Birdland — Patti Smith
Chords and lyrics for Birdland by Patti Smith (key of A).
Verse 1
[B]His father died and left him a[A] little farm in New [B]England
All the long black funeral cars left the [A]scene
And the boy was just standing there [B]alone
[B]Looking at the shiny red tractor
[A]Him and his daddy used to sit [B]inside
And circle the blue fields and grease the [A]night
It was if someone had [B]spread butter on all the fine points of the [A]stars
'Cause when he looked [B]up they started to [A]slip
Then he put his[B] head in the [A]crux of his arm
And he started to [B]drift, [A]drift to the [B]belly of a [A]ship
Let the [B]ship slide [A]open, and he [B]went inside of [A]it
And saw his [B]daddy 'hind the [A]control board [B]streamin' beads of [A]light
He saw his [B]daddy 'hind the [A]control board
And he was very [B]different [A]tonight
'Cause he was[B] not [A]human,[B] [A] [B]he was not [A][B]human[A]
[B]Little boy's face lit up with such naked [A]joy
That the sun [B]burned around his lids and his [A]eyes were like two suns
[B]White lids, white opals, seeing everything just a [A]little bit too clearly
And he looked around and there was no black [B]ship in sight
No black funeral cars, [A]nothing except for [B]him, the raven
And fell on his knees and looked up and [A]cried out
[B]No, [A]daddy, don't leave me [B]here [A]alone
Take me [B]up, [A]daddy, to the [B]belly of your [A]ship
Let the [B]ship slide [A]open and I'll [B]go inside of [A]it
Where [B]you're not [A]human, [B] [A] [B]you are not [A][B]human[A]
But [B]nobody heard the [A]boy's [B]cry of [A]alarm
[B]Nobody there 'cept for the [A]birds around the New England farm
And they [B]gathered in all directions, like roses they [A]scattered
And they were like compass [B]grass coming together into the head of a [A]shaman
bouquet
Slit in his [B]nose and all the others went [A]shooting
And he saw the lights of [B]traffic beckoning like the [A]hands of Blake
Grabbing at his [B]cheeks, taking out his neck
All his [A]limbs, everything was twisted and he [B]said
I won't give up, won't give up, don't [A]let me give up
I won't give [B]up, come here, let me go up [A]fast
Take me up quick, take me [B]up, [A]up to the[B] belly of a [A]ship
And the [B]ship slides [A]open and I [B]go inside of [A]it, where[B] I am not [A][B]human[A]
I am [B]helium raven and this movie is [A]mine
So he cried [B]out as he stretched the [A]sky
Pushing it all out like latex [B]cartoon, am I all alone in this [A]generation?
We'll just be [B]dreaming of animation [A]night and day
And [B]won't let up, won't let up and I [A]see them coming in
Oh, I couldn't [B]hear them before, but I [A]hear 'em now
It's a [B]radar scope in all silver [A]and all [B]platinum lights[A]
Moving [B]in like black ships, they were [A]moving in, streams of them
And he put [B]up his hands and he said, "It's [A]me, it's me
I'll give you my [B]eyes, take me up, oh now [A]please take me up
I'm [B]helium raven waitin' for you, [A]please take me up
Don't [B]leave me here!" The sun, the [A]sign, the cross
Like the shape of a [B]tortured woman, the true shape of a [A]tortured woman,
The mother standing in the [B]doorway letting her sons No longer [A]presidents
but prophets[B]
They're all dreaming they're gonna [A]bear the prophet
He's [B]gonna run through the fields dreaming in [A]animation
It's all gonna [B]split his skull[A]
It's gonna [B]come out like a black [A]bouquet shining
Like a [B]fist that's gonna [A]shoot them up
Like [B]light, like Mohamed [A]Boxer
Take them [B]up up up up [A]up up
Oh, let's go [B]up, up, take me [A]up, I'll go up
I'm going [B]up, I'm going [A]up
Take me up, I'm going [B]up, I'll go up there[A]
Go [B]up go up go [A]up go up up [B]up up up up [A]up
Up, up to the [B]belly of a [A]ship
Let the [B]ship slide open and we'll go [A]inside of it
Where [B]we are not [A]human, [B]we're not [A][B]human[A]
Verse 2
Well, [B]there was sand, there were [A]tiles
The sun had [B]melted the sand and it [A]coagulated
Like a [B]river of glass[A]
When it [B]hardened he looked at the [A]surface
He saw his [B]face And where there were [A]eyes were just two white [B]opals, two
white [A]opals
Where there were [B]eyes there were just two white [A]opals
And he looked [B]up and the rays [A]shot
And he [B]saw, raven comin' in[A]
And he [B]crawled on his [A]back and he [B]went [A]up
[B]Up up up up [A]up up
[B]Sha da [A]do [B]wop, [A]da [B]shaman [A]do [B]way, [B]sha da [A]do [B]wop, [A]da [B]shaman [A]do [B]way[A]
[B]Sha da [A]do [B]wop, [A]da [B]shaman [A]do [B]way, [B]sha da [A]do [B]wop, [A]da [B]shaman [A]do [B]way[A]
[B]Sha da [A]do [B]wop, [A]da [B]shaman [A]do [B]way
[B]We like [A][B]Birdland
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