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You and Me, Bess

Joanna Newsom
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
we  picked our way
down  to the beach
watching  the waves  dragging  out of our reach
dangling  impales  like a  sodden sheep
dangling  on thrills  from the  gut of the sea
hoarding  our  means
alfalfa  and rose
trying  not to catch  the cold eye  of the gulls
 i hope  mother nature  has  not overheard
 though she doles  out hurt  like a  buchan  bird
Lalala
stayed  for the winter
no  one told  us about the laws  of the land
i  hold my own
 but you  with your hunger
you  arm the  other hand
make  yourself known
 and when  we were found
 i know  we both grieved
 my heart  made the sound  of snow falling  from leaves
you  and me, bess
 we were  as thick as thieves
 so i swore  nonetheless
up  and down it was only  me
 so they  took me away
 and after  some time
studying  my case
must've  made up their minds
by  the time you  realized i  was dying
must've  been too late
 i believe  you were not lying
Lalala…
it  is the day  i wake  with my  ears cocked up  like a dawn
like  everyday,  of course
yanked  by my wrist  to the sugar  front courtyard
 tell me what  have i done
seems  i have stolen  a horse
 and escaped  to the gallows
who  do you  think that you are
arching  your hooves  like a queen
in  the shallow gutter  that lines  the roof
crowded  with folks  who just stare  as i hang
it's  all the same
kindness  comes over  me
what  was your name
it  makes no difference
 I'm glad  that you came
 forever  i'll listen  to your glad  name
, , ,  x 8

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Readable chord sheet for You and Me, Bess by Joanna Newsom

[C]  [D]  [Bb]  [Ebmaj7]
[Cm]  [F]  [Bb]  [Gm]
[Am7]  [Ab]  [F]  [C]
[Am7]  [Ab]  [F]  [C]

[C]we picked our [D]way
[Bb]down to the b[Ebmaj7]each
[Cm]watching the [F]waves dragging[Bb] out of our r[Gm]each
[Am7]dangling im[Ab]pales like a[F] sodden [C]sheep
[Am7]dangling on t[Ab]hrills from t[F]he gut of the [C]sea
[C]hoarding our[D] means
[Bb]alfalfa and r[Ebmaj7]ose
[Cm]trying not to [F]catch the cold ey[Bb]e of the [Gm]gulls
i h[Am7]ope mother n[Ab]ature has[F] not ove[C]rheard
though she d[Am7]oles out [Ab]hurt like a[F] buchan[C] bird
[C]  [F]  [C]  [F]
[Am7]  [Ab]  [F]  [C]
[C]  [F]  [C]  [F]
[Am7]Lalal[Ab]a   [F]      [C]

[C]stayed for the w[E]inter
[D]no one [F#m]told us about the l[C]aws of the la[Em]nd
[Bb]i hold my [Dm]own
but [C]you with your hu[E]nger
[D]you arm th[F#m]e other ha[C]nd  [Em]
[Bb]make yourself [Dm]known
and [C]when we were f[D]ound
i [Bb]know we both [Ebmaj7]grieved
my h[Cm]eart made the [F]sound of snow f[Bb]alling from l[Gm]eaves
[Am7]you and me, b[Ab]ess
we [F]were as thick as th[C]ieves
so i [Am7]swore noneth[Ab]eless
[F]up and down it was only[C] me
so the[C]y took me [D]away
and [Bb]after some t[Ebmaj7]ime
[Cm]studying my [F]case
[Bb]must've made up their [Gm]minds
[Am7]by the time you[Ab] realized i[F] was dy[C]ing
[Am7]must've been too [Ab]late
i b[F]elieve you were not [C]lying

[C]  [F]  [C]  [F]
[Am7]  [Ab]  [F]  [C]
[C]  [F]  [C]  [F]
[Am7]Lalal[Ab]a…  [F]     [C]

[C]it is the [E]day i w[D]ake with [F#m]my ears cocked [C]up like a [Em]dawn
[Bb]like ever[Dm]yday, of course
[C]yanked by my [E]wrist to the [D]sugar front [F#m]courtyard
tell me [C]what have i d[Em]one
[Bb]seems i have [Dm]stolen a horse
and [C]escaped to the [E]gallows
[D]who do y[F#m]ou think that you a[C]re
[Em]arc[Bb]hing your [Dm]hooves like a queen
[C]in the s[E]hallow [D]gutter that [F#m]lines the r[C]oof  [Em]
[Bb]crowded with [Dm]folks who just s[C]tare as i [D]hang
[Bb]it's all the s[Ebmaj7]ame
[Cm]kindness comes [F]over me
[Bb]what was your n[Gm]ame
[Am7]it makes no d[Ab]ifference
I'm [F]glad that you [C]came
fore[Am7]ver i'll li[Ab]sten to your gla[F]d n[C]ame

[Am7], [Ab], [F], [C] x 8

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