The Undercover Man — Van der Graaf Generator
Chords and lyrics for The Undercover Man by Van der Graaf Generator (key of G).
Verse 1
Van der Graaf Generator - The Undercover Man
from the album Godbluff (1975).
[F#m] [F#] [E] [D] [C#m]
[F#m]Here at the [F#sus]glass -
all the usual [F#m]problems, all the habitual [F#sus]farce.
[F#m]You ask, in uncertain [F#sus]voice,
what you should [F#m]do,
as if there were a [E]choice but to carry[D] on
miming the [C#m]song
and hope that it all works out[F#m] right.
Tonight it all seems so[F#sus] strange -
my spirit feels[F#m/A] rigid, my body[F#sus/G#] deranged;
still [F#m]that's only from one point of[F#sus] view
and we can't have [F#m/A]illusion between me and[E] you,
my constant[D] friend, ever close at[C#m] hand -
you and the undercover[F#m] man.
[E F#]E/G# B/D#
I re flect: 'It's very strange
to be going through this[D] change
with no idea of what it's [G]all been about
[E F G A B C#]Bb/D Bb B5
[E F G A B C#]Bb/D
except in the context of time...'
Oh, but I [Bb]shirk [B5]it, I've half a mind not to work it all [C]out.
[D] [C] [C#dim]
[D]Is this madness just the recurring [G]wave of total [A]emotion,
or a[D] hide for the undercover [G]man,[A]
or a [D]litany - all the signs are [G]there of fervent [A]devotion -
[D] [C] [C] [Cmaj7] [C] [C] [Cmaj7] [F]
or the cracking of the dam?
[C] [Cmaj7] [C] [C] [Cmaj7] [F]
[F#dim] [Adim] [Cdim] [Ebdim] [Em]
It's cracked; smashed and bursting over you,
there was no [D]reason to expect such [C]disaster.
[B] [Em] [EmMaj7] [G/D] [A/Db]
[B]Now, [Em]panicking, you burst for air,
[EmMaj7]drowning, you know you care
[G/D]for nothing and no-one but [A/Db]yourself
and would [G]deny even this hand
which stretches [Bm]out [D]towards [A]you to [G]help.
[Gmaj7] [Cmaj7] [C] [B]
But would I leave you in this moment of your trial?
Is it my [Gmaj7]fault that I'm [Cmaj7]here to see you [C][B]crying?
[Am] [Am+] [Am]
These phantom figures all around you should have told you,
you should have [Am+]found out by [G]now,
if you hadn't gone and tried to do it all by [C]yourself.
[Ab] [Bb] [C]
[Db5] [D5] [Eb9]
Sax solo over F minor riff
[Db Eb] E B/D# D
Ev-en now we are not lost: if you look out at the night
you'll see the colours and the [G]lights seem to say
[E F G A Bb C]Bb/D Bb
people are not far a-way, at least in distance,
and it's [B5]only our own dumb resistance
that's making us[C] stay.
[D] [C] [C#dim]
[D]When the madness comes, let it flood on [G]down and over me [A]sweetly,
let it [D]drown the parts of me weak and blessed and [G]damned,[A]
let it [D]slake my life, let it take my [G]soul and living [A]completely,
let [D]it [C]be [C]who [Cmaj7]I [C]am.
[A]There may [D]not be time for us all to [G]run in tandem [A]together -
the [D]horizon calls with its parallel [G]lines.[A]
It may [D]not be right for you to have and [G]hold in one way [A]forever
and [D]yet [C]you [C]still [Cmaj7]have [C][C]time,[F][Cmaj7]
you [C]still [Cmaj7]have [C][C]time.[F][Cmaj7]
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