i wanted an easy , but accurate version of this song so i ended up writing the chords

myself first one ever! . it’s such a lovely song and hope more people can enjoy it as A

result of my chords!

capo 5

C

i can smell the death on the sheets

C

covering me

C G

i can’t believe this is the end

G C

but this is my deathbed

D Em

i lie here alone

G C

if i close my eyes tonight

D G

i know i’ll be home

G Dm

the year was nineteen forty one

F

i was eight years old and

C

far , far too young

G

to know that the stories

Dm

of battles and glory

F

was a tale a kind mother

C

made up for her son

you see

G Dm

dad was a traveling preacher

F C

teaching the words of the teacher

G

my mother had sworn he

Dm

went off to the war

F

and died there with honor

C

somewhere on a beach there

Em B

but he left once to never return

G A

which taught me that i should unlearn

C G

whatever i thought a father should be

A#

i abandoned that thought

A

like he abandoned me

A A9

by forty seven i was fourteen

G D

i’d acquired a taste for liquor and nicotine

Dm A

i smoked until i threw up

E

yet i still lit ’em up

Emaj7 E7

for thirty more years

A

like a machine

C G

so right there you have it

C G

that one filthy habit

Am G D

is what got me where i Am today

C

i can smell the death on the sheets

covering me

C G D

i can’t believe this is the end

C

i can hear those sad memories

still haunting me , so many things

C G D

i’d do again

G C

but this is my deathbed

D Em

i lie here alone

G C

if i close my eyes tonight

D G

i know i’ll be home

G Dm

i got married on my twenty first

F C

eight months before my wife would give birth

G Dm

it’s easier to be sure you love someone

F C

when her father inquires with the barrel of a gun

Em B

the union was far from harmonious

G A

no two people could have been more alone than us

C G

the years would go by and she’d love someone else

A# A

and i realized i hadn’t been loved yet myself

A A9

from there it’s your typical spiel

G

yeah if life was a highway

D

i was drunk at the wheel

Dm

i was seeing the loose ends

A

all fall apart

E Emaj7 E7

yeah i swear i was destined to fail

A

and fail from the start

C G

i bowled about six times a week

C G

the bottle of beam kept the memories from me

C G

the marriage had taken a seven – ten split

Am G D

and along with my pride the ex – wife took the kids

C

i can smell the death on the sheets , covering me

C G D

i can’t believe this is the end

C

i can hear those sad memories

still haunting me

so many things

C G D

i’d do again

G C

but this is my deathbed

D Em

i lie here alone

G C

if i close my eyes tonight

D G

i know i’ll be home

G

i was so scared of jesus

Dm

but he sought me out

F

like the cancer in my lungs

C

that’s killing me now

G

and i’ve given up hope

Dm

on the days i have left

F

but i cling to the hope

C

of my life in the next

Em

then jesus showed up

B

said , “before we go up

G A

i thought that we might reminisce

C

see one night in your life

G

when you turned out the light

A# A

you asked for and prayed for my forgiveness”

A

you cried wolf

F#m E

the tears they soaked your fur

D Bm

the blood dripped from your fangs

A E

you said , “what have i done?”

Bm

you loved that lamb

A F#m

with every sinful bone

E

and there you wept alone

Bm E

your heart was so contrite

Bm A D

you said , “jesus , please forgive me of my crimes

Bm A D

sanctify this withered heart of mine

Bm A D

stay with me until my life is through

Bm A D

and on that day please take me home with you”

D

i can smell the death on the sheets

covering me

A E

i can’t believe this is the end

D

i can hear you whisper to me ,

“it’s time to leave

A E

you’ll never be lonely again”

A D

but this was my deathbed

E F#m

i died there alone

A D

when i closed my eyes tonight

E D

you carried me home

instrumental : D A x many times

jon foreman

A C#m

i Am the way

F#m

follow me

D E

and take my hand

A C#m

and i Am the truth

F#m D E

embrace me and you’ll understand

A C#m

and i Am the light

G D

and for me you’ll live again

D E F#m

for i Am love

D E F#m

i Am love

A D D E A

i , i Am love