Avail by Cathal Coughlan
From the Cathal Coughlan’s 2010 Rancho Tetrahedron album. Written by Cathal Coughlan.
VERSE 1
[Am]
In the [Am] New Western Zone, sniper fire is unknown
Here is [Am] plump silicone and a gingham cellphone [D6] [E/B]
Spotlit [Am] breasts, crystal meth, slam the glass, be a mess
You are [Am] home, more or less, give or take an ocean’s neck [D6] [E/B]
CHORUS 1
[F] Here is the treasure your [Eb6] scars have saved
A [F7/A] vail, a [Cm] vail
[F] The midway lined, every [Eb6] hat upraised
A [F7/A] vail, a [Cdim] vail
[F7/A]
Shop floor [Am] light, glossy white packages of delight
Tinsel [Am] glint, roller rink, motion-blurred candy stripes [D6] [E/B]
Theme-park [Am7] street, cocktail hour, spread your Vicodin power
So your [Am7] fractures don’t flower by the sour air you’re scoured [D6] [E/B]
CHORUS 2
[F] Signs in the sky read “We [Eb6] will prevail”
A [F7/A] vail, a [Cm] vail
[F] Below the gables, it’s [Eb6] all for sale
A [F7/A] vail, a [Cdim] vail
[F7/A]
INTERLUDE
[Fm] Half in this [Cm] world, [Fm] half in the [Cm] next
[Fm] You can’t be [Bb7] too brave or [Fdim] too far [C] west
[Fm] Who are these [Cm] clowns? [Fm] Why so at [Cm] ease?
[Fm] When I’ve seen the [Bb7] guts of this [Fdim] whole centur [C] y
[Fm] Half in this [Cm] world, [Fm] sun-kissed and [Cm] planned
[Fm] Half in the next, [Fm] where plans turn to sand
[Am] Half in this world, [Gm] half in his next
[Am] Until the bear-claw [Gm] reaches that thing which pumps out his [E7] chest
VERSE 2
Now it’s [Am] near 5 a.m. and you’re conscious again
Short of [Am] breath, but not dead, like that girl on your bed [D6] [E/B]
And the [Am] taxi drives slow, big green plane set to go
Asiatics [Am] airside in the firing squad glow [D6] [E/B]
CHORUS 3
[F] Precincts of glass they would [Eb6] dare bestride
A [F7/A] vail, a [Cm] vail
[F] Ecstatic smiles and [Eb6] shine in their eyes
A [F7/A] vail, a [Cdim] vail
[F7/A]
CHORUS 4/OUTRO
[F] The nourishment in each [Eb6] settled score
A [F7/A] vail, a [Cm] vail
[F] The ashen heart of the [Eb6] graphite orb
A [F] vail, a [Cm7b5] vail
A [F7/A] vail
[F7/A]