Oh Sister
Dan BernVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
They say you taught me how to talk
I bet you wish you taught me how to stop
You're far away now
I wish I could take a walk with you someplace
You explained me to our parents
English wasn't their first language
They spoke German
Hated Germans
Confusing times
Oh sister
Down midwest backseat bumpy streets
You sang my Beatles songs with me
I sang your Broadway melodies
Bad harmonies
And where would Willie Mays have been
without Jackie Robinson?
And who can say what I'd been
Without you to lead the way
After I showed some guys I could drink
You picked me off the lawn, I think
And led me to the kitchen sink
Where I got rid of it
Some nights I lay awake in awe
As squinting through the dark I saw
You peeling off your teenage bra
The door slightly ajar
Oh sister
You lived just across the hall
For eighteen summers
Eighteen falls
Until you went away to that Weird college in Wisconsin
And where would Willie Mays have been
without Jackie Robinson?
And who can say what I'd been
Without you to lead the way
Trust yourself
And you can do anything
This I give to you
May your heart purr like a bumblebee
May all your backyards have a tree
May you always be HIV negative
I hope you meet a nice guy who
Treats women better than I do
I don't even care if he's a Jew or not
Oh sister
I remember in the temple hall
At our dear father's funeral
You sang like a nightingale
One of his own songs
And where would Willie Mays have been
Without Jackie Robinson?
And who can say what I'd been
Without you to lead the way
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Readable chord sheet for Oh Sister by Dan Bern
[G]They say you taught me how to talk I [C]bet you wish you taught me how to stop You're [Em]far away now I wish I could take a [D]walk with you someplace [C]You explained me to our parents [Em]English wasn't their first language [Am]They spoke German [C]Hated Germans [D]Confusing times [G]Oh sister [C]Down midwest backseat bumpy streets You [Em]sang my Beatles songs with me I [Am]sang your Broadway melodies Bad [D]harmonies And [C]where would Willie Mays have been [Em]without Jackie Robinson? And [Am]who can say what I'd been Without [D]you to lead the [G]way After I showed some guys I could drink You picked me off the lawn, I think And led me to the kitchen sink Where I got rid of it Some nights I lay awake in awe As squinting through the dark I saw You peeling off your teenage bra The door slightly ajar Oh sister You lived just across the hall For eighteen summers Eighteen falls Until you went away to that Weird college in Wisconsin And where would Willie Mays have been without Jackie Robinson? And who can say what I'd been Without you to lead the way [Em]Trust yourse[D]lf And [C]you can do [G]anything [Am]This I give to [D]you May your heart purr like a bumblebee May all your backyards have a tree May you always be HIV negative I hope you meet a nice guy who Treats women better than I do I don't even care if he's a Jew or not Oh sister I remember in the temple hall At our dear father's funeral You sang like a nightingale One of his own songs And where would Willie Mays have been Without Jackie Robinson? And who can say what I'd been Without you to lead the way