The Man Who Would Speak True
Blitzen TrapperVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
D
e|-------------------0----0----0----3----2---|
B|--1----1------1----3----0----1----0----3---|
G|--2----2------2----4----2----0----0----2---|
D|--2----0------0----0----x----2----0----0---|
A|--0----x------x----5----4----3----2--------|
E|-------3------2----0----0---------3--------|
I had a lover, name was Grace
She found me down in a lonely place
She dug me out with an old jar bow
She dressed me up for to take me home
She fed me words that I could not taste
For I had no tongue, it had been replaced
By a green and a-growin' flower which grew
And I knew if I ever spoke I would speak true
We lived together in an old hotel
Broke-down palace with a wishing well
The neighbour girl taught me how to spell
And how to steal what I could not sell
But I fed my tongue on the devil's rum
And a roadhouse run by a godless bum
On a drunken night with a stolen gun
I shot my lover as she made to run
The judge said "Son, what have you done?"
But I didn't speak a word, no I didn't speak one
And the judge sent me away
And they buried my Grace, yeah, the very next day
They sent me out on a midnight train
In the rain rollin' down through the dusty plain
4 men sittin' with an old shotgun
silver stars pinned on everyone
They busted my mouth for to get at my tongue
To see just how this had all begun
So I opened my mouth like a dragon's breath
I only spoke truth, but it only brought death
And I laid those boys to rest
For the truth in truth is a terrible jest
For there ain't no road but the road to home
There ain't no crops but the one's you've sown
And if you learn one thing from me
You better guard your tongue like your enemy
I came to ground in a one horse town
On the western rim where the sun go down
Where a branded man might start again
For to ride his rung, for to lose his sin
But my tongue kept growing, it would not cease
I grew quite weary, couldn't get no release
So I went to the magistrate and turned myself in
Picked up a shovel and he made the grin
And they planted me by the sea
Now the birds of the air make nests on me
Source: Songsterr · Rights holder? Request removal.
Readable chord sheet for The Man Who Would Speak True by Blitzen Trapper
[Am] [D7sus4] [D7] [Em7] [A9] [C] [G] [D] e|-------------------0----0----0----3----2---| B|--1----1------1----3----0----1----0----3---| G|--2----2------2----4----2----0----0----2---| D|--2----0------0----0----x----2----0----0---| A|--0----x------x----5----4----3----2--------| E|-------3------2----0----0---------3--------| [Am]I had a lover, [D7sus4]name was Grace She [D7]found me down in a [D7sus4]lonely place [Am]She dug me out with an [D7sus4]old jar bow She dr[D7]essed me up for to [D7sus4]take me home She [Am]fed me words that I [D7sus4]could not taste For I [D7]had no tongue, it had [D7sus4]been replaced By a [Am]green and a-growin' fl[D7sus4]ower which grew And I [D7]knew if I ever sp[D7sus4]oke I would speak tru[Am]e [D7sus4] [D7] [D7sus4] [Am]We lived together in an [D7sus4]old hotel [D7]Broke-down palace with a [D7sus4]wishing well The [Am]neighbour girl taught me [D7sus4]how to spell And [D7]how to steal what I [D7sus4]could not sell But I [Am]fed my tongue on the [D7sus4]devil's rum And a [D7]roadhouse run by a [D7sus4]godless bum On a [Am]drunken night with a [D7sus4]stolen gun I [D7]shot my lover as she [D7sus4]made to run The [Em7]judge said "Son, [A9]what have you done?" But I [Em7]didn't speak a word, no I [A9]didn't speak one And the [C]judge sent [G]me away[D] And they [C]buried my [G]Grace, yeah, the [D7sus4]very next [Am]day [D7sus4] [D7] [D7sus4] [Am]They sent me out on a [D7sus4]midnight train In the [D7]rain rollin' down through the [D7sus4]dusty plain [Am]4 men sittin' with an [D7sus4]old shotgun [D7]silver stars pinned on [D7sus4]everyone They [Am]busted my mouth for to [D7sus4]get at my tongue To [D7]see just how this had [D7sus4]all begun So I [Em7]opened my mouth like a [A9]dragon's breath I [Em7]only spoke truth, but it [A9]only brought death And I lai[C]d those [G]boys to re[D]st For the [C]truth in [G]truth is a [D7sus4]terrible jes[Am]t [D7sus4] [D7] [D7sus4] For there [Em7]ain't no road but the [A9]road to home There [Em7]ain't no crops but the [A9]one's you've sown And if you [C]learn one [G]thing from [D]me You better [C]guard your [G]tongue like your [D7sus4]enemy [Am] [D7sus4] [D7] [D7sus4] [Am]I came to ground in a [D7sus4]one horse town On the [D7]western rim where the [D7sus4]sun go down Where a [Am]branded man might [D7sus4]start again For to [D7]ride his rung, for to [D7sus4]lose his sin But my [Am]tongue kept growing, it [D7sus4]would not cease I [D7]grew quite weary, couldn't [D7sus4]get no release So I [Em7]went to the magistrate and [A9]turned myself in [Em7]Picked up a shovel and he [A9]made the grin And they [C]planted me [G]by the se[D]a Now the [C]birds of the [G]air make [D7sus4]nests on [Am]me [D7sus4] [D7] [D7sus4] [Am] [D7sus4] [D7] [D7sus4]