Christy Moore - Faithful Departed

C Am
this graveyard hides a million secrets ,
C Am
and the trees know more than they can tell .
C F
the ghosts of the saints and the scholars will haunt you ,
G C
in heaven and in hell .

C Am
rattled by the glimmer man , the boogie man , the holy man ,
C Am
and livin’ in the shadows , in the shadows of a gunman .
C F
rattled like the coppers in your greasy till ,
G C
rattled until time stood still .

C Am
look over your shoulder , hear the school bell ring ,
C Am
another day of made – to – measure history .
C F
i don’t care if your heroes have wings ,
G C
your terrible beauty has been torn .

chorus

Am G F ` G
faithful departed , we fickle hearted ,
F E C G
as you are now so once were we .
Am G F G
faithful departed , we the meek hearted ,
F E D G
with graces imparting bring flowers to thee .

the girls in the kips proclaim their love for you
when you stumbled in they knew you had a shilling or two .
they cursed you on sundays and holy days of abstinence ,
when you all stayed away .

when you slept there a naked bulb hid your shame ,
your shadows on the wall , they took all the blame .
the sacred heart’s picture , compassion in his eyes ,
drowned out the river of sighs .

let the grass grow green over the brewery tonight ,
it’ll never come between the darkness and the light .
there is no pain that can’t be eased ,
by the devil’s holy water and the rosary beads .

chorus

you’re a history book i never could write ,
poetry in paralysis , too deep to recite .
dress yourself , bless yourself , you’ve won the fight ,
we’re gonna celebrate the night .

we’ll even climb the pillar like you always meant to ,
watch the sun rise over the strand .
close your eyes and we’ll pretend ,
it could somehow be the same again .
i’ll bury you upright so the sun doesn’t blind you .
you won’t have to gaze at the rain and the stars .
sleep and dream of chapels and bars ,
and whiskey in the jar .

final chorus

faithful departed , look what you’ve started;

an underdog’s wounds aren’t so easy to mend .

faithful departed , there’s no broken hearted ,

and no more tristesse in your world without end .