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Only Skin by Joanna Newsom
Only Skin
Capo:no capo
Am C G Dm
Mes amis, we are restless things
Am C G Dm
Little seaweed are swaddling
Am C
And you call upon the dusk
G Dm
Of the musk of the squid
Am C G
Shot full of ink, until you sink
Dm
Into your crib
F Am
Show me the house
C
Upon the hill
Am
Where you were living
F Am
Fireplace was stoked
C
The cupboard stocked
Am
Full of provision
F Am
And the grandfather clock
C
Upon the wall
Am
Told us the time
F Am
And then came a sound
C
Love had to drown
Am
Love, were you dying?
C G C
Oh was the fire moved away
Am G F
Fire moved away son?
C G C
Why whould you say
Am Dm F
I was the last one?
F for a few measures
Am C G Dm
Scrub your knee, there's only skin
Am C G Dm
Makes a sound of violins
Am C
And you call upon the dusk
G Dm
Of the musk of the squid
Am C G
Shot full of ink until you sink
Dm
Into your crib
F Am
Show me the house
C
Upon the hill
Am
Where you were living
F Am
Fireplace was stoked
C
The cupboard stocked
Am
Full of provisions
F Am
And the grandfather clock
C
Upon the wall
Am
Told us the time
F Am
And then came a sound
C
Love had to count
Am
On you dying
C G C
Oh was the fire moved away?
Am G F
Fire, it moves away, son
C G C
Oh, why would you say
Am Dm F
I was the last one?
F for a few measures
Am C G Dm
All my bones they are gone, gone, gone
Am C G Dm
All my bones they are gone, gone, gone
Am C G Dm
All my bones they are gone, gone, gone
And there was a booming above you
That night, black airplanes flew over the sea
And they were lowing and shifting like
Beached whales
Shelled snails
As you strained and you squinted to see
The retreat of their hairless and blind cavalry
You froze in your sand shoal
Prayed for your poor soul
Sky was a bread roll, soaking in a milk-bowl
And when the bread broke, fell in bricks of wet smoke
My sleeping heart woke, and my waking heart spoke
And there was a silence you took to mean something
Run, sing
For alive you will evermore be
And the plague of the greasy black engines a-skulkin'
Has gone east
While you're left to explain them to me
Released from their hairless and blind cavalry
With your hands in your pockets, stubbily running
To where I'm unfresh, undressed and yawning
Well, what is this craziness? This crazy talking?
You caught some small death when you were sleepwalking
It was a dark dream, darlin', it's over
The firebreather is beneath the clover
Beneath his breathing there is cold clay, forever
A toothless hound-dog choking on a feather
But I took my fishingpole, fearing your fever
Down to the swimminghole, where there grows bitter herb
That blooms but one day a year by the riverside, I'd bring it here
Apply it gently
To the love you've lent me
While the river was twisting and braiding, the bait bobbed
And the string sobbed, as it cut through the hustling breeze
And I watched how the water was kneading so neatly
Gone treacly
Nearly slowed to a stop in this heat
In a frenzy coiling flush along the muscles beneath
Press on me, we are restless things
Webs of seaweed are swaddling
And you call upon the dusk
Of the musk of a squid
Shot full of ink, until you sink into your crib
Rowing along, among the reeds, among the rushes
I heard your song, before my heart had time to hush it!
Smell of a stone fruit being cut and being opened
Smell of a low and of a lazy cinder smoking
And when the fire moves away
Fire moves away, son
Why would you say
I was the last one?
Scrape your knee, it is only skin
Makes the sound of violins
And when I cut your hair, and leave the birds all of the trimmings
I am the happiest woman among all women
And the shallow
Water
Stretches as far as I can see
Knee-deep, trudging along
The seagull weeps "so long"
Humming a threshing song
Until the night is over
Hold on!
Hold on!
Hold your horses back from the fickle dawn
I have got some business out at the edge of town
Candy weighing both of my pockets down
'Til I can hardly stay afloat, from the weight of them
And knowing how the common-folk condemn
What it is I do, to you, to keep you warm
Being a woman, being a woman
But always up the mountainside you're clambering
Groping blindly, hungry for anything
Picking through your pocket linings, well, what is this?
Scrap of sassafras, eh Sisyphus?
I see the blossoms broke and wet after the rain
Little sister, he will be back again
I have washed a thousand spiders down the drain
Spiders ghosts hang soaked and dangelin'
Silently from all the blooming cherry trees
In tiny nooses, safe from everyone
Nothing but a nuisance gone now, dead and done
Be a woman, be a woman
Though we felt the spray of the waves
We decided to stay till the tide rose too far
We weren't afraid, 'cause we know what you are
And you know that we know what you are
Awful atoll
Oh, incalculable indiscreetness and sorrow
Bawl, bellow
Sibyl sea-cow, all done up in a bow
Toddle and roll
Teeth an impalpable bit of leather
While yarrow, heather and hollyhock
Awkwardly molt along the shore
Are you mine?
My heart?
Mine anymore?
Stay with me for awhile
That's an awfully real gun
I know life will lay you down
As the lightning has lately done
Failing this, failing this
Follow me, my sweetest friend
To see what you anointed in pointing your gun there
Lay it down, nice and slow
There is nowhere to go, save up
Up where the light, undiluted, is weaving in a drunk dream
At the sight of my baby, out back
Back on the patio watching the bats bring night in
While, elsewhere, estuaries of wax-white
Wend, endlessly, towards seashores unmapped
Last week our picture window produced a half-word
Heavy and hollow, hit by a brown bird
We stood and watched her gape like a rattlesnake
And paint and labour over every intake
I said a sort of prayer for some sort of rare grace
Then thought I ought to take her to a higher place
Said "dog nor vulture nor cat shall toy with you
And though you die, bird, you will have a fine view"
Then in my hot hand
She slumped her sick weight
We tramped through the poison oak
Heartbroke and inchoate
The dogs were snapping
And you cuffed their collars
While I climbed the tree-house
Then how I hollered
Well, she'd lain, as still as a stone, in my palm, for a lifetime or two
Then, saw the treetops, cocked her head and up and flew
While, back in the world that moves, often
According to the hoarding of these clues
Dogs still run roughly around
Little tufts of finch-down
And the cities we passed were a flickering wasteland
But his hand in my hand made them hale and harmless
While down in the lowlands the crops are all coming
We have everything
Life is thundering blissful towards death
In a stampede of his fumbling green gentleness
You stopped by, I was all alive
In my doorway, we shucked and jived
And when you wept, I was gone
See, I got gone when I got wise
But I can't with certainty say we survived
Then down, and down
And down, and down
And down, and deeper
Stoke without sound
The blameless flames
You endless sleeper
Through fire below, and fire above, and fire within
Sleeped through the things that couldn't have been if you hadn't have been
And when the fire moves away
Fire moves away, son
And why would you say
I was the last one?
All my bones they are gone, gone, gone
Take my bones, I don't need none
Cold, cold cupboard, lord, nothing to chew on
Suck all day on a cherry stone
Dig a little hole, not three inches round
Spit your pit in a hole in the ground
Weep upon the spot for the starving of me
'Till up grow a fine young cherry tree
Well when the bough breaks, what'll you make for me?
A little willow cabin to rest on your knee
What'll I do with a trinket such as this?
Think of your woman, who's gone to the west
But I'm starving and freezing in my measly old bed
Then I'll crawl across the salt flats to stroke your sweet head
Come across the desert with no shoes on
I love you truly, or I love no one
Fire moves away
Fire moves away, son
Why would you say
That I was the last one
Last one
Clear the room! There's a fire, a fire, a fire
Get going, and I'm going to be right behind you
And if the love of a woman or two, dear
Couldn't move you to such heights, then all I can do
Is do, my darling, right by you
------------------
version 2
Capo:no capo
[Verse]
F Am
and there was a booming above you
G F Am
that night, black airplanes flew over the sea
F Am
and they were lowing and shifting like
beached whales
G F
shelled snails
Am
as you strained and you squinted to see
G F Am
the retreat of their hairless and blind cavalry
G Em7 D
you froze in your sand shoal
C Bb
prayed for your poor soul
F C Bb Dm
sky was a bread roll, soaking in a milk-bowl
Em7 D C Bb
and when the bread broke, fell in bricks of wet smoke
F C Bb Dm
my sleeping heart woke, and my waking heart spoke
F Am
then there was a silence you took to mean something:
G F
mean, run, sing
Am G
for alive you will evermore be
F Am
and the plague of the greasy black engines a-skulkin'
G F
has gone east
G Am
while you're left to explain them to me
G F Am
released from their hairless and blind cavalry
G Em7 D C Bb
with your hands in your pockets, stubbily running
F C Bb Dm
to where I'm unfresh, undressed and yawning
Em7 D C Bb
well, what is this craziness? this crazy talking?
F C Bb Dm
you caught some small death when you were sleepwalking
A Em D A
it was a dark dream, darlin', it's over
F C Bb Dm
the firebreather is beneath the clover
A Em D A
beneath his breathing there is cold clay, forever
F C Bb Dm
a toothless hound-dog choking on a feather
F#m A Bm D
but I took my fishingpole (fearing your fever)
F#m A Bm D
down to the swimminghole, where there grows a bitter herb
F#m A Bm Bbadd6
that blooms but one day a year by the riverside - I'd bring it here:
F C
apply it gently
Bb Dm
to the love you've lent me
F Am
while the river was twisting and braiding, the bait bobbed
G F Am G
and the string sobbed, as it cut through the hustling breeze
F Am
and I watched how the water was kneading so neatly
G F
gone treacly
Am
nearly slowed to a stop in this heat
G F Am G
- frenzy coiling flush along the muscles beneath
Am C Em G
press on me: we are restless things
Am C Em G
webs of seaweed are swaddling
Am C
you call upon the dusk
Em G
of the musk of a squid
Am C Em G
shot full of ink, until you sink into your crib
Dm F Am C
rowing along, among the reeds, among the rushes
Dm F C Am7
I heard your song, before my heart had time to hush it!
Dm F Am C
smell of a stone fruit being cut and being opened
Dm F C Am7
smell of a low and of a lazy cinder smoking
C G C G/B
and when the fire moves away
Am G F
fire moves away, son
C G C G/B
why would you say
Am G F
I was the last one?
Fm7
Am C Em G
scrape your knee; it is only skin
Am C Em G
makes the sound of violins
Am C Em G
when I cut your hair, and leave the birds all of the trimmings
Am C Em G
I'm the happiest woman among all women!
Db
and the shallow
Fm
water
Dbm7 Fm
stretches as far as I can see
Db Eb/Db
knee-deep, trudging along
Db Fm
a seagull weeps; "so long"
Db Fm
humming a threshing song
Fm
until the night is over
hold on!
hold on!
Db
hold your horses back from the fickle dawn
Fm
I have got some business out at the edge of town
Db
candy weighing both of my pockets down
Fm
'til I can hardly stay afloat, from the weight of them
Db
(and knowing how the common-folk condemn
Fm
what it is I do, to you, to keep you warm
Db
being a woman, being a woman)
Bbm
but always up the mountainside you're clambering
Db
groping blindly, hungry for anything
Bbm
picking through your pocket linings - well, what is this?
Db Eb
scrap of sassafras, eh Sisyphus?
Fm
I see the blossoms broke and wet after the rain
Db
little sister, he will be back again
Fm
I have washed a thousand spiders down the drain
Db
spiders ghosts hang soaked and dangeling
Bbm
silently from all the blooming cherry trees
Db
in tiny nooses, safe from everyone
Bbm
- nothing but a nuisance; gone now, dead and done
Db Eb
be a woman, be a woman!
Fm
though we felt the spray of the waves
Bbm Ab Gmdim
we decided to stay 'til the tide rose too far
Fm Bbm
we weren't afraid, 'cause we know what you are
Am Bmb Cmadd6
and you know that we know what you are
awful atoll
Eb Dbm7add11
- o, incalculable indiscreetness and sorrow
bawl, bellow:
Fm Cmadd6
Sibyl sea-cow, all done up in a bow
toddle and roll;
Eb
teeth an impalpable bit of leather
Dbm7add11
while yarrow, heather and hollyhock
Fm Eb Fm
awkwardly molt along the shore
Db
are you mine?
Fm Db
my heart?
mine anymore?
F Db
stay with me for a while
F
that's an awfully real gun
Db
I know life will lay you down
F
as the lightning has lately done
Am
failing this, failing this,
C G
follow me, my sweetest friend
F G/F Am
to see what you anointed in pointing your gun there
C
lay it down! nice and slow!
G F
there is nowhere to go, save up
Am G F
up where the light, undiluted, is weaving in a drunk dream
Am G F
at the sight of my baby, out back
Am G F
back on the patio watching the bats bring night in
Am G
while, elsewhere, estuaries of wax-white
F Am G
wend, endlessly, towards seashores unmapped
Em7 D C Bb
last week our picture window produced a half-word
F C Bb Dm
heavy and hollow, hit by a brown bird
Em7 D C Bb
we stood and watched her gape like a rattlesnake
F C Bb Dm
and pant and labour over every intake
A Em D A
I said a sort of prayer for some sort of rare grace
F C Bb Dm
then thought I ought to take her to a higher place
A Em D A
said: "dog nor vulture nor cat shall toy with you
F C Bb Dm
and though you die, bird, you will have a fine view"
F#m A
then in my hot hand
Bm D
she slumped her sick weight
F#m A
we tramped through the poison oak
Bm D
heartbroke and inchoate
F#m A
the dogs were snapping
Bm D
so you cuffed their collars
F#m A
while I climbed the tree-house
Bm D
then how I hollered!
F#m A Bm Bbadd6
cause she'd lain, as still as a stone, in my palm, for a lifetime or two
F C Bb Dm
then, saw the treetops, cocked her head and up and flew away and
F#m A
back in the world that moves, often
Bb Bbadd6
according to the hoarding of these clues
FM7 C
dogs still run roughly around
Bb Dm
little tufts of finch-down)
F Am
and the cities we passed were a flickering wasteland
G F Am G F
but his hand in my hand made them hale and harmless
Am
while down in the lowlands the crops are all coming
F
we have everything
Am
life is thundering blissful towards death
G F Am G
in a stampede of his fumbling green gentleness
Am C Em G
you stopped by, I was all alive
Am C Em G
in my doorway, we shucked and jived
Am C
and when you wept, I was gone:
Em G
see, I got gone when I got wise
Am C Em G
but I can't with certainty say we survived
Dm F
then down, and down
Am
and down, and down
C
and down, and deeper
Dm F
stoke without sound
C
the blameless flames
Am7
you endless sleeper
Dm F Am C
through fire below, and fire above, and fire within
Dm F C Am7
sleeped through the things that couldn't have been if you hadn't have been
C G C
and when the fire moves away
Am G F
fire moves away, son
G C G G/B
why would you say
Am G F
I was the last one?
Am C Em G
all my bones they are gone, gone, gone
Am C G Dm
take my bones, I don't need none
Am C Em G
cold, cold cupboard, Lord, nothing to chew on!
Am C G F
suck all day on a cherry stone
Am C Em G
dig a little hole, not three inches round
Am C G Dm
spit your pit in the hole in the ground
Am C Em G
weep upon the spot for the starving of me!
Am C G F
till up grow a fine young cherry tree
Am C Em G
well when the bough breaks, what'll you make for me?
Am C G Dm
a little willow cabin to rest on your knee
Am C Em G
what'll I do with a trinket such as this?
Am C G F
think of your woman, who's gone to the west
Am C Em G
but I'm starving and freezing in my measly old bed!
Am C G Dm
then I'll crawl across the salt flats to stroke your sweet head
Am C Em G
come across the desert with no shoes on!
Am C G F
I love you truly, or I love no-one
Fm7 Am
fire
moves
away
Fm7
fire moves away, son
why would you say
Fm7
I was the last one?
Am G
Last one..
clear the room! there's a fire, a fire, a fire
Am G
get going, and I'm going to be right behind you
F Am G
and if the love of a woman or two, dear,
F Am
couldn't move you to such heights, then all I can do
G F Am
is do, my darling, right by you
-------------