Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Boatmans Call

here’s another chord compilations of one of the most depressing albums i’ve ever heard .
a pretty spare , acoustic/piano album so i figured it’d be cool to collect the chords to
in one place . here it goes!

all transcription credit goes to alon drori , boaz , moho , leo mcpartland , peter
and ondrej .

nick cave and the bad seeds’

1 . into my arms

note : if chord reads , * /# play the chord * with the # bass note .

F/C
C G/B C F/C
i don’t believe in an interventionist god
C G/B C F/C
but i know , darling , that you do
C G/B C F/C
but if i did i would kneel down and ask him
C
not to intervene when it came to you
F
not to touch a hair on your head
Dm
to leave you as you are
G
and if he felt he had to direct you
then direct you into my arms

Dm
E – – 3p1 – 0h1 – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
B – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – 3 – – – – – – – – 1h3 – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – |
G – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – |
D – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – |
A – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
E – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |

into my arms , o lord
C
E – – 1p0 – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
B – – – – – – 3 – – – 1 – – – – – – – 1 – – – – 0h1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
G – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – |
D – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – |
A – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – |
E – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |

into my arms , o lord
Dm
E – – 3p1 – 0h1 – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
B – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – 3 – – – – – – – – 1h3 – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – |
G – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – |
D – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – |
A – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
E – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |

into my arms , o lord
C
E – – 1p0 – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – 1 – – – |
B – – – – – – 3 – – – 1 – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – 0 – – – 3 – – – 1 – – – – – – – 3 – – – – 1 – – – |
G – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – |
D – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – – |
A – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – |
E – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – |

into my arms

and i don’t believe in the existence of angels
but looking at you i wonder if that’s true
but if i did i would summon them together
and ask them to watch over you
to each burn a candle for you
to make bright and clear your path
and to walk , like christ , in grace and love
and guide you into my arms

into my arms , o lord
into my arms , o lord
into my arms , o lord
into my arms

and i believe in love
and i know that you do too
and i believe in some kind of path
that we can walk down , me and you
so keep your candles burning
and make her journey bright and pure
that she will keep returning
always and evermore

into my arms , o lord
into my arms , o lord
into my arms , o lord
into my arms

2 . lime – tree arbour

Am
the boatman calls from the lake
F G
a lone loon dives upon the water
Am
i put my hand over hers
F G C
down in the lime – tree arbour

Am
the wind in the trees is whispering
F G
whispering low that i love her
Am
she puts her hand over mine
F G C
down in the lime – tree arbour

chorus :
G
through every breath that i breathe
Am F
and every place i go
Fm C Am
there is a hand that protects me
F G C
and i do love her so

repeat the same chords through the
others lyrics and chorus

3 . people ain’t no good

intro : C/G/F

people just ( C ) ain’t no good ( G ) ( F )
i think that’s well understood
you can see it everywhere you look
people just ain’t no ( G ) good
people they ( C ) ain’t ( G ) no ( G ) good

to our ( C ) love send a dozen white ( F ) lilies

4 . brompton oratory

( C ) up those stone ( A ) steps i climb
( F ) hail this joyful ( G ) days return
( C ) into its great shadowed ( A ) vault i go
( A# ) hail the pente ( F ) costal ( G ) morn

and so it goes . . .

5 . there is a kingdom

intro : C Fm C Fm
D# G# D# G#

verse : ( same as intro )

C Fm C
just like a bird that sings up the sun
Fm D#
in a dawn so very dark
G#
such is my love for you
D# G#
such is my love

chorus : C# G#
there is a kingdom
C# G#
there is a king

the bridge , i don’t know exactly , but just play around in F minor .

6 . ( are you ) the one that i’ve been waiting for?

( A ) i’ve felt you coming girl , ( C ) as you drew near
( F ) i knew you’d find me , cause i ( C ) longed you here
( F ) are you my destiny? is this ( C ) how you’ll appear?
w ( A# ) rapped in a coat with tears in your eyes?
( G ) well take that coat babe , and throw it on the floor
are ( D ) you the ( C ) one that ( A# ) i’ve been ( F ) waiting for? ( A )

o we will ( G ) know , won’t we?
( F ) the sta ( G ) rs will explode ( A ) in the sky
but they ( G ) don’t , do they?
( F ) stars have their ( G ) moment and then they ( A ) die

7 . where do we go now but nowhere?

Gm Cm
i remember a girl so very well
Gm F
the carnival drum all mad in the air
Gm Dm
grim reapers and skeletons and a missionary bell
A# F
o where do we go now but nowhere

Gm Cm
in a colonial hotel we fxxked up the sun
Gm F
and then we fxxked it down again
Gm Dm
well the sun goes up and the sun goes down
A# F
going round and around but nowhere

Gm Cm
the kitten that paddEd and purred on my lap
Gm F
now swipes at my face with the paw of a bear
Gm Dm
i turn the other cheek and you lay into that
A# F
o where do we go now but nowhere

chorus :
D# F
o wake up my love my lover wake up
D# F
o wake up my love my lover wake up

and so on with the other verses and chorus . . .

8 . west country girl

intro : A

( A ) with a crooked smile and a heart – shaped face
comes from the west country where the birds sing bass
shes got a house – big heart where we all live
( F ) and plead and council ( E ) and forgive

9 . black hair

intro : F/G a few times

( F ) last night my ( G ) kisses were banked in ( F ) black hair ( G )
( F ) and in my bed , my ( G ) lover , her hair was midnight ( F ) black ( G )
( C ) and all her ( E ) mystery dwelled within her ( A ) black hair ( F )
( F ) and her black hair ( G ) framed a happy
face ( G )

( F ) today she took A ( G ) train to the ( C ) west ( A )

10 . idiot prayer
capo : 8th fret

Am G
they’re taking me down my friend
Am G
and as they usher me off to my end
D C
will i bid you adieu?
D C
or be seeing you soon?
Am
if what they say round here is true
G
then we’ll meet again
D
me and you .

11 . far from me

main bass – line
E – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
B – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
G – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
D – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – 0 – – 0 – – 33 – 22 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
A – 3 – 3 – 0 – 33 – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
E – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |

chorus 1 :
F G
you were my mad little lover
F G
in a world where everybody fxxks everybody else over
Dm G
you are so far from me
Dm G
so far from me
C
far from me

( for other choruses )

Dm G
so far from me
Dm G
so far from me
Em F G
way across some cold , neurotic sea