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Democracy

Leonard Cohen
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
 It's coming  through a hole  in the air,
 from those nights  in Tiananmen  Square.
 It's coming  from the feel
 that this ain't exactly real,
 or it's real,  but it ain't exactly there.
 From the wars  against disorder,
 from the sirens  night and day,
 from the fires  of the homeless,
 from the ashes  of the gay:
 Democracy  is coming  to the U.S.A.
 It's coming  through a  crack in the wall;
 on a visionary  flood  of alcohol;
 from the staggering  account
 of the Sermon on the Mount
 which I don't  pretend to understand at all.
 It's coming  from the silence
 on the  dock of the bay,
 from the brave,  the bold, the battered
 heart of  Chevrolet:
 Democracy  is coming  to the U.S.A.
 It's coming  from the sorrow  in the street,
 the holy  places where  the races meet;
 from the homicidal  bitchin'
 that goes down in every kitchen
 to determine  who will serve and who will eat.
 From the wells  of disappointment
 where the women  kneel to pray
 for the grace  of God in the desert here
 and the desert  far away:
 Democracy  is coming  to the U.S.A.
 Sail  on, sail  on
 O mighty  Ship of State!
 To the Shores  of Need
 Past the Reefs  of Greed
 Through the Squalls  of Hate
 Sail  on, sail on, sail  on, sail  on.
 It's coming  to America  first,
 the cradle  of the best  and of the worst.
 It's here  they got the range
 and the machinery for change
 and it's here  they got the spiritual thirst.
 It's here  the family's broken
 and it's here  the lonely say
 that the heart  has got to open
 in a fundamental  way:
 Democracy  is coming  to the U.S.A.
 It's coming  from the women  and the men.
 O baby,  we'll be making  love again.
 We'll be going  down so deep
 the river's going to weep,
 and the mountain's  going to shout Amen!
 It's coming  like the tidal flood
 beneath  the lunar sway,
 imperial,  mysterious,
 in amorous  array:
 Democracy  is coming  to the U.S.A.
 Sail  on, sail  on ...
 I'm sentimental,  if you  know what I mean
 I love the country  but I  can't stand the scene.
 And I'm neither  left or right
 I'm just staying home tonight,
 getting lost  in that hopeless little screen.
 But I'm stubborn  as those garbage bags
 that Time  cannot decay,
 I'm junk  but I'm still holding up
 this little  wild bouquet:
 Democracy  is coming  to the U.S.A

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Readable chord sheet for Democracy by Leonard Cohen

It's co[D]ming through a h[G]ole in the a[A]ir,
from those ni[D]ghts in Tia[A]nanmen Sq[D]uare.
It's co[G]ming from the feel

that this ain't exactly real,
or it's r[D]eal, but it ain't exactly there.
From the w[F#]ars against disorder,
from the s[Bm]irens night and day,
from the f[F#]ires of the homeless,
from the a[Bm]shes of the gay:
Demo[A]cracy is coming [G]  to the U.S.[D]A.

It's co[D]ming through a [G] crack in the w[A]all;
on a vis[D]ionary fl[A]ood of alc[D]ohol;
from the stag[G]gering account

of the Sermon on the Mount
which I d[D]on't pretend to understand at all.
It's c[F#]oming from the silence
on the [Bm]  dock of the bay,
from the br[F#]ave, the bold, the battered
heart of [Bm]  Chevrolet:
Dem[A]ocracy is coming [G]  to the U.S.[D]A.

It's co[D]ming from the so[G]rrow in the st[A]reet,
the h[D]oly places wh[A]ere the races m[D]eet;
from the hom[G]icidal bitchin'

that goes down in every kitchen
to dete[D]rmine who will serve and who will eat.
From the we[F#]lls of disappointment
where the w[Bm]omen kneel to pray
for the g[F#]race of God in the desert here
and the de[Bm]sert far away:
Demo[A]cracy is coming  [G]  to the U.S.[D]A.

S[A]ail on, s[G]ail on
O mi[D]ghty Ship of State!
To the Sh[A]ores of Need
Past the Re[G]efs of Greed
Through the Squ[D]alls of Hate
S[A]ail on, sail on, sa[G]il on, sa[D]il on.

It's co[D]ming to Am[G]erica fi[A]rst,
the cr[D]adle of the b[A]est and of the wo[D]rst.
It's h[G]ere they got the range

and the machinery for change
and it's h[D]ere they got the spiritual thirst.
It's h[F#]ere the family's broken
and it's h[Bm]ere the lonely say
that the h[F#]eart has got to open
in a fun[Bm]damental way:
Demo[A]cracy is coming [G]  to the U.S.[D]A.

It's co[D]ming from the wo[G]men and the m[A]en.
O b[D]aby, we'll be ma[A]king love ag[D]ain.
We'll be go[G]ing down so deep

the river's going to weep,
and the mou[D]ntain's going to shout Amen!
It's co[F#]ming like the tidal flood
be[Bm]neath the lunar sway,
im[F#]perial, mysterious,
in am[Bm]orous array:
Demo[A]cracy is coming [G]  to the U.S.[D]A.

S[A]ail on, s[G]ail on ...

I'm sent[D]imental, if you [G]  know what I m[A]ean
I love the cou[D]ntry but I [A]  can't stand the sc[D]ene.
And I'm ne[G]ither left or right

I'm just staying home tonight,
getting l[D]ost in that hopeless little screen.
But I'm stu[F#]bborn as those garbage bags
that T[Bm]ime cannot decay,
I'm j[F#]unk but I'm still holding up
this li[Bm]ttle wild bouquet:
Dem[A]ocracy is coming [G]  to the U.S.[D]A

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