Emily Shore 1819-1839 chords by The Handsome Family

G

      G                   Em
She'd been coughing up blood since the dogwoods bloomed
 C              D      Em
Seventeen that spring and confined to her room
  G                  Em
At night her heart pounded against her chest
 C            D      Em
Death, like a bird, was building its nest

   D           Am
And so, on the last day of her short life,
C           G
Emily called for her father's penknife
   D              Am
She sawed at her head till the floor pooled with hair
   C            Em
and braided a watch chain for father to wear

    G                   Em
She'd laughed at the graveyard on one sip of wine
   C            D        Em
and kept a pet duck till the cat crushed its spine
   G                  Em
But, waltzing one night in a red velvet dress,
   C          D      Em
she noticed a whistling down in her chest

   D           Am
And so, on the last day of her short life,
C           G
Emily called for her father's penknife
   D              Am
She sawed at her head till the floor pooled with hair
   C            Em
and braided a watch chain for father to wear

 G                     Em
Propped up on pillows, she watched the snow fall,
 C          D    Em
trying to picture an end to it all
   G                  Em
By spring there'd be picnics and merry-go-rounds,
 C            D       Em
but she'd be nothing but bones in the ground

   D           Am
And so, on the last day of her short life,
C           G
Emily called for her father's penknife
   D              Am
She sawed at her head till the floor pooled with hair
   C            Em
and braided a watch chain for father to wear