Big Wax Hand by Cathal Coughlan
From Cathal Coughlan’s 2006 Foburg album. Written by Cathal Coughlan. No capo.
INTRO
[Em] [D] [A] (x2)
VERSE 1
Well they [Em] opened up the houses
And they [D] handed out the [A] keys
And the [Em] scribe who kept the ledger
Wore a [D] suit of painted [A] bees
[Em] [D] [A]
VERSE 2
Strangers [Em] drinking, almost youthful
And they [D] knew me by my [A] name
After months of toil and sackcloth
How I loved their fun and games
[Em] [D] [A] (x2)
And [Bm6] out there in the [Bm7] dark as I was [C#m] swaying
A [C#m7] voice said, “By your knowledge we’ll be [Bm] saved
“We [Bm6] heard about that [Bm7] quarry full of [C#m] shopfronts
It’s [C#m7] time old debts were [Amaj7] paid”
CHORUS 1
[F7] Beauty’s [Fm7] cano [F7] py [Fm7]
[F7] Raggedly [Fm7] swings in the [F7] breeze [Fm7]
[F7] Beauty’s [Fm7] golem [F7] stands [Fm7]
[Bb6] Waving his [Eb] big wax [F7] hand [Fm7]
[Em] [D] [A] (x3)
VERSE 3
For the [Em] costs of transportation
Curren [D] cy would be re [A] quired
From a [Em] factory we took some
But no [D] weapons there were [A] fired
[Em] [D] [A]
VERSE 4
And at [Em] midnight by the highway
Where they [D] stop when they break [A] down
Gave the [Em] driver all our money
Then we [D] were New City- [A] bound
[Em] [D] [A] (x2)
I [Bm6] saw the streetlamps [Bm7] blazing though the [C#m] awning
[C#m7] Bright-lit billboards prophesizing [Bm] cheer
My [Bm6] comrades they were [Bm7] shivering and [C#m] staring
No [C#m7] sounds of joy or [Amaj7] fear
[C#m7] From them did I [C6] hear
The [C#m7] madhouse soon ap [Amaj7] peared [D7]
CHORUS 2/OUTRO
[F7] Beauty’s [Fm7] cano [F7] py [Fm7]
[F7] Swinging to [Fm7] wards you and [F7] me [Fm7]
[F7] Beauty’s [Fm7] belly ex [F7] pands [Fm7]
[Bb6] Out comes a [Eb] big wax [F7] hand [Fm7]