I built this house with my bare hands
On the shores of Louisian
Took my sweet cher Jolie-Ann
For my own, my very own

Now every man has got his pride
I tried to shelter and provide
But I can’t stop this poison tide
Rolling in, rolling in

CHORUS:
Now I’ve nothing left to give her
No answer to her prayers
Black ribbons on the water
Black ribbons for her hair

Then came the wind, then came the rain
We defied that hurricane
And we built this house again
Stone by stone, stone by stone

But in the gulf of Mexico
Some five thousand feet below
Oh, the devil’s blood it flows
On and on, on and on

CHORUS:
I’ve nothing left to give her
No answer to her prayers
Black ribbons on the water
Black ribbons for her hair

INSTRUMENTAL: Am D Am D G Am

Oh, how her eyes they used to shine
Fairest in Evangeline
Now they stare so cold and blind
Through my soul, oh lord, my soul

CHORUS:
She was tangled in the salt-grass
Not a bullet left to spare
Black ribbons on the water
Black ribbons for her hair
Black ribbons on the water
Black ribbons for her hair

OUTRO: Am D Am D G Am (3x)

Here’s the passing hammer-on riffs:
[Em/A] [Em/B]

e |---0--0---0----0--0--0---| e |---0--0---0------|
B |---0--0---0----0--0--0---| B |---0--0---0------|
G |---0--0---0-h2-2--2-p0---| G |---0--0---0------|
D |---2--2---2----------2---| D |---2--2---2------|
A |---2--2------------------| A |---2--2---0-h2---|
E |---0--0------------------| E |---0--0----------|

e |---0--0---0--0---| e |---1--1---1--1---|
B |---1--1---1--1---| B |---1--1---1--1---|
G |---0--0---0--0---| G |---2--2---0-h2---|
D |---2--2---0-h2---| D |---3--3---3--3---|
A |---3--3---3--3---| A |---3--3---3--3---|
E |---3--3---3--3---| E |---1--1---1--1---|

Chord names and fret positions are relative to the capo:
Em 022000 F 133211
Esus4 022200 Fsus2 133011
C 332010 D xx0232
Cadd2 330010 Em/A x02000
h hammer-on Em/B x22000

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[Verse 1]
The blackbirds came at dusk and they roosted in the cane,
Raised such a ruckus, that it shook my windowpane,
And I’m covered up in dirt, and I stink of kerosene,
And no matter what I do, I can’t get clean! | / / / /__/ |

[Verse 2]
Last thing I remember was your footsteps in the hall,
Whisky in your voice, and a shotgun on the wall,
Now there’s shadows in the shadows, there’s trouble in the cane,
And there’s things you do ..that you just can’t ex – plain!

Un – easy lies the head, un – faithful is the heart,
Un – grateful, and un – lucky, and un – true,
And no one saw me come, and no one saw me go,[Em/A][Em/B]
Only the blackbirds, …and you!

[Verse 3]
Come harvest in the cane fields the sky turns black with smoke,
So I took our father’s gun, and a heavy piece of rope,
And I left you lying there, like rotten fruit upon the ground,
And I lit a torch, and I burned the whole thing down!

Un – easy lies the head, un – faithful is the heart,
Un – grateful, and un – lucky, and un – true,
And no one saw me come, and no one saw me go,[Em/A][Em/B]
Only the blackbirds, …and you!

Ah, ah, ah---! Ah, ah - ah, ah---!

Ah, ah, ah---! Ah, ah - ah---!

| / / / /__/ | / / / /__/ |

[Verse 4]
Our father was a farmer, he planted fields of cane,
He planted seeds of evil, and we harvested the shame,
Oh, but I’m the last one standing, there’s no one left to tell,
And when it’s my time I'll see you both in hell!

Un – easy lies the head, un – faithful is the heart,
Un – grateful, and un – lucky, and un – true,
And no one saw me come, and no one saw me go,[Em/A][Em/B]
Only the blackbirds, …and you!

And no one saw me come, and no one saw me go,[Em/A][Em/B]
Only the blackbirds …and you—–!

| / / / /__/ | / / / / | / ||