Asunderland by Cathal Coughlan
From Cathal Coughlan’s 2006 Foburg album. Written by Cathal Coughlan. No capo.
INTRO
[Am] [E] [E7] [Cmaj7] (x2)
VERSE 1
[Am] Pale grass and thistles flank the [E] marchers on the freeway
[E7] Vengeance Procession [Cmaj7] Day
[Am] The killer killed himself, [E] no need for a trial,
Must have [E7] done all the things they [Cmaj7] say
VERSE 2
[Am] No more greedy days, [E] no more afraid
[E7] Citizen heroes one and [Cmaj7] all
[Am] Let all the shame and the [E] cash worries fade
CHORUS 1
They [F6] proudly look up
At a [Ab6] corpse on a truck
[Abmaj7] Bless the [Ab6] conscience of A [Ab] sunder [C#] land [Ab] [C#]
See them [F6] all frown and stare
They must [Ab6] think I’m still there
[Abmaj7] On the [Fm6/C] rack for rent A [Ab] sunder [C#] land [Ab] [C#]
[Ab] [C#] [Ab] [C#]
VERSE 3
[Am] Here comes the pickup with the [E] pallet on the back
With the [E7] dead culprit there at [Cmaj7] tached
A [Am] cravat and a muffler to [E] cover up the neck
Face made [E7] up red, yellow, [Cmaj7] black
VERSE 4
[Am] Same slow routine at [E] each murder scene
The [E7] gears grind, facing him a [Cmaj7] round
We [Am] force him to see, though he [E] no longer breathes
CHORUS 2
They [F6] puff and stand guard
In those [Ab6] dried-up front yards
The [Abmaj7] brave e [Ab6] lectors of A [Ab] sunder [C#] land [Ab] [C#]
They [F6] recoiled, one from all
When their [Ab6] cash-piles stood tall
[Abmaj7] Now pool your [Fm6/C] tears for torn A [Ab] sunder [C#] land [Ab] [C#]
[Ab] [C#] [Ab] [C#]
[C] [Eb6] [F7] [Cm]
A [Eb] plastic tent by the side of the road
[Eb] Back of the madhouse ex [F] pressway slope
[F] Like a mini-ar [Cm] cade
[F] With angle-grinders and [Cm] spades
[Cm] Torso packed in on its side
[Cm] Buried by the crossroads where a [F] ghost has no guide
[F] Now there’s only the [Cm] head
[F] Nothing left but the [Cm] head
[Gm] Bring the jar of [Dm7] formaldehyde
Put [Gm] smart-arse le [Dm7] gends on cards inside
[Am7] See the mouth that [Bbmaj7] smarmed
[Am7] “Hold me in your [Bbmaj7] upper arms”
[Fmaj7] Now it has no [Bbmaj7] limbs to call to [A7] harm [Ebmaj7]
VERSE 5
[Am] The night is coming and the [E] streets no longer pulse
Candles [E7] burn and the kids are [Cmaj7] fed
A [Am] presidential palace is [E] soon to grace the hulk
Where the [E7] miscreant confessed and [Cmaj7] bled
VERSE 6
In the [Am] concession zone, some [E] yards below
The [E7] head’s behind a neighbourhood [Cmaj7] bar
The [Am] gravediggers drink ten [E] more for the road
CHORUS 3
They [F6] toast and pretend
To a [Ab6] growth without end
[Abmaj7] And the [Fm6/C] hard heart of A [Ab] sunder [C#] land [Ab] [C#]
And the [F6] barman they shun
In his [Ab6] till keeps a gun
[Abmaj7] That’s the [Fm6/C] future of [Bb6] Asunderland
A [Bb6] sunderland
OUTRO
[Bb6]
Gracious fraud in the near abroad
Hear the bony palms applaud
Don’t look down, you’ll starve and thirst
Doubt is evil, dreaming’s worse
Doubt is evil, dreaming’s worse
Doubt is evil, dreaming’s worse