Song chords and lyrics

Russell Bateman
last update:

When a teen, I had a little black book with all my songs and chords in it—Paul Simon's April Come, She Will, Peter, Paul & Mary's Puff, the Magic Dragon, Elton John's This Is Your Song, etc., many dozens of songs. What I wouldn't give to get it back! I guess I'll try to recover it bit by bit as time goes, but in the meantime, here are more recent favorites.


Alison Krause sings Jesus, Help Me to Stand

This is Ron Block's song; he plays banjo and guitar for Union Station. Capo up 3 frets (so C becomes Eb).

                         
        C       F            C               
Through trials, troubles and care,           
            C        F          C            
I know that Jesus my Saviour is there,       
          C             F       C            
Giving me faith through darkest days,        
F          C      G      C                   
Keeping me on the narrow way.


Chorus                                

F     C        F            C                
Jesus Saviour, help me each day.             
             G                  C            
Fill me with hope, fill me with faith.       
                         F             C     
Darkness retreats at the touch of Your hand. 
F     C        G          C                  
Jesus Saviour, help me to stand!


Jesus lived through darkest pain,
Rejected by men, despising the shame,
Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief,
He gave his life so we may be free!
(Chorus)

I know that: Jesus died for me,
Cancelled my debt at Calvary,
Rose from the dead, unlocked Heaven's door.
Trust in his love and live evermore!
(Chorus)

Colin Hay's Dear Father

I first heard this on A Prairie Home Companion; wow!

                                    
G    D       Am            Em                           
Dear Father, I've got your photographs.                 
C             C            D       G                    
Thank god for photographs, hip hip hooray!              

G    D       Am         Em                              
Dear Father, I know you love to laugh, though           
C               G               D                G      
In most of your photographs, it didn't seem that way.   

G    D       Am              Em                         
Dear Father, I can't let you go to sleep just yet       
C                 G          D        G                 
And I still can't forget you walking around.            

G    D       Am                    Em                   
Dear Father, you're starring in my dreams.              
C               G               D             G         
You're stealing all the scenes, where did you go?       



Am    Em        D     Am Em              D              
In my wandering mind, I  stumble through time.          
Am Em               D    Am   Em           D            
I  sing through the air, I'll look for you  there,      



G    D       Am             Em                          
Dear Father, I never got to say goodbye,                
C                   G               D        G          
I was singin on the River Clyde and I didn't know,      

G    D       Am        Em                               
Dear Father, I see you dancing still                    
C              G          D              G              
And I think I always will 'til the day I die.           

G    D       Am          Em                             
Dear Father, I feel your healing hands                  
C         G             D            G                  
As I fall asleep I can, plain as the day.               

G    D       Am           Em                            
Dear Father, you're in my refection now                 
C                  G              D             G       
As I reach out and touch you now, where did you go?     

G    D       Am                Em                       
Dear Father, I'm still curious why                      
C                 G           D           G             
You still make me furious, it was so long ago.          

G    D       Am            Em                           
Dear Father, I've got your photographs.                 
C             C            D       G                    
Thank god for photographs, hip hip hooray!

Puff, the Magic Dragon

Leonard Lipton and also Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary composed this. I used to do it starting on C. I'll have to transpose this at some point.

                                                
G               Bm      C            G                              
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea,                           
    C                G      Em        A7                D           
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.        
G             Bm    C                 G                             
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,                         
    C                       G       Em      A7    D     G           
And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.


Chorus                                                       
G               Bm      C            G                              
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea,                           
    C                G      Em        A7                D           
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.        
G               Bm     C            G                               
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea                             
    C                G      Em        A7          D     G           
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.        


  G                 Bm          C         G                         
Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail,            
C             G       Em         A7              D                  
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail.              
G               Bm            C                 G                   
Noble kings and princes would bow whenever they came,               
C                  G           Em         A7          D       G     
Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name.
(Chorus)                                                            


  G               Bm        C             G                         
A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys,                     
C                 G     Em         A7            D                  
Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.              
G               Bm               C             G                    
One grey day it happened, Jackie Paper came no more,                
    C                 G       Em A7         D        G              
And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
(Chorus)                                                            


    G                Bm      C                      G               
His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,           
C              G       Em   A7               D                      
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.                  
    G                 Bm      C                 G                   
Without his life-long friend, Puff could not be brave,              
   C                 G       Em    A7        D      G               
So Puff, that mighty dragon, sadly slipped into his cave.

(Chorus)