Baltimore

Cm Bb G Ab x 2 Cm Bb G I got the news on the satellite phone: Ab G Ab Jason, come home, Jason, dear Cm Bb I heard it on the forest floor Cm Bb Six years of back country trails to the lake G Ab G Ab Machete and snake, machete I learned Cm Ab Bb To cradle in the Old State Park Ebm Db Bbm Roosevelt, '33, he had a plan B Abm For every young man: Gb Ebm Db Give him an ax and a seed; Bbm B Db Give him a pack and a tree; Eb Abm Gb Teach him to care for himself; Bb Abm Ebm Give him fresh air for his health; Bbm B Send money back to family Bb Abm Back to Baltimore Bb Abm The tallboy convenience store Gb The indifferent, the endless war B And I know what that is Abm And I know what that is Ebm E And I don’t need it anymore B But I have to go home Gb Db Cm Bb G Luke was the son of some well-to-do folk; Ab G Ab My family was broke, but we became friends Cm Gm Bb The parking lot, the chewed up field Cm Bb G I started in the park just as he was going in Ab G Ab A hard eight to ten for selling to kids; Cm Gm Bb My momma worked the county jail Ebm Db Bb Roosevelt's Tree Army, under the sun B Abm Gb The work would be done while America Db Ebm Db Bled by the greed of the rich Gb Db Ebm Db The boys planted trees and found God in the pitch Eb Abm Gb They stared at the sod in each fist— Db Bb Ebm Why am I telling you this? Bb B Is it that I'm nervous to be going back? Bb Abm Back to Baltimore Bb Abm The tallboy convenience store Gb The indifferent, the endless war B And I know what that is Abm And I know what that is Ebm E And I don’t need it anymore B Gb But I have to go home D Gb Luke, I guess, got himself into a fight D Gb Took him to the infirmary later that night D Gb7 Nothing serious, sure, but next morning he died D Gb Then the satellite phone with the crew Abm Eb Which meant I didn't cry Abm Eb x 3 Cm Bb G I'm taking the train to take time for my thoughts Ab G Ab Pregnant with loss, preparing for all Cm Gm Bb The things that maybe make you feel Cm Bb G Ab I'll pay my respects and then I'll take a walk G Ab The neighborhood block And then I will leave