Democracy
Leonard CohenVersion1
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