A Cautionary Song chords by The Decemberists

SimplifiedAm · E · Dm · D · F …

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Intro 1

Verse 1
Am 
There's
E 
Am 
a place your mother goes
When everybody else is
Dm 
soundly sleeping
Am 
E 
Through the lights of beacon street
Am 
E 
And if  you listen you
Am 
Dm 
can hear her weeping
D 
E 
She's weeping

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Verse 2

'Cause the gentlemen are calling

And the snow is softly falling

On her petticoats

And she's standing in the harbor

And she's waiting for the sailors

In the jolly boat

See how they approach?

Verse 3
Am 
With dirty hands and trousers torn
They grapple 'til she's
Dm 
safe within their keeping
Am 
E 
Am 
A gag is placed between her lips
Dm 
To keep her sorry tongue from any speaking
D 
Or screamin'
E 

Verse 4
F 
C 
And they row her out to packets
F 
Where the sailor's sorry racket
C 
Calls for maidenhead
F 
C 
And she's scarce above the gunwales
F 
When her clothes fall to a bundle
C 
And she's laid in bed
E 
On the upper deck

Interlude 1

Verse 5
Am 
E 
Am 
And so she goes from ship to ship
Her ankles clasped,
D 
Am 
A 
D 
Am 
her arms so rudely pinioned
E 
'Til at last she's satisfied
Am 
D 
The lot of the marina's teeming minions
Am 
E 
In their opinions
Bm 
E 

Verse 6
F 
C 
And they tell her not to say a thing
F 
C 
To cousin, kindred, kith or kin
F 
C 
Or she'll end up dead
F 
C 
And they throw her thirty dollars
F 
C 
And return her to the harbor
Where she goes to bed
E 
And this is how your fed