in my
ledger
Though [G#m]all I knew of the [B]rote universe were those [A]Pleiades loosed in
[C#m]December
I [G#m]promised you I'd [B]set them to verse so [A]I'd always [C#m]remember
Chorus
That the [C#m]meteorite is a source of the light, and the [F#]meteor's just what we
see
and the [G#m]meteoroid is a [B]stone that's devoid of the [A]fire that propelled it to
[C#m]thee
and the [C#m]meteorite's just what causes the light and the [F#]meteor's how it's
perceived
and the [G#m]meteoroid's a bone [B]thrown from the void that lies [A]quiet and
offering to [C#m]thee
Verse 4
[Amaj7]You came and lay a [Em]cold compress [D]upon the mess I'm [Am]in
[C]Threw the windows [Em]wide and cried, [D]"Amen! Amen! [Am]Amen!"
[C]The whole world [Em]stopped to hear you [D][Am]hollerin'
Then [C]you looked down and [Em]saw now what was [D][Am]happenin'
[C]The lines are [Em]fadin' in my [D][Am]kingdom
Though [C]I have never [Em]known a way to [D]border 'em [Am]in
So the [C]muddy mouths of [Em]baboons and sows and the [D]grouse and the horse and
the[Am] hen
[C]Grope at the gate of the [Em]looming lake that was [D]once a tidy [Am]pen
and the [C]mail is late and the [Em]great estates are [D]not lit from [Am]within
[C]The talk in town's [Em]becomin' [D]downright [Am]sickenin'!
Verse 5
[F]In due time [A]we will see the [E]far buttes lit by a [F#m]flare
[F]I've seen your [A]bravery and [E]I will follow you [F#m]there
and [D]row through the [Amaj7]nighttime, so [E]healthy, gone [F#m]healthy all of a sudden
In [D]search of a [Amaj7]midwife who can [E]help me, who can [F#m]help me
[Bm]Help me [E]find my [Bm]way back [E]in
[Bm]and there are [E]worries [Bm]where I've [E]been
Verse 6
and [C#m]say, say, say, in the lee of the bay, [F#]don't be bothered!
Leave your [C#m]troubles here where the tugboats shear the [F#]water from the water
[G#m]Flanked by furrows, [B]curling back like a [A]match held up to the [C#m]newspaper
[C#m]Emily, they'll follow your lead [F#]by the letter!
and I [C#m]make this claim, and I'm not ashamed to [F#]say I knew you better!
For [G#m]what they've seen is [B]just a beam of your [A]sun that banishes [C#m]winter
[C#m]Let us go! Though we know it's a [F#]hopeless endeavor,
The [C#m]ties that bind; they are barbed and spined and [F#]hold us close forever!
Though [G#m]there is nothing would help [B]me come to grips with a [A]sky that is
gaping and [C#m]yawning
[G#m]There is a song I woke [B]with on my lips as you [A]sailed your great [C#m]ship
towards the morning
Verse 7
[C]Come on home, the [Em]poppies are all [D]grown knee-deep [Am]by now
[C]Blossoms all have [Em]fallen, and the [D]pollen ruins [Am]the plow
[C]Peonies nod [Em]in the breeze, and [D]while they wetly [Am]bow
With [C][Em]hydrocephalitic [D]listlessness, ants mop up [Am]their brows
and [C]everything with [Em]wings is restless, [D]aimless, drunk and [Am]dour
[C]Butterflies and [Em]birds collide at [D]hot, ungodly [Am]hours
and [C]my clay-coloured [Em]motherlessness [D]rangily [Am]reclines
[C]Come on home, now! [Em]All my bones are [D]dolorous with [Am]vines!
Verse 8
[F]Pa pointed [A]out to me, for the [E]hundredth time [F#m]tonight
[F]The way the [A]Ladle leads to a [E]dirt-red bullet of [F#m]light
Squint [D]skyward and [A]listen, loving [E]him, we move [F#m]within his borders
[D]Just [A]asterisms in the [E]stars set [F#m]order
We could [D]stand for a century,[A] staring[E] with our heads [F#m]cocked
In the broad [D]daylight at this [A]thing -- [E]Joy! [F#m]Landlocked!
In [D]bodies that [A]don't keep, [E]dumbstruck with the [F#m]sweetness of being!
'til [D]we don't [A]be told, [E]take this, [F#m]and eat this!
Chorus
Told: The [C]meteorite is a [Em]source of the light, and the [D]meteor's just what we
[Am]see!
and the [C]meteoroid is a [Em]stone that's devoid of the [D]fire that propelled it to
[Am]thee!
and the [C]meteorite's just what [Em]causes the light and the [D]meteor's how it's
[Am]perceived!
and the [C]meteoroid's a bone [Em]thrown from the void that lies [D]quiet and
[Am]offering to [C]thee!
Outro
[Em] [D] [Am]
[C] [Em] [D] [Am]
X