January 27, 2004

Intro: (Dsus2) (D) (Dsus4) (D) (Dsus2) (D) (Dsus4) (D) x2

Grand(D)daddy used to sit me on his knee,
And (Am7) tell me how it was in the (G) old country.
(D) Famine and floods and crops that failed,
I’d (Am7) listen for hours as he (G) told his tale. (D)

[(Dsus2)] [(D)] [(Dsus4)] [(D)] [(Dsus2)] [(D)] [(Dsus4)][(D)]
He said, ‘There (D) must have been a curse on the family name,’
But he (Am7) swore he’d be the one to (G) break that chain.
With the (D) money he saved by the sweat of his brow,
He’d (Am7) get ‘em out of there, some (G) day, somehow. (D)

Well, he (G) never was much of a (C/G) gamblin’ (G) man.
But he (D) dreamed of passage to the ‘promised land’.
(G) Bet it all on a better (C/G) life in A(G)meric(A)a,
He said, ‘We’ll (F) change our fate and this (C) danged O’Reilly (D) luck.’

–Repeat Intro–

I can (D) only imagine the look on his face,
(Am7) Tickets in hand, as they (G) counted the days.
El(D)even passports, no turnin’ back,
De(Am7)cidin’ what they should, and (G) shouldn’t pack. (D)

[(Dsus2)] [(D)] [(Dsus4)] [(D)] [(Dsus2)] [(D)] [(Dsus4)][(D)]
But the (D) baby caught the fever, just days before,
And the (Am7) doctor hung a sheet on (G) their front door.
For (D) two long weeks, they were quarantined,
Stra(Am7)nded with nothin’ but his (G) shattered dream (D)

Well, he (G) never was much of a (C/G) gamblin’ (G) man.
But he (D) dreamed of passage to the ‘promised land’.
(G) Bet it all on a better (C/G) life in A(G)meric(A)a,
He said, ‘We’ll (F) change our fate and this (C) danged O’Reilly (D) luck.’

(F) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
(C) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, (G) la, la, la, (D) la,
(F) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
(C) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, (G) la, la, la, (D) la,

Grand(D)daddy told his story, till he passed away.
How the (Am7) people all cheered from the (G) dock that day.
While he (D) shook his fist with a tear in his eye.
At the (Am7) beautiful ship of the (G) White Star line.
And he (F) cursed his fate and his (C) danged O’Reilly (D) luck,
As the (F) mighty Titanic (C) sailed into the (D) sun.

Well, he (G) never was much of a (C/G) gamblin (G) man,
But he (D) found his way to the promised land,
(G) Bet it all on a better (C/G) life in Am(G)eric(A)a,
He said, ‘We’ll (F) change our fate and this (C) danged O’Reilly (D) luck,
This (G) danged O’Reilly (D) luck

(F) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
(C) La, la, la, la, la, (G) la, la, la, la, la, la, (D) la,
(F) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
(C) La, la, la, la, la, (G) la, la, la, la, la, la, (D) la,
(F) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
(C) La, la, la, la, la, (G) la, la, la, la, la, la, (D) la,
(F) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
(C) La, la, la, la, la, (G) la, la, la, la, la, la, (D) la,

Fade out…