Jokerman

A                         Amaj7
Standing on the water, casting your 
bread
           Bm/A                    
While the eyes of the idol with the
E/A             A
 iron head are glowing
A                      Amaj7
Distant ships sailing into the mist
          Bm/A                     
You were born with a snake in both 
         E/A                       
of your fists while a hurricane was
 A

blowing
Bm       E                       
Freedom just around the corner 
   A
for you
          Bm               E      
But with truth so far off, what 
            A   D
good will it do.

[Chorus]
E                          D
Jokerman dance to the nightingale 
tune
A         E/G#        F#m        
Bird fly high by the light of the 
  D
moon
C#m7  D6  E   A
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

[Verse 2]
A                    Amaj7
So swiftly the sun sets in the sky
Bm/A             E/A             
You rise up and say goodbye to no
     A  D/A
 one
A                    Amaj7
Fools rush in where angels fear to 
tread
Bm/A                       E/A   
Both of their futures, so full of
                  A
 dread, you don't show one
Bm            E                 A
Shedding off one more layer of skin
         Bm            E    
Keeping one step ahead of the 
                 A    D
persecutor within.

[Chorus]
E                      D
Jokerman dance to the nightingale 
tune
A         E/G#        F#m        
Bird fly high by the light of the 
  D
moon
C#m7  D6  E   A
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

[Verse 3]
         A                       
You're a man of the mountain, you 
       Ammaj7
can walk on the clouds
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      Bm/A                      
Manipulator of crowds, you're a 
E/A            A  D/A
dream twister
                 A
You're going to Sodom and Gomorrah
     Amaj7                     
But what do you care ? Ain't 
Bm/A              E/A           
nobody there would want marry your 
A
sister
Bm                       E       
Friend to the martyr, a friend to
              A
 the woman of shame
                 Bm                
You look into the fiery furnace, 
E                         A        D
see the rich man without any name.

[Chorus]
E                         D
Jokerman dance to the nightingale 
tune
A          E/G#        F#m       
Bird fly high by the light of the 
  D
moon
C#m7  D6  E   A
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

[Verse 4]
          A                    
Well, the Book of Leviticus and 
  Ammaj7
Deuteronomy
     Bm/A                      E/A
The law of the jungle and the sea 
               A    D/A
are your only teachers
       A                         
In the smoke of the twilight on a 
  Amaj7
milk-white steed
Bm/A         E/A                 
Michelangeo indeed could've 
              A
carved out your features
Bm                      E        
Resting in the fields, far from 
             A
the turbulent space
          Bm                      
Half asleep near the stars with a 
E                       A    D
small dog licking your face.

[Chorus]
E                       D
Jokerman dance to the nightingale 
tune
A          E/G#        F#m       
Bird fly high by the light of the 
  D
moon
C#m7 D6  E    A
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

[Verse 5]
           A                     
Well, the rifleman's stalking the 
   Ammaj7
sick and the lame
        Bm/A                       
Preacherman seeks the same, who'll 
 E/A                  A        D/A
get there first is uncertain
A                               
Nightsticks and water cannons, 
Amaj7
tear gas, padlocks
       Bm/A           E/A         
Molotow cocktails and rocks behind
         A
 every curtain
Bm                    E          
False-hearted judges dying in the
                A
 webs that they spin
       Bm               E         
Only a matter of time 'til the 
                   A  D
night comes stepping in.

[Chorus]
E                      D
Jokerman dance to the nightingale 
tune
A          E/G#        F#m       
Bird fly high by the light of the 
  D
moon
C#m7  D6  E   A
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

[Verse 6]
        A                      
It's a shadowy world, skies are 
   Amaj7
slippery gray
   Bm/A                      E/A  
A woman just gave birth to a 
                            A  
prince today and dressed him in 
    D/A
scarlet
                A                  
He'll put the priest in his pocket,
          Amaj7
 put the blade to the heat
           Bm/A                    
Take the motherless children off 
   E/A
the street
                        A
And place them at the feet of a 
harlot
Bm             E                 A
Oh, Jokerman, you know what he wants
Bm             E                 
Oh, Jokerman, you don't show any 
    A    D
response.

[Chorus]
E                       D
Jokerman dance to the nightingale 
tune
A          E/G#      F#m         
Bird fly high by the light of the 
 D
moon
C#m7 D6  E    A
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

[Coda]
| A   | Amaj7   | Bm/A   |  E/A   | 
 A    | D/A
| Bm  | E       | A      | A
| Bm  | E       | A      | D
| E   | D       | A  E/G# | F#m