Constitution Hill chords by Billy Bragg
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Intro 1
(F major) (C major) (F major) (C major) (F major) (C major) (A minor) (C major)
(G major)
Verse 1
(C major) Joe (F major) Hill came
over (C major) from Sweden's shore
Looking (F major) for some work to do (G major)
(C major) And (F major) the Statue of Liberty waved (C major) him by
As Joe came a -sailin' through
Joe Hill
As Joe came a -sailin' (D minor) (C major) through
Oh, (F major) his clothes were coarse
and (C major) his folk (G major) s were (C major) high
As (F major) he headed for the promised land (G major) (C major)
And (F major) he took a few weeks
on (C major) the out -of -work street (A minor) s
Be (C major) fore he (E minor) (C major) began to understand
Before he began to understand
Then (F major) he got hired by (C major) Bowery (G major) Bar
(C major) Sweep (F major) in' up in her sa (G major) loon
As (C major) (F major) his rag would sail on (C major) the barroom rail
It sounded like he whistled on a tune
You could almost hear him
whist (F major) ling on (C major) a tune
And Joe (F major) rode on from (C major) job to job,
(F major) the docks to the railroad lines (C major)
And (F major) no matter how hungry (C major) he had to go,
it is as if he was always doing fine
It is as if he (G major) was always doing fine
(C major) And (F major) the years went by like (C major)
sun going down,
slowly (F major) turned the (C major) page
And (F major) when Joe looked back at
(C major) the sweat upon his tracks,
he had nothing to show but his age,
he had nothing to (G major) show but his age (C major)
So he headed (F major) out to (C major) the California shore,
but (F major) there things were just as bad (C major)
So (F major) he joined the industrial work (C major) ers
of the world,
(A minor) cause (C major) the Union was the
only friend he had
Oh, the union was (G major) the only friend he had (C major)
And (F major) the strikes were bloody
and the strikes (C major) were black
As (F major) hard as they were long
(C major) In (F major) the dark of night,
Joe'd stay (C major) awake and write
(A minor) In (C major) the morning he would
wake them with his song
In the morning he (G major) would wake
them with his (C major) song
And (F major) he wrote his words
to the tun (C major) es of the day
To be (F major) passed along the Union line (C major)
And (F major) the stripes were lit
and song (C major) s were spread
(A minor) An (C major) d Joe Hill was always on the line
And Joe Hill (G major) was always on the line (C major)
(F major) (C major) (F major) (C major) (F major) (C major) (A minor) (C major)
(G major) (A minor)
(C major) Ain't (F major) Salt Lake City a murder (C major) was made,
there was (F major) hardly a clue to be (C major) found
Yeah, the (F major) proof was poor,
but the (C major) sheriff was sure
That (A minor) Joe (C major) was the killer of the crime
That Joe was the (G major) killer of the crime
(C major) Joe raised (F major) his hands,
but they (C major) shot him down
He had (F major) nothing but guilt to (C major) give
It's (G major) a (F major) doctor I need,
but they (C major) left him to bleed
(A minor) And he (C major) made it cause he had the will to live
He made it cause (G major) he had will to (C major) live
And the (F major) trial was set
in a (C major) building of wood
And (F major) there a killer would be named
(C major) And the (F major) days weighed more
than the (C major) cold copper ore
Cause (A minor) he (C major) feared that he
was (G major) being (C major) framed
Cause he feared that he (G major)
was being (C major) framed
Now strange (F major) are the ways
of the (C major) Western law
And strange (F major) are the ways I've (C major) faded
For the (F major) government crawled
to my (C major) owner's call
And the judge was appointed by the state
The judge (G major) was appointed by the (C major) state
Now Utah (F major) justice can (C major) be had
But (F major) not for a union man (C major)
And the (F major) jewel was worn by
some (C major) early morn
(G major) There'd be one less (C major) singer
in the band
There'd be one (G major) less singer in the band (C major)
Oh, (F major) William Spry was (C major) Governor Spry
An (F major) d her life was his to hold (C major)
On the (F major) last appeal bail
Gov (C major) ernor's (A minor) deal
May the (C major) Lord have mercy on your soul,
Joe Hill
May the (G major) Lord have mercy on your soul
(C major) Now Pres (F major) ident Wilson held (C major) up the date
But (F major) even he would fail (C major)
For nobody (F major) heard the (C major) soul -searching words (A minor)
Of the (C major) man in the Salt Lake City Jail
Of the man in the (G major) Salt Lake City Jail (C major)
Now for (F major) thirty -six years
he lived (C major) out his days
And he (F major) more than played his (C major) part
For the (F major) songs that he made,
he was (C major) carefully paid
By a rifle bullet buried in his heart
By a rifle bullet bur (G major) ied in his (C major) heart
Yes, they (F major) lined Joe Hill up (C major) against the wall
A (F major) blindfold of his (C major) eyes
It's the (F major) life of a rebel that I chose (C major) to live
It's (G major) the life of (C major) a rebel (G major) that I died (C major)
It's the life of (G major) a rebel when I die (C major)
His (F major) time in the cell, he wrote (C major) to his friends
And (F major) his wishes, they were vain
(C major) My (F major) buddy can't be found in this battle, (C major)
Utah clown
(A minor) So (C major) they laid him on a
fast departing train
Yeah, they laid him on (G major) a
fast departing train (C major)
And (F major) the rebel rode to Chica (C major) go town
There (F major) were 30 ,000 people to mourn (C major)
And just (F major) about the time that Joel (C major) and I
(A minor) A (C major) legend was just being born
And a legend was (G major) just being born (C major)
(F major) (C major) (F major) (C major) (F major) (C major) (A minor) (C major)
(G major) (C major)
Now wherever (F major) you go in this (C major) fair land
In (F major) every union hall (C major)
In the (F major) dusty dark these (C major) words are (A minor) marked
In between (C major) all the cracks on the wall
In between all the (G major) cracks on the (C major) wall
It's the (F major) very last lines that (C major) Joe give
When he knew (F major) his days were through (C major)
He said, (F major) this is my last and (C major) final wish (A minor)
Good (C major) luck to all of you
Good luck to (G major) all of (C major) you (F major) (C major) (F major) (C major) (F major)
If you want me, (C major) I'm (A minor) here for (C major) you
If you want me, I'm here for (G major) you
(C major)
Constitution Hill
Billy Bragg
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