Straying Away by Cathal Coughlan
From the Cathal Coughlan’s 1996 Grand Necropolitan album. Written by Cathal Coughlan. No capo.
INTRO
[C] [G] [Dm7] [F] (x2)
VERSE 1
They [C] come to [G] toast a [Dm7] birth [F]
From [C] fenced-off [G] squares of [Dm7] earth [F]
Un [C] blushing, flab-faced [Em7] thieves
Greased [F] palm to spongy [G7sus4] palm
“What [C] history? [G] Ah, what [Dm7] harm!” [F]
CHORUS 1
[A] I was raised be [F#m] side them as a [Bm7] scruffy also- [G] ran
[A] A prisoner of [F#m] selfish fear and [Bm7] hobbled reason
([D] Hide all feeli [Am7] ngs…)
[Am7] Straying away
[Am7] In only mouth and mind
[Am7] Straying away
VERSE 2
[C] I fled for [G] all my [Dm7] worth [F]
The [C] Long Acre [G] did its [Dm7] worst [F]
I’d say, [C] “Lover, friend, give [Em7] way
So the [F] wounds can breathe and [G7sus4] play
From [C] dusk to [G] stillborn [Dm7] day” [F]
CHORUS 2
[A] And they’ve often [F#m] seen me as I’ve [Bm7] shambled through their [G] town
[A] They hail me when I’m [F#m] up but, when I’m [Bm7] down, care not to
There [D] goes that fool wh [Am7] o…
[Am7] Went straying away
[Am7] From this life so good
[Am7] Straying away”
BRIDGE
[E] Straying away from meaning and calm
Some [C#m7] treacly alchohol to drown the alarm
And the [G6] trusting who cling in the warmth of the night
Can be [B/F#] spurned and told lies in the noon’s angry light
And those [E] seeds which once fell, full of passion and zest
Turn [C#m7] caskets of pain, wishing only for death
But [G6] able to stomach only one pour
At a [B/F#] time
CHORUS 3
You can e [A] vade their tags ’til one [F#m] day you’ve been [Bm7] staked on well-marked [G] ground
[A] Any fool can [F#m] hate his past but how [Bm7] harshly dare you [D] judge the prese [Am7] nt
[Am7] Straying away
[Am7] When you’re named and nailed
[Am7] Straying away
FADE
[Am7] [D]