White’s Academy by Cathal Coughlan
From Cathal Coughlan’s 2002 The Sky’s Awful Blue album. Written by Cathal Coughlan. No capo.
INTRO
[Ebmaj7]
VERSE 1
My [Ebmaj7] father was a [Gm7] tailor
His [Eb] workshop by the [Gm7] dock
He’d [Ebsus2] turn out farmers’ [Gm7] Sunday suits
And [Eb] vanities he’d [Abmaj7] mock
He [Ebmaj7] saved up for his [Gm7] firstborn’s
[Eb] Start most scholar [Gm7] ly
And [Ebsus2] off they packed my [Bb6] heedless head
To [Eb] White’s Acade [Gm7] my
[Ebmaj7] Surgeons’ sons and [Gm7] scriveners’ sons
With their [Eb] turn of phrase most [Gm7] glib
[Ebsus2] Told me I could [Gm7] go to hell
And, [C#6] well, it [Ab6] seems I [Fm7] did
[Fm7] [F7]
VERSE 2
The [Ebmaj7] father proud and [Gm7] saintly
The [Eb] son a work-shy [Gm7] drunk
A [Ebsus2] serving-girl from [Gm7] Charleville
Gave [Eb] me her final [Abmaj7] months
Her [Ebmaj7] body with its [Gm7] hungry sighs
Her [Eb] trusting, hopeful [Gm7] soul
Un [Ebsus2] til the breath gave [Bb6] up on her
All [Eb] that I wished I [Gm7] stole
Her [Ebmaj7] family came to [Gm7] bury her
I [Eb] looked on wordless [Gm7] ly
Those [Ebsus2] high-boned faces, [Gm7] set from rain
And [C#6] not a [Ab6] glance at [Fm7] me
INTERLUDE
[F7]
[Ebmaj7] [Gm7] [Eb] [Gm7] [Ebsus2] [Gm7] [Eb] [Abmaj7]
VERSE 3
The [Ebmaj7] night is bright and [Gm7] cloudless
The [Eb] stars are bearing [Gm7] down
And [Ebsus2] no one will spare a [Gm7] bite to eat
In this [Eb] mean and vanquished [Abmaj7] town
[Ebmaj7] Shelter’s for the [Gm7] virtuous
Not [Eb] for the likes of [Gm7] me
Four [Ebsus2] hours from dawn I [Bb6] climb up onto
[Eb] White’s Acade [Gm7] my
I [Ebmaj7] see the rotten [Gm7] alleys
The [Eb] marsh they partly [Gm7] fill
The [Ebsus2] wide and snaking [Gm7] river
And those [Bb] mansions on the [F] hill
You must [Ebmaj7] strike all who come [Gm7] near you
For your [Eb] nature so re [Gm7] quires
Now [Ebsus2] rot you easy, good [Gm7] night and good day
There’ll [C#] have to [Ab6] be a [Fm7] fire
OUTRO
[Fm7] [C#] [Csus4]