My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist
DecemberistsVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
My mother was a chinese trapeze artist
In pre-war Paris
Smuggling bombs for the underground.
And she met my father
At a fete in Aix-en-Provence.
He was disguised as a Russian cadet
in the employ of the Axis.
And there in the half-light
Of the provincial midnight
To a lone concertina
They drank in cantinas
And toasted to Edith Piaf
And the fall of the Reich.
My sister was born in a hovel in Burgundy
And left for the cattle
But later was found by a communist
Who'd deserted his ranks
To follow his dream
To start up a punk rock band in South Carolina.
I get letters sometimes.
They bought a plantation
She weeds the tobacco
He offends the nation
And they write, "Don't be a stranger, y'hear."
"Sincerely, your sister."
So my parents had me
To the disgust of the prostitutes
On a bed in a brothel.
Surprisingly raised with tender care
'Til the money got tight
And they bet me away
To a blind brigadier in a game
Of high stakes canasta.
But he made me a sailor
On his brigadier ship fleet.
I know every yardarm
From main mast to jib sheet.
But sometimes I long to be landlocked
And to work in a bakery.
Em
Ahhhhh Ahhhhh Ahhhhh
Listen to the recording for the rhythms. I love this song. Hope you do too.
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Readable chord sheet for My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist by Decemberists
[Am] [Am/E] [Am] [Am] [E]
[Am]My mother[Am/E] was a chi[C]nese tr[D]apeze artis[G]t
In [Em]pre-war P[D]aris
[Am]Smuggling [D]bombs for the [B]undergr[Em]ound.[Emadd9] [Em]
[Am]And she met my f[D]ather
At a f[B]ete in Aix-en-Pro[C]vence.
He was d[Cadd9]isguised as a Russian c[D]adet
in the employ of the [Em]Axis.[Emadd9] [Em]
And t[C]here in the half-light
Of the[C] provincial midnight
To a l[G]one concertina
They d[G]rank in cantinas
And to[C]asted to Edith Pi[D]af
And the fall of the R[Em]eich.[Emadd9] [Em]
[C] [D] [Am]
[Am]My sister was b[Am/E]orn in a h[C]ovel in [D]Burgundy[G]
And le[Em]ft for the c[D]attle
[Am]But later was f[D]ound by a c[B]ommuni[Em]st [Emadd9] [Em]
[Am]Who'd deserted his [D]ranks
To fol[B]low his dr[C]eam
To start[Cadd9] up a punk rock ba[D]nd in South Carol[Em]ina. [Emadd9] [Em]
I [C]get letters sometimes.
Th[C]ey bought a plantation
She [G]weeds the tobacco
He o[G]ffends the nation
And they write, "[C]Don't be a stranger, y[D]'hear."
"Sincerely, your si[Em]ster.[Emadd9]" [Em]
[C] [D] [Am]
[Am]So my par[Am/E]ents had me
To the disgust [C]of the [D]prostitutes[G]
On a be[Em]d in a br[D]othel.
[Am]Surprisingly ra[D]ised with [B]tender ca[Em]re [Emadd9] [Em]
[Am]'Til the money got t[D]ight
And they [B]bet me awa[C]y
To a blind[Cadd9] brigadier in a ga[D]me
Of high stakes ca[Em]nasta[Emadd9]. [Em]
But he [C]made me a sailor
On his [C]brigadier ship fleet.
I k[G]now every yardarm
From ma[G]in mast to jib sheet.
But [C]sometimes I long to be [D]landlocked
And to work in a ba[C]kery.
[Em] [C] [Em]
Ahhhhh Ahhhhh Ahhhhh
[C] [D] [Am]
Listen to the recording for the rhythms. I love this song. Hope you do too.