Joanna Newsom - Kingfisher

kingfisher
by joanna newsom
transcribed by poormatty
( i got it from

( G ) whose is the hand that ( F ) i will ( Am ) hold
( G ) whose is the face i ( F ) will ( C ) see
( G ) whose is the name ( D ) that i ( Am ) will call
when ( G ) i Am called to ( F ) meet ( A ) thee

( Am ) ( C ) ( G ) ( F ) ( Am )

( G ) in this life who ( F ) did you ( Am ) love
( G ) beneath the drifting ( F ) A – ( C ) shes
( G ) beneath the shee ( D ) ting banks ( Am ) of air
that ( G ) barrenly pour our ( F ) ra – ( A ) tions

( Am ) ( C ) ( G ) ( F ) ( Am )

( G ) when i could speak it ( F ) was too ( Am ) late
( G ) didn’t you hear me ( F ) ca – ( C ) lling
( G ) didn’t you see ( D ) my heart ( Am ) leap like A
( G ) pup in the constant ( F ) bar – ( A ) ley

( Am ) ( C ) ( G ) ( F ) ( Am )

( G ) in this life where ( F ) did you ( Am ) crouch
( G ) when the sky had set to ( F ) bo – ( C ) iling
( G ) burning within ( D ) seen from ( Am ) without
in your ( G ) gut was a serpent ( F ) coi – ( A ) ling

and ( Am ) for the sake of that ( C ) pit of snakes
for ( G ) whom did you allay your ( D ) shyness
and ( Am ) spend on your mercy and ( C ) madness and grace
in A ( G ) day beneath the bending ( F ) cy ( Am ) press

( F#m ) it was not on ( A ) principle , ( D ) show , pro – ( C ) heart , that you ( G ) have got ( F ) gall
( F#m ) a mira ( A ) cle : ( D ) i can bear A ( C ) lot but ( G ) not that ( F ) pall
( Am ) i can bear a lot but ( C ) not that pall , ( G ) kingfisher sound the A ( D ) larm
say , ( Dm ) “sweet little darling , now ( C ) come to my arms”
tell me ( G ) all about the love you left ( F ) on ( G ) the ( Am ) farm”
( Am ) he was a kind and ( C ) hurried man , with A ( G ) heavy lip and A ( D ) steady hand
but ( Dm7 ) he loved me just like A ( C ) little child , A ( G ) little child loves A ( F ) little ( Am ) lamb

( G ) thrown to the ground by ( F ) something ( Am ) down there
( G ) bitten by the bad air ( F ) while the clouds ( C ) tick
( G ) trying to ( D ) read all ( Am ) the signs
pre ( G ) paring for when the ( F ) bombs hit ( A )

( Am ) ( C ) ( G ) ( F ) ( Am )

( G ) hung from the ( D ) under ( Dsus2 ) belly ( Am ) of
the ( G ) earth while the ( D ) stars skid A ( Dsus2 ) way be ( C ) low
( G ) gormless and ( D ) brakless , ( Em ) gravel – loose ( D ) falling
( Dm ) silent as ( A ) gavels ( C ) in the ( Em ) snow

( Am ) la la la ( C ) la la ( G ) la la la la la la la ( F ) la ( Am ) la

( F#m ) i lay back and ( A ) spit in my chaw
( D ) wrapped in the ( C ) long arm ( G ) of the ( F ) law
( F#m ) who has seen it ( A ) all
( D ) i can bear A ( C ) lot but ( G ) not that ( F ) pall
( Am ) i can bear a lot but ( C ) not that pall , ( G ) kingfisher , cast your ( D ) fly
( Dm ) oh , lord it happens with ( C ) out even trying
when i ( G ) sling a low look from my ( F ) shuttering ( Am ) eye

( G ) blows rain upon the ( F ) one you ( Am ) loved
and ( G ) though you were only ( F ) spar ( C ) ring
there’s ( G ) blood in the eye ( D ) unlace the ( Am ) glove
say ( G ) honey , i Am not ( F ) sor – ( A ) ry

( Am ) ( C ) ( G ) ( F ) ( Am )

( G ) stand here and name the ( F ) one you ( Am ) loved
( G ) beneath the drifting ( F ) A – ( C ) shes
( G ) and in na ( D ) ming rise ( Am ) above
( G ) time as it , flashing , ( F ) pas – ( A ) ses

( Am ) oooh ( C ) oooh ( G ) oooh ( D ) oooh
( Am ) oooh ( C ) oooh ( G ) oooh ( D ) oooh
( Am ) we came by ( C ) the boatload ( G ) and were im ( D ) mobilized
( Am ) worshipping ( C ) volcanoes , ( G ) charting the ( D ) loping skies
( Am ) the tides of ( C ) the earth left ( G ) us bound and ( D ) calcified , and made us
( Am ) obstinate as ( C ) obsidian , ( G ) unmoving ( D ) save our eyes
( Am ) just mooning ( C ) and blinking , ( G ) from faces ( D ) marked with coal
( Am ) ash cooling ( C ) and shrinking , ( G ) cracks loud as ( D ) thunder rolling , i swear
( Am ) i know you , ( C ) you know me , ( G ) where have we ( D ) met before , tell me true
( Am ) to whose au – ( C ) thority ( G ) do you con ( D ) sign your soul?

( Am ) i had a dream you ( C ) came to me , said , ” ( G ) you shall not do me harm ( D ) anymore”
( Am ) and with your knife you E ( C ) victed my life from its ( G ) little lighthouse on
the ( F ) sea ( Am ) shore
and i ( Am ) saw that my blood had ( C ) no bound , ( G ) spreading in a circle like an ( D ) atom bomb
( Dm ) soaking and felling every ( C ) thing in its path , and ( G ) welling in my heart like
A ( F ) bird ( Am ) bath
( Am ) it is too short ( C ) the day we are born ( G ) we commence with our ( D ) dying
( Dm ) trying to serve with the ( C ) heart of a child , ( G ) kingfisher , lie with the ( F ) li – ( A ) on