What We Have Known
Joanna NewsomVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
B
e|-4---4--2---4-4--6---7-|
B|-6---4--2---5-4--6---7-|
G|-6---4--3---6-5--6---8-|
D|-6---6--4---6-6--8---9-|
A|-4---6--4---4-6--8---9-|
E|-4---4--2---4-4--6---7-|
The tadpole buoyant as basalt
The seashorse horsing in the salt
The owlet in his greenery
The narwhal in his cup of sea
They all believe
They all believe
But collusion bleeds through back allies
From parapets that end in feet
When one is weak we discretely meet
We throw the bones into the street
As they progress
We retreat
And all the books our fathers wrote
Are in the middle of the road
Little by little we implode
History brittle, brown and broke
We can't remember what was spoke
So we stare in wonder at the smoke
What it begets is born alone
We know not now what we have known
Ladies breathe deep against your whale bones
When your children come back made of stone
And the terror seething seas away
Is like the wheezing of the bay
In miniature agonies
That travel westward on the breeze
And bring us all to our knees
And the dappled horse the sorrowed mare
With eyes that do not see but stare
Beneath boots as black as malachite
He drives a nag into the night
Into the night
And all the baby boys we've born
With eyes averted from the storm
Sent off to die in perfect form
We know not now what we have known
Satellite photos and rhetoric
See how the euphemisms stick
And when they come back broke and burned
Those who return have not returned
Ladies breathe deep against your whale bones
When your children come back made of stone
Source: Songsterr · Rights holder? Request removal.
Readable chord sheet for What We Have Known by Joanna Newsom
[C#] [Abm] [F#] [Cm] [Ab] [Bbm] [B] e|-4---4--2---4-4--6---7-| B|-6---4--2---5-4--6---7-| G|-6---4--3---6-5--6---8-| D|-6---6--4---6-6--8---9-| A|-4---6--4---4-6--8---9-| E|-4---4--2---4-4--6---7-| The [C#]tadpole buoyant a[Abm]s basalt The seashorse horsing in the salt The owlet in his greenery The narwhal in his cup of sea They [C#]all believe They all [F#]believe [Cm] [F#] But [Cm]collusion bleeds through [F#]back allies From parapets that end in feet When one is weak we discretely meet We throw the bones into the street As they progress We retreat [Ab]And all the [Bbm]books our fathers [F#]wrote Are in the middle of the road Little by little we implode History brittle, brown and broke We can't remember what was spoke So we stare in wonder at the smoke What it begets is born alone We know not now what we have known Ladies b[B]reathe d[Ab]eep against yo[F#]ur whale [C#]bones When your children come back made of stone And the [C#]terror seething [Abm]seas away Is like the wheezing of the bay In miniature agonies That travel westward on the breeze And brin[C#]g us all to our [F#]knees [Cm] [F#] And the dappled horse the sorrowed mare With eyes that do not see but stare Beneath boots as black as malachite He drives a nag into the night Into the night And all the baby boys we've born With eyes averted from the storm Sent off to die in perfect form We know not now what we have known Satellite photos and rhetoric See how the euphemisms stick And when they come back broke and burned Those who return have not returned Ladies breathe deep against your whale bones When your children come back made of stone