The Court Jester Ukulele chords by Joe Swensen

Tuning: G C E A (G C E A)

Intro:

Am    G     C    Am
I am the jester, my job's to entertain
    Am       G         C      E7
And it seems that soon enough it too will be my job to reign
   C      G     E7      Am
Over all that you see, over all that you know
    Am       E7     G        Am
As the king is slowly dying, any moment he could go
    Am       E7     G       Am
Yes the king is slowly dying, any moment he will go

Verse 1:

Am    G       C        Am
Oh! Sweet memories, come rushing back to me
   Am        G        C         E7
As I trace my fingers on these haggard walls within your keep
     C      G         E7      Am
Though my exile still stands, i heard my duty call to me
    Am       E7         G      Am
Because i am the court jester, I've grown tired of my sleep
      Am    E7        G      Am
After all, i am the jester, and I've tired of my sleep


Bridge 1:

F       E7          C        A7
What good is a crown if the brow it sits on is that of a dead man
F      E7       C              A7
I'll wear my cap and painted smile with pride, my trusty baton in my hand
F      E7         C          E7
And you will see me, sire, I'll make my way back to you
C     C         E7      G
You cannot stop me sire, your time is up, i see right through you


Verse 2:

    Am      G       C       Am
Though resolute you may pretend to be inside your walls
      Am        G        C      E7
The people soon will realize that your feeble body can't forestall
  C     G      E7       Am
The inevitable end that we all will one day meet
    Am       E7      G        Am
You are human, you are dying, yes i know it's bittersweet
    Am         E7         G        Am
But you knew this day would come, and you can't borrow steal or cheat
     Am       E7          G          Am
Yes, your maker gave you time, but you've run out, and soon you'll meet


Verse 3:


Am  G       C       Am
I was awoken by some nibbling in my brain
     Am          G        C       E7
A single thought, just like a knot, a stone, a weight I can't explain
        C       G         E7      Am
That sat there pulling me to consciousness and waking soon I found
     Am         E7          G         Am
Myself entrenched in ancient earth, with roots and vines my arms were bound
      Am          E7    G           Am
And in this post-hibernal state my mind was filled with clouds of doubt
       Am     E7            G          G
Were these my memories? or something else? and soon i felt the urge to get out


Bridge 2:

Am    Am   Am       E7
Tearing, ripping, painful as it was
Am    Am     Am      E7
Vines and leaves gave way easy just because
Am     Am      Am     E7
All that's left in this world is decay;
Am   Am    Am      E7
Soon I knew what caused me to awake


Am   Am     Am     E7
With a newfound memory after rest
Am   Am    Am       E7
I felt something bubbling in my chest
Am   Am     Am    E7
Soon I felt myself losing control
Am    Am    Am      E7
Peals of laughter rang into the distance from my soul


Am    Am     Am       E7
I cannot recognize a single thing in front of me
Am         Am    Am      E7
The world as I knew it now is gone, is this reality?
Am   Am   Am    E7
Absurd and nonsensical, fantastical and daft
Am     Am      Am         E7
All that is left to do is sit right down and laugh

He he he!



Verse 4:

Am   G      C    Am
Oh this world that I left you in
     Am  G  C    E7
Has been tain-ted by your sin
    C      G     E7   Am
And as such I have now taken it upon myself
    Am         E7       G       B
To reinstate the reign of laughter and in health I will return


Verse 5:

Am   G       C      Am
Oh I am making my way back I will return
     Am     G       C        E7
Soon the people will remember, the reason why they burn
    C       G     E7    Am
And the fires in their might will start to turn
     Am         E7        G     Am
Pointing fists and shouting out with no more reason for concern


Bridge 3:

F       E7         C         A7
Soon you will see! the world will turn upon its head again!
F    E7        C          A7
Just you hope that you can see it before you're dead!
F    E7        C           A7
Foolish king, you sit in empty meaning on your throne
C     C        E7    G
But in my time away you've ended up alone


Verse 6:

  Am      G         C       Am
Oh, all the power in the world could never save you now
    Am         G           C          E7
As the time at which your curtain's called draws nearer, get ready to take your bow
  C   G       E7      Am
The age of reason is now drawing to a close!
    Am        E7        G    Am
And now I, the mere court jester, will his majesty depose
    Am       E7        G      Am
I will tip the gilded throne, in me the people will repose
    Am       E7       G         Am
Because i am the court jester, not all thorns come with a rose
      Am    E7        G    Am
After all, i am the jester, and this future i propose:
    Am        E7        G       Am
Let the fool, let me, the jester, bring the olden tales to close
    Am        E7      G    Am
Let the fool, let me, the jester, a new saga now compose