The Examined Life by Cathal Coughlan

From the Cathal Coughlan’s 2010 Rancho Tetrahedron album. Written by Cathal Coughlan. No capo.

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INTRO

[E7]

VERSE 1

[E7] Battleships cruise on the polar sea
[E7] Smoke machines made the tundra green
[G] Smoke ma [C] chines we [A7] stoked for wonder and [E7] gain

VERSE 2

[E7] Same TV, same things to buy
[E7] Work to do, roads to drive
No [G] taxes [C] here, just [A7] pay one time for your [E7] claim

[C] Mary Anne is [Bm] sleeping
Self- [Am] help book in her [Em] hand
She [C] rarely leaves her [Bm] sickbed
But she [Am] sees we understand

CHORUS 1

The ex [Am] amined life [E/B]
The ever- [C] questioned life [Bb]
The breathing- [Am] mindful life [E/B]
For [Fmaj7] which we’ve scalped and [F6] crucified

The ex [Am] amined life [E/B]
Must be se [C] rene and light [Bb]
So that we [Am] can deny [E/B]
The [Fmaj7] salty flood, the [Bm7b5] endless looming [E7] night

[E7]

VERSE 3

[E7] Children don’t you fear, just grow and play
[E7] Fill those minds with the light of day
[G] Keep your [C] handshakes [A7] light, no joking or [E7] dread

VERSE 4

[E7] Ladder of wood on the creekbed side
[E7] In baking sun, the mud caked dry
A [G] withered [C] flag [A7] fastened onto its [E7] head

As I [C] go to tend to [Bm] salvage
Make a [Am] mends for who I [Em] am
[C] Candles for my [Bm] lady
And a [Fmaj7] bowl of marjoram

CHORUS 2

For the ex [Am] amined life [E/B]
The righteous, [C] fragrant life [Bb]
The dancing [Am] shadows strike [E/B]
Bring [Fmaj7] high-speed cables, [F6] tungsten lights

And the ex [Am] amined life [E/B]
Will not [C] compromise [Bb]
From dusk the [Am] land’s alive [E/B]
With [Fmaj7] wolves and serpents, ghostly tribes

[G] [Bb6] [C7] [Eb]

[G] [Bb6] [C7] [Gm]

CHORUS 3/OUTRO

For the ex [Am] amined life [E/B]
Will not [C] compromise [Bb]
The ex [Am] amined life [E/B]
On [Fmaj7] any soil will [F6] thrive and [E7] rise