Battle Cries

G G I’m at the brink, don’t laugh The wrinkles and bricks that we’re left with at last G At the winks I’ve masked And drink will fix all those questions unasked C G Who’ll save you when you fall? Who died and made you king of it all G Who wins this war? You’ve a knack Now the wind is so warm on the back of my neck G For applause from the back of the stalls but you lack As I walk with the sun hand in hand from the wreck C G The conviction to look at me straight and say yes Some fictions we took to mean fate believe me I know G Don’t be uncouth, be a man Tell the truth to me love, does my hair look as nice G Don’t lie with your eyes, you know I despise that look As it did when you once tied it up in your eyes? C G You’re home. For God’s sake I’m Look at me as you say this, don’t look at your phone G Done with your dreams, they won’t last Cos that sun that beams down as my hands touch the grass G Thirty winters will pass, you’ll look back After summers of fasting I feel hunger at last C G At the woman fifty year old you will be proud to have known For the person fifteen year old me would be proud to have known Prechorus Am F C G Am F G G C Cos these plates they smash like waves C Place your smile in mine F And the wine stains hide the tears F Why stay? Hide the Am But that breathing you hear don't mistake it for sighs Am F G Don’t you realise - They’re just battle cries dear C And these lines aren’t wrinkles dear heart C Hardly knew the words F G I’m dolled up love don’t I deserve to just They’re just dollops of paint on a new work of art Am And as I walk away I know I’ve been through the wars Am F G But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it’s applause G Come on love, please don’t start With you I could summon the gods and the stars G Sing your notes, play your part Watch them dance out the plays that we wrote from the heart C G Then we’ll leave. We were gods And we’d laugh at the ghosts of our fears. We were kids G ‘Come at me your blaggards you’d yell ‘Come at me you blaggards’, you’d yell from the banks G From the back of the gallery Wielding words against make-believe wizards and tanks. C G Say goodbye. I am not And by god love believe me, I wanted to play too, I did G A drunkard, A daughter, A preacher, god knows how you But we sunk into water no creature can know G You dragged us both into the darkness that grows You dragged me along to watch all your shows C G Oh dear God. I won’t Our devils broke rank, and out of the depths came an army. I won’t G Leave without a fight Let you turn our last night into this G I’m going to binge watch a box set, drink wine, reminisce C G This isn’t a break up dear heart, it’s a season finale Am C F G Am C G G C Cos these plates they smash like waves C Place your smile in mine F And the wine stains hide the tears F G Why stay? Hide the Am But that breathing you hear don't mistake it for sighs Am F G Don’t you realise - They’re just battle cries dear C And these lines aren’t wrinkles dear heart C Hardly knew the words F G They’re just dollops of paint on a new work of art I’m dolled up love don’t I deserve to just Am And as I walk away I know I’ve been through the wars Am F But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it’s applause F It’s not pain it’s applause G C It’s not pain it’s applause F G Am Am F G G All it took to unearth in the dust and the dirt G Some release or respite from the heat and the hurt C G Was taking the time now and then to ask how I am G And now at the end, at the end of all things G I’m not going to scream, beat my chest at the wind G I’m doing fine