Orchids (words and music by Chris Stanley)

 Orchids (words & music by Chris Stanley)

 

Verse #1

D                                           Am

The blackbird is singing a song for the crows

G                                   D

A secret is lost to the wind

D                                           Am

You tend to your orchids I tend to my rose

G                                                   D

And I know the trouble we’re in

F                                                   C    C/B   C/A   C/G    D

Tomorrow’s the fall, then it’s win            -                ter

 

Verse #2

The blackbird is searching, its heart full of song

Too heavy to rise from the ground

The orchid is bitter, the rose has its thorns

And our love is more lost than found

If you had one more year, would you try?

And if your orchids had tears, could you cry?

 

Chorus #1

         Am         D

I say no, I say no

                    Am                                    D

You better dig up your orchids and go

                              F                                   C    C/B   C/A   C/G    D

Cause there’s no love in this soil and no space left to grow

 

Verse #3

The blackbird is dead but I still hear its tune

A prayer for the sadness of men

Your love is a season that ended too soon

And won’t pass this way again

I can still hear the song of the summer

But the blackbird is gone

 

Chorus #2

I say no, I say no

You better dig up your orchids and go

Cause there’s no love in this soil and no space left to grow

 

Bridge

                              Am                                 D

And even in our darkest hour we were friends, we were lovers

                Am                                               D

Then we got these flowers and grew away from each other

         F                                                    C    C/B   C/A   C/G    D

It’s a root through the heart and it hurts

 

Chorus #3

And I say no, I say no

You better dig up your orchids and go

Cause there’s no love in this soil and no space left to grow

There’s no love in this soil and no space left to grow

There’s no love in this soil

There’s no love in this soil…

 

(N.b the bridge chords are the same as the chorus)

 

Structure:

 

·         Verse

·         Verse

·         Chorus

·         Verse

·         Chorus

·         Bridge

·         Extended chorus to end

Gamblin' Man (words & music by Chris Stanley)

 Gamblin’ Man (words & music by Chris Stanley)

 

Verse #1

E

She met a boy by the river

Who promised her gold and silver

Took her hand and held her prayers

Showed her how the Good Lord shares

              Asus2                                        E

So, she said goodbye to mama, goodbye

D

Packed her bible and her cash

        A                     Bb   B

And left with him that night

 

Chorus #1

         E                                    A

They bought a house, and bought a car

       E                                       A                               B

She lost her way when she lost her heart to a gamblin’ man

        A                        Bb    B

To a gamblin’ man

Luck made her his bride

       A                         B          E

But luck was never on her side

 

Verse #2

She saw a fortune teller

Behind the carousel

Who said the road of choices, hon’

Is forked just like the serpent’s tongue

If you can separate the future from the past

She stared into the crystal ball

But all she saw was glass

 

Chorus #2

They lost the house, and lost the car

She lost her way when she lost her heart to a gamblin’ man

To a gamblin’ man

Luck made her his bride

But luck was never on her side

 

Bridge

             A                                                    E

On the road of understanding he was always changing lanes

                 F#                                                      B

She grew tired of being a passenger, grew tired of all his games

 

Verse #3

So she rolled the dice

Spun the wheel

Played the cards

And made a deal

Now she’s going home to mama to put things right

And mama’s waiting on the porch

With a six gun at her side

 

Chorus 3

They lost the house, and lost the car

She lost her way when she lost her heart to a gamblin’ man

To a gamblin’ man

Her luck was never right

But mama’s always on her side

 

 

The Lowering (words & music by Chris Stanley)

 

Verse #1

C

The light bulb swayed when you slammed the door

F

Now the furniture’s gone

C                                                                F

I’ve ripped the carpet from the floor, just trying to move on

Am                                            G      F                              C

I left my job before my job left me with nothing to say

Am                                            G      F                              C

Now I’m living in the shadow of a memory of yesterday

 

Chorus #1

Am                        G             F            

And I remember how you smiled

Am                           G                        C       C/B       C/A      G

How you filled my heart with the songs that you’d sing

Bb                                            F

Now the music of my heart is a funeral march

Am                G      F           C…

Here at the lowering

 

Verse #2

The temperature dropped when you left that night

There was ice on the road

I don’t know how it happened and I’ll never know why

But you must have been cold

There are some things in life you can’t explain, however you try

I’d give up the sun and rain just to kiss you goodbye

 

Chorus #2

I remember how you smiled, how you filled my heart with the songs that you’d sing

Now the music of my heart is a funeral march

Here at the lowering

 

Bridge

      Am       G       F

And I – I

  Am         G       C       C/B       C/A      G

I miss you

Bb                                             F

But the music of my heart is a funeral march

Am                G      F

Here at the lowering

Am                G      C

Here at the lowering

The Devil Knows (words & music by Chris Stanley)

Verse 1

                A                                                        D

It doesn’t matter how far you’ve come or how long the road has been

                A                                                    E7

You’re as guilty as a smoking gun when the man in the courthouse says ‘Boy what’ve you done?”

                  A                                                                  D

I spent my money on dime store whisky and took my chances on the highway

            A                          E7

I had a prayer in my heart

                                 (riff)

But the devil knows my name

Verse 2

She was a waitress at an all-night diner who looked so fine

I know she didn’t know me but the coffee was warm and she treated me kind

I put my hand up her skirt, took the cash from her purse and left her crying as I walked away

She had the face of an angel

But the devil knows my name

Middle

          D          C  B  A

I only wanted to be liked for who I am

          D          C  B  A

I only wanted to fit in

         D                  C       B         A

But I look wrong, dress wrong, think the way I do 

            E7

It’s the sins of my father that keep me from you

Instrumental – as verse, ending in riff

Middle (rpt)

I only wanted to be liked for who I am

I only wanted to fit in

But I look wrong, dress wrong, think the way I do

It’s the sins of my father that keep me from you

Verse 3

Somewhere in the hills of Texas where the angels of Israel sing

The profit said I’m the last, she said that I am the future, like she was the past

I’ll take a thousand wives, take your guns and knives and raise an army for the end of days

       A                               E7

The Lord is my shepherd

                             D

But the devil knows my name

A                                E7

God’s got my number

                               (riff)

But the devil knows…

Break out that ol' Rock & Roll (words & music by Chris Stanley)

(verse 1)

A

When my old man gets to yelling cos I still ain’t got a job

And ma can’t even look at me it’s like I don’t belong

                      D

Here in the settle-down suburbs drinking lattes at the mall

A

All I hear’s the ticking of that clock hung on the wall

                                  G

It’s like I’m being sucked down

                D/F#

Into the hard ground

(chorus)

                    A         D

But it’s all right

                                                A             D

You know it’s going to be all right

                                                A             D

You know it’s going to be all right

                                   G                                  D/F#

Cos Friday night’s song night get out of that hole

                                                A

Break out that ol’ rock & roll

(intro)

(verse 2)

My grandad rode a tractor til all his seeds were sown

My grandma went to church and helped the old folks in the home

They went dancing every weekend, said grandkids are the best

Things ain’t been the same round here since we laid those folks to rest

And now I’m being sucked down

Into the hard ground

(chorus)

But it’s all right

You know it’s going to be all right

You know it’s going to be all right

Cos Friday night’s song night get out of that hole

Break out that ol’ rock & roll

Bridge

A  -  G    D   x4

Instrumental

E              E              A             B x3

E              E              A             B7

(intro)

(alt verse)

A                             A/G                 A/F#              A/e

When I was just a boy my grandad sat me on his knee

A                             A/G                 A/F#              A/e

Said boy don’t get distracted you know what you need

A                             A/G                 A/F#              A/e

If the country’s just too far away and you’re sinking in a hole

A                             A/G                 A/F#              A/e

What you need is music in your soul

        D

So I step up to the microphone counting one two three

A

Play those chords and sing that it’s the country life for me

                                   G         

So when I’m being sucked down

                D/F#

Into the hard ground

(long chorus)

It’s all right

You know it’s going to be all right

You know it’s going to be all right

Cos Friday night’s song night get out of that hole

Put a little music back in your soul

Listen to the drummer yelling go buddy go

Break out that ol’ rock & roll

(bridge)

A  -  G    D   x3

A  -  G    A

Rip the Heart out of Yesterday (words & music by Chris Stanley)

(verse 1)

C     Em                       C               D

She said she’d never look back

C     Em                       C                D

She took my heart and my jacket

C     Em              C                D

Now she lives out in Boulder

Em   C       D                      Em

Oh-oh and I don’t know where

(verse 2)

C     Em                     C               D

We spent our summers abroad

C     Em                     C                    D

Spent our first Christmas in New York

C     Em                     C                 D

Now she’s with someone else

Em       C  D

But oh-oh I can’t let go

(chorus)

                           D                Em          C             Em

I want to tear out the guts

                   G                 C       D

And rip the heart out of yesterday

                           D                Em          C             Em

I want to tear out the guts

                               G                 C       D

And rip the heart out of yesterday

(melody)

D             Em          C                        D

D             Em          C   C/B   C/A        G

(verse 3)

I know some folks have it easy

Change their hearts with the seasons

I hear she’s still got my jacket

And oh-oh I want it back

(chorus)

I want to tear out the guts

And rip the heart out of yesterday

I want to tear out the guts

And rip the heart out of yesterday

(melody)

(instrumental - as verse)

(middle – as chorus)

And if I see  you again

I wouldn’t know what to say

I’d want to hurt you for everything, everything you did

I’d want to leave you for dead

But as I’m walking away

I’d think of all that we had

Was it really a lie?

C                     G                       C           G

I just can’t believe it believe it believe it

C                     G                       C           G

I just can’t believe it believe it believe it

C                     G                       C           G

I just can’t believe it believe it believe it

C                     G                       C           G

I just can’t believe it believe it believe it

(chorus)

I want to tear out the guts

And rip the heart out of yesterday

I want to tear out the guts

And rip the heart out of yesterday

(melody)

When Strangers Kiss (words & music by Chris Stanley)

Verse 1

Chords: G – Bm – C – D

Another tired evening, another day that lasts too long

I order up a cold one and then it’s gone

I ask about the weekend but the guys have all made plans

Guess I’ll be on the sofa watching the ceiling fan

Chorus

Chords: G – B7 – C – D7

I saw her through the window walking home

I catch her eye and then she’s gone

I wonder if it’s ever worth the risk when strangers kiss

I left the bottle on the bar, left the guys talking about their cars

There must be more to life than this

When strangers kiss

Verse 2

Rain falling on the sidewalk, I left my hat on that barstool

Now I’m tugging on my collar, looking like a fool

And no one ever misses me, no one calls me on the phone

Midnight at the station, I’m going home alone

Chorus 2

And I was only waiting on the train when I saw her standing in the rain

Was it chance that led me here to this?

When strangers kiss

I was going to offer her my coat

She turned around and now I know nothing in this world compares to this

When strangers kiss

Middle

Em – D – C – C

And I don’t even know her name

And I’m not the kind to take a leap of faith

And I’m so scared of what comes next

                B7

Were we waiting on the last train home or searching for a reason not to go?

Instrumental

Em – D – C – C (x2)

Chorus 3

And I was only waiting on the train when I saw her standing in the rain

Was it chance that led me here to this?

When strangers kiss

This might be the only thing we share, we missed the train but I don’t care

Nothing in this world compares to this

When strangers kiss

Em – D – C – C (x2)