Baby Birch
Joanna NewsomVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
this is the song for Baby Birch
though i will never know you
and at the back of what we've done
there is the knowledge of you
well, i wish we could take every path
could spend a hundred years adoring you
yes, i wish we could take every path
because i hated to close the door on you
do you remember staring up at the stars
so far away in their bulletproof cars?
when we heard the rushing, slow intake
of the dark, dark water in the engine brakes?
and i said to you, "well, how about them engine brakes?"
and if i should die before i wake,
Will you keep an eye on Baby Birch?
because i'd hate to see her make the same mistake
when it was dark, i called and you came
when it was dark, i saw shapes
when I see stars, i feel in your hand
and I see stars, and I reel again.
Well mercy me. I'll be goddamned.
It's been a long, long time
since I last saw you.
And I have never known the plan.
It's been a long, long time.
How are you?
Your eyes are green. Your hair is gold.
Your hair is black. Your eyes are blue.
I closed the ranks, and I doubled back
but, you know, I hated to close
the door on you.
We take a walk along the dirty lake.
Hear the goose,
cussing at me over her eggs.
You poor little cousin.
I don't want your dregs
(A little baby fussing all over my legs).
There is a blacksmith,
and there is a shepherd,
and there is a butcher-boy,
and there is a barber, who's cutting
and cutting away at my only joy.
I saw a rabbit,
as slick as a knife,
and as pale as a candlestick,
and I had thought it'd be harder to do,
but I caught her, and skinned her quick:
held her there,
kicking and mewling,
upended, unspooling, unsung and blue;
told her "wherever you go,
little runaway bunny,
I will find you."
And then she ran,
as they're liable to do.
Be at peace, baby, and begone.
, to fade
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Readable chord sheet for Baby Birch by Joanna Newsom
this[C] is the song for [F]Baby Birch though [Am]i will never[F] know you [C] and [C]at the back of w[F]hat we've done there [Am]is the knowledge [F]of you [C] well, i w[C]ish we could take e[F]very path could spend a [Am]hundred years [F]adoring you[C] yes, i[C] wish we could take eve[F]ry path because i [Am]hated to close the [F]door on you[C] do you [C]remember staring [F]up at the stars so f[Am]ar away in their [F]bulletproof c[C]ars? when we [C]heard the rushing, [F]slow intake of the d[Am]ark, dark water in the [F]engine [C]brakes? and i said[C] to you, "well, how about them e[F]ngine brakes?" and if[Am] i should die b[F]efore i[C] wake, Will you [C]keep an eye on [F]Baby Birch? because i'd [Am]hate to see her make the same [F]mistake[C] when it was [Asus4]dark, i called and you[C] came when it was [Asus4]dark, i saw [C]shapes when I see sta[Asus4]rs, i feel in your [C]hand and I see [Asus4]stars, and I reel [C]again. Well [C]mercy me. I'll b[F]e goddamned. It's been a l[Am]ong, long time [F]since I last [C]saw you. And I[C] have never k[F]nown the plan. It's been a [Am]long, long time. [F]How are [C]you? Your [C]eyes are green. Your [F]hair is gold. Your [Am]hair is black. Y[F]our eyes are [C]blue. I c[C]losed the ranks, and I [F]doubled back but, you know, I h[Am]ated to close t[F]he door on yo[C]u. We take a [Asus4]walk along the dirty [C]lake. Hear the goose, [Asus4]cussing at me over her e[C]ggs. You poor little [Asus4]cousin. I don't want your [C]dregs (A little baby [Asus4]fussing all over my [C]legs). There is a bl[Am]acksmith, and there is a shepherd, and there is a butcher-boy, and there is a b[C]arber, who's cutting and cutting away at my only joy. I saw a[Am] rabbit, as slick as a knife, and as pale as a candlestick, and I had t[C]hought it'd be harder to do, but I caught her, and skinned her quick: held her there, [Am]kicking and mewling, upended, unspooling, unsung and blue; told her "[C]wherever you go, little runaway bunny, I will find you." And then she [Am]ran, as they're liable to [C]do. Be at peace, [Asus4]baby, and b[C]egone. [Asus4], [C] to fade