Soft As Chalk
Joanna NewsomVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
So, so long ago
And so far away
When time was just a line
That you fed me
When you wanted to stay
We'd talk as soft as chalk
Till morning came, as pale as a pearl
No time, no, no time
Now, I have got all the time in the world
Say, honey, did you belong to me
Tell me, honey, was your heart at rest when, darling
All the mourning doves were howling us
A song of love's oh god-awful lawlessness, law-less-ness!
Say, honey, did you belong to me
Tell me, honey, did I pass your test
I lay, as still as death, until the dawn
Whereupon I wrested from your god-awful lawlessness,
Law-less-ness!
I roam around the tidy grounds
Of my dappled sanatorium
Coatless, I sit amongst the moles, adrift
And I dote upon my pinesap gum
And the light, through the pines in brassy tines
Lays over me, dim as rum
And thick as molasses, and so time passes
And so, my heart, tomorrow comes
I feel you, leaning
Out back with the crickets
Loyal heart marking the soon-ness darkness
Tonight, still the mourning doves
Will summon us their song
Of love's neverdoneing lawlessness, law-less-ness!
While, over and over
Rear up, stand down, lay round
Trying to sound-out or guess the reasons
To sleep like a soldier, without rest
But there is no treason
Where there is only lawlessness, law-less-ness!
faster
In the last week
Of the last year I was aware
I took a blind shot, across the creek
At the black bear
When he roused me in the night
And left me cowering with my light
Calling out
Who is there
Who's there
Who is there
I watched you sleep
Repeating my prayer
Give love a little shove
And it becomes terror
And now I am calling
In a sadness beyond anger
And beyond fear
Who is there
Who's there
Who is there
I glare and nod
Like the character, God
Bearing down upon the houses and lawns
I knew a little bit,
But, darling, you were it
And, darling, now it is long gone
Sweetheart, in your clean, bright start
Back there, behind a hill, and a dell
And a state line or two, I'll be thinking of you
Yes, Ill be thinking and be wishing you well
We land, I stand, but I wait for the sound of the bell
I have to catch a cab and my bags are at the carousel
And then Lord, just then, time alone will only tell
You morning dove
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Readable chord sheet for Soft As Chalk by Joanna Newsom
[D]So, so [C]long ago [G]And so far aw[D]ay [D]When time[C] was just a line That you fe[G]d me When you wanted to[D] stay [D]We'd talk as s[C]oft as chalk Till mo[G]rning came, as pale as [D]a pearl [D]No time, no[C], no time Now, I [G]have got all the time in t[D]he world [D]Say, honey, did y[Bb]ou belong to me T[Eb]ell me, honey, was your [Dm]heart at rest when, d[F]arling All the mourning [C]doves were howling us A [Bb]song of love's oh god-[Dm]awful lawless[C]ness, l[Dm]aw-[F]les[Dm]s-ness! [D]Say, honey, did [Bb]you belong to me [Eb]Tell me, honey, did I [Dm]pass your test I la[F]y, as still as death, unti[C]l the dawn Whereupon I [Bb]wrested from your god-a[Dm]wful lawlessn[C]ess, [Dm]Law-[F]less-[Dm]ness! I [D]roam around the ti[C]dy grounds Of my dap[G]pled sanator[C]ium [D]Coatless, I sit amongst t[C]he moles, adrift And I d[G]ote upon my pinesap[D] gum And the [D]light, through the pines in [C]brassy tines Lays [G]over me, dim as [D]rum And th[D]ick as molasses, and [C]so time passes And [G]so, my heart, tomorrow [C]comes [D]I feel you, leaning Out b[Bb]ack with the crickets Loyal [Eb]heart marking the [Dm]soon-ness darkness T[F]onight, still the mourning[C] doves Will summon us their [Bb]song Of love's never[Dm]doneing lawless[C]ness, l[Dm]aw-l[F]ess[Dm]-ness! While, [D]over and over Rear [Bb]up, stand down, lay round Tr[Eb]ying to sound-out or gue[Dm]ss the reasons To [F]sleep like a soldier, [C]without rest But there is no tre[Bb]ason Where there is [Dm]only lawless[C]ness, [Dm]law[F]-les[Dm]s-ness! [Dm] [Dm] [Bb] [Gm] [C] [Dm]fast[Bb]er [Gm] [C] [Dm] [Bb] [Gm] [C] [Dm] [Bb] [Gm] [C] In the [Eb]last week Of the last year I[Gm] was aware I took a bli[C#]nd shot, across the creek At the [Ab]black bear When he ro[Eb]used me in the night And left me [C#]cowering with my light Calling out W[Ab]ho is th[Fm]ere Who's [Cm]there Who is [Eb]there [Bb] [Fm] [Am] [C] [Dm] [Bb] [Gm] [C] [Dm] [Bb] [Gm] [C] [Dm] [Bb] [Gm] [C] [Dm] [Bb] [Gm] [C] I w[Eb]atched you sleep R[Gm]epeating my prayer G[C#]ive love a little shove And it bec[Ab]omes terror And now I am [Eb]calling In a sadness beyond anger And beyond [C#]fear [Ab]Who is [Fm]there Who's [Cm]there Who is[Eb] there [Bb] [Fm] [Am] [C] [D] [D] [C] [G] [D] [D] [C] [G] [D] I[D] glare and nod Like the [C]character, God Bearing [G]down upon the houses and [D]lawns I k[D]new a little bit, But, d[C]arling, you were it And, da[G]rling, now it is long gone [C] [D]Sweetheart, in your [C]clean, bright start [G]Back there, behind a hill, and a [D]dell And a s[D]tate line or two, I'll be[C] thinking of you Yes, Ill be t[G]hinking and be wishing you[D] well W[D]e land, I stan[C]d, but I wait for [G]the sound of the b[D]ell [D]I have to c[C]atch a cab and my ba[G]gs are at the [C]carousel And t[D]hen Lord, just[C] then, time alone w[D]ill only tell You morning dove