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Copper

Harry Chapin
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
 If you were  looking for a way to  get me mad
 It was a  sure fire way you  found
 Acting like a  half-wit fool,  laying your money
 around
 Well, I  came back to  tell you Lou,
 ^?bout  what you almost  did
 Don^?t you  ever put the cash on the  counter, Lou,
 when I^?m  with my  kid
 Yeah, the  kid^?s 13, he^?s  growin^? Lou, two years
 And  he^?ll be bigger than  me
 Still he  think^?s I^?m strong as a  blacksmith and
 straighter than the tall oak  tree
 I  raised him alone ten  years now,
 since his  momma ran  away
 Well, you  ain^?t gonna blow his  image of me
 With a  stunt like you  pulled  today
 They took the copper right outta the penny, Lou
 They got the  pig locked up in the pen
 But you^?re  in big trouble with me, yes, you
 If you  ever do that  again
 Ten  bucks a week  protection
 don^?t mean  I can^?t knock you  down
 You got to  treat me  like a  livin^?  saint, Lou
 Whenever my son^?s  around
 Yeah, the  kid wants to be a  policeman,  just like  me
 You  know he^?ll be a  good one,
 the  way I started out to  be
 And he  just might end up  police chief,
 Now wouldn^?t  that be something to  see
 ^?Cause then the  kid would kick right-  off the force
 All the  two-bit  grifters like  me (chorus)
 I guess it  was when my  old lady left me and
 She  took off with a saleman  guy
 I  started to see things  differently,
 cut your  own slice outta the  pie
 Yeah, I  grew up and it came  clear to me,
 all the  smart cops on the  make
 You get a  silver badge not an  old tin star
 when you^?re  on the  take
 It^?s pimps and whores, punk gang wars,
 Robberies and homicides
 When you  walk the beat with the creeps on the street
 Well, there  ain^?t no where to  hide
 I spent  half my life  without no wife
 Ridin^?  heard on the scum of the  earth
 I learned the  tricks of
 the  trade from the  gutter  parade
 And then I  prayed for  all I^?m  worth
 Don^?t you  know I appreciate the  money Lou,
 Cause it all goes into the  bank
 And when I  send my kid to  college some day
 He^?ll have  guys like you to  thank
 Yeah,  ten bucks a week on your  grocery store
 Means you  don^?t have to worry ^?bout  crime
 But  hold your money when the  kids with me,
 You can  pay me  double next  time (chorus)

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Readable chord sheet for Copper by Harry Chapin

[D]   [G]   [D]   [G]
If you were [D] looking for a way to [G] get me mad
It was a [D] sure fire way you [G] found
[D] Acting like a [G] half-wit fool, [A] laying your money [A7]
around
Well, I  [D] came back to [G] tell you Lou,
^?bout [D] what you almost [G] did
Don^?t you [A] ever put the cash on the [C] counter, Lou,
[F] when I^?m [C] with my [G] kid

Yeah, the [D] kid^?s 13, he^?s [G] growin^? Lou, two years
And [D] he^?ll be bigger than [G] me
Still he [D] think^?s I^?m strong as a [G] blacksmith and
[A] straighter than the tall oak [A7] tree
I [D] raised him alone ten [G] years now,
since his [D] momma ran [G] away
Well, you [A] ain^?t gonna blow his [C] image of me
With a [F] stunt like you [C] pulled [G] today

[G] They took the copper right outta the penny, Lou
They got the [D] pig locked up in the pen
But you^?re [E] in big trouble with me, yes, you
If you [A] ever do that [A7] again
Ten [D] bucks a week [D7] protection
don^?t [G]mean I can^?t knock you [E] down
You got to [D] treat me [D/c#] like a [D/b] livin^? [D] saint, Lou
[G] Whenever my [G/f#]son^?s [D] around
[D]   [G]   [D]   [G]

Yeah, the [D] kid wants to be a [G] policeman, [D] just like [G] me
You [D] know he^?ll be a [G] good one,
the [A] way I started out to [A7] be
And he [D] just might end up [G] police chief,
Now [D]wouldn^?t that be something to [G] see
^?Cause then the [A] kid would kick right-[C] off the force
All the [F] two-bit [C] grifters like [G] me  (chorus)

I guess it [D] was when my [G] old lady left me and
She [D] took off with a saleman [G] guy
I [D] started to see things [G] differently,
cut your [A] own slice outta the [A7] pie
Yeah, I [D] grew up and it came [G] clear to me,
all the [D] smart cops on the [G] make
You get a [A] silver badge not an [C] old tin star
[F] when you^?re [C] on the [G] take

[G] It^?s pimps and whores, punk gang wars,
[D] Robberies and homicides [Bm]
When you [E] walk the beat with the creeps on the street
Well, there [A] ain^?t no where to [A7] hide
I spent [D] half my life [D7] without no wife
Ridin^? [G] heard on the scum of the [E] earth
I learned the [D] tricks of
the [D/c#] trade from the [D/b] gutter [D] parade
And then I [G] prayed for [G/f#] all I^?m [D] worth
[D]   [G]   [D]   [G]

Don^?t you [D] know I appreciate the [G] money Lou,
[D] Cause it all goes into the [G] bank
And when I [D] send my kid to [G] college some day
He^?ll have [A] guys like you to [A7] thank
Yeah, [D] ten bucks a week on your [G] grocery store
Means you [D] don^?t have to worry ^?bout [G] crime
But [A] hold your money when the [C] kids with me,
You can [F] pay me [C] double next [G] time  (chorus)

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