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The Undercover Man

Van Der Graaf Generator
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
sus C#m
--2-----2-----4-----2-------|
--2-----2-----5-----3----5--|
--2-----4-----4-----2----6--|
--4-----4-----6-----0----6--|
-------------------------4--|
----------------------------|
Here  at the glass  -
 all the usual problems,  all the habitual farce.
You  ask, in uncertain voice,
 what you should do,
 as if there were a choice  but to carry  on
 miming the song
 and hope that it all works out  right.
 Tonight it all seems so  strange -
 my spirit feels  rigid,  my body  deranged;
 still that's  only from one point of  view
 and we can't have illusion  between me and  you,
 my constant  friend, ever close at  hand -
 you and the undercover  man.
] B/D#
---------0----------------|
---------0-------------4--|
---------1-------------4--|
---------2-------------4--|
-----------------------6--|
-0-2--4-------------------|
  I re flect: 'It's very strange
 to be going through this  change
 with no idea of what it's all  been about
] B5
----------------------------| --------|
-------------------------3--| --3--3--|
-------------------------3--| --3--3--|
-------------------------3--| --3--2--|
--------------0--2----4--5--| --1--1--|
--0----1--3-----------------| --------|
  ]
 except in the context of time...'
 Oh, but I shirk  it,  I've half a mind not to work it all out.
C#dim
------------|
--7---5--5--|
--7---5--3--|
--7---5--5--|
--5---3--4--|
------------|
Is  this madness just the recurring wave  of total emotion,
 or a  hide for the undercover man,
 or a litany  - all the signs are there  of fervent devotion  -
F
----------------8--7------------8---7------5--|
-------7----5---5--5-----8------5---5------6--|
-------7----5---5--5-----9------5---5------5--|
-------7----5---5--5-----10-----5---5------7--|
-------5----3------------10-------------------|
-------------------------8--------------------|
 or the cracking of the dam?
Em
---------------------------------------------|
-----1-------4---7---------------10-------8--|
-----2-------5---8---------------11-------9--|
-----1-------4---7---------------10-------9--|
------------------------------------------7--|
-----2-------5---8---------------11----------|
 It's cracked; smashed and bursting over you,
 there was no reason  to expect such disaster.
A/C#
-----7--| ---7--| --3-----5--|
-7---8--| ---8--| --3-----5--|
-8---9--| ---8--| --4-----6--|
-9------| ------| --5--------|
-9---7--| ---6--| --5-----4--|
-7------| ------| -----------|
Now, panicking,  you burst for air,
drowning,  you know you care
for  nothing and no-one but yourself
 and would deny  even this hand
 which stretches out  towards you  to help.
B
--------------------------------------------------------|
------------3-----------------5--------------5-------4--|
------------4-----------------4--------------5-------4--|
------------4-----------------5--------------5-------4--|
------------------------------3--------------3-------2--|
------------3-------------------------------------------|
 But would I leave you in this moment of your trial?
 Is it my fault  that I'm here  to see you crying?
Am
------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------1------------1---------------------1--|
--------------------2------------2---------------------2----|
------------------2------------3---------------------2------|
--------------r-0----------r-0-------------------r-0--------|
------------------------------------------------------------|
 These phantom figures all around you should have told you,
 you should have found  out by now,
 if you hadn't gone and tried to do it all by yourself.
Eb9
-------------|
----------6--|
--6--7----6--|
--6--7----5--|
--4--5----6--|
-------------|
 Sax solo over F minor riff
]
  Ev-en now we are not lost: if you look out at the night
 you'll see the colours and the lights  seem to say
]
  people are not far a-way, at least in distance,
 and it's only  our own dumb resistance
 that's making us  stay.
When  the madness comes, let it flood on down  and over me sweetly,
 let it drown  the parts of me weak and blessed and damned,
 let it slake  my life, let it take my soul  and living completely,
 let it be who I am.
There  may not  be time for us all to run  in tandem together  -
 the horizon  calls with its parallel lines.
 It may not  be right for you to have and hold  in one way forever
 and yet you still have time,
 you still have time.

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Readable chord sheet for The Undercover Man by Van Der Graaf Generator

[F#m]    [F#] sus [E]     [D]   [C#m]
--2-----2-----4-----2-------|
--2-----2-----5-----3----5--|
--2-----4-----4-----2----6--|
--4-----4-----6-----0----6--|
-------------------------4--|
----------------------------|

[F#m]Here at the [F#sus]glass -
all the usual [F#m]problems, all the habitual [F#sus]farce.
[F#m]You ask, in uncertain [F#sus]voice,
what you should [F#m]do,
as if there were a [E]choice but to carry[D] on
miming the [C#m]song
and hope that it all works out[F#m] right.

Tonight it all seems so[F#sus] strange -
my spirit feels[F#m] rig[A]id, my body[F#sus] deran[Ab]ged;
still [F#m]that's only from one point of[F#sus] view
and we can't have il[F#m]lusi[A]on between me and[E] you,
my constant[D] friend, ever close at[C#m] hand -
you and the undercover[F#m] man.

[[E] [F#]][E/G#]           [B/D#]
---------0----------------|
---------0-------------4--|
---------1-------------4--|
---------2-------------4--|
-----------------------6--|
-0-2--4-------------------|
 I re flect: 'It's very strange
to be going through this[D] change
with no idea of what it's [G]all been about

 [[E]    [F]  [G]   [A]  [B]    [C#]][Bb/D]         [Bb] [B5]
----------------------------|       --------|
-------------------------3--|       --3--3--|
-------------------------3--|       --3--3--|
-------------------------3--|       --3--2--|
--------------0--2----4--5--|       --1--1--|
--0----1--3-----------------|       --------|
 [[E]    [F]  [G]   [A]  [B]    [C#]][Bb/D]
except in the context of time...'
Oh, but I [Bb]shirk it[B5], I've half a mind not to work it all [C]out.

  [D]   [C]  [C#dim]
------------|
--7---5--5--|
--7---5--3--|
--7---5--5--|
--5---3--4--|
------------|

[D]Is this madness just the recurring [G]wave of total emo[A]tion,
or a[D] hide for the undercover [G]man,  [A]
or a [D]litany - all the signs are [G]there of fervent devo[A]tion -

       [D]    [C]   [C]  [Cmaj7] [C]      [C]   [Cmaj7]  [F]
----------------8--7------------8---7------5--|
-------7----5---5--5-----8------5---5------6--|
-------7----5---5--5-----9------5---5------5--|
-------7----5---5--5-----10-----5---5------7--|
-------5----3------------10-------------------|
-------------------------8--------------------|
or the cracking of the   dam?

[C] [Cmaj7] [C]   [C] [Cmaj7] [F]

     [F#dim] [Adim] [Cdim]             [Ebdim]    [Em]
---------------------------------------------|
-----1-------4---7---------------10-------8--|
-----2-------5---8---------------11-------9--|
-----1-------4---7---------------10-------9--|
------------------------------------------7--|
-----2-------5---8---------------11----------|
It's cracked;        smashed and bursting over you,
there was no [D]reason to expect such di[C]saster.

[B]    [Em]    [EmMaj7]  [G/D]   [A/C#]
-----7--| ---7--| --3-----5--|
-7---8--| ---8--| --3-----5--|
-8---9--| ---8--| --4-----6--|
-9------| ------| --5--------|
-9---7--| ---6--| --5-----4--|
-7------| ------| -----------|
[B]Now, [Em]panicking, you burst for air,
[EmMaj7]drowning, you know you care
[G/D]for nothing and no-one but yours[A/C#]elf
and would [G]deny even this hand
which stretches [Bm]out to[D]wards [A]you to [G]help.

            [Gmaj7]             [Cmaj7]          [C]       [B]
--------------------------------------------------------|
------------3-----------------5--------------5-------4--|
------------4-----------------4--------------5-------4--|
------------4-----------------5--------------5-------4--|
------------------------------3--------------3-------2--|
------------3-------------------------------------------|
But would I leave you in this moment of your trial?
Is it my fau[Gmaj7]lt that I'm [Cmaj7]here to see you [C]cry[B]ing?

              [Am]           [Am]                   [Am]
------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------1------------1---------------------1--|
--------------------2------------2---------------------2----|
------------------2------------3---------------------2------|
--------------r-0----------r-0-------------------r-0--------|
------------------------------------------------------------|
These phantom figures all around you should have told you,
you should have [Am]found out by [G]now,
if you hadn't gone and tried to do it all by you[C]rself.

[Ab]  [Bb]  [C]

[C#5]  [D5]   [Eb9]
-------------|
----------6--|
--6--7----6--|
--6--7----5--|
--4--5----6--|
-------------|

Sax solo over F minor riff

[[C#] [Eb]] [E]             [B/D#]                          [D]
 Ev-en  now we are not lost: if you look out at the night
you'll see the colours and the [G]lights seem to say
[[E]  [F]   [G]   [A]   [Bb]  [C]][Bb/D]             [Bb]
 people are not far a-way, at least in distance,
and it's [B5]only our own dumb resistance
that's making us[C] stay.

[D]  [C]  [C#dim]

[D]When the madness comes, let it flood on [G]down and over me swee[A]tly,
let it [D]drown the parts of me weak and blessed and [G]damned,  [A]
let it [D]slake my life, let it take my [G]soul and living com[A]pletely,
let [D]it [C]be [C]who [Cmaj7]I     [C]am.

[A]There may [D]not be time for us all to [G]run in tandem to[A]gether -
the [D]horizon calls with its parallel [G]lines. [A]
It may [D]not be right for you to have and [G]hold in one way for[A]ever
and [D]yet [C]you [C]still [Cmaj7]have  [C]time,   [C]     [Cmaj7]           [F]

you [C]still [Cmaj7]have  [C]time. [C]   [Cmaj7]         [F]

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