B
See the old man on the bridge
     E
He's hauling up a sagging net
     B                 E
It's full of eels twisting through

The eye sockets of a horse's head
       B              E
And this fiend has no family
 B                         E
So he will outlive you and me

C#m F#  E
(Rest for a beat before strumming the E)

[Verse 2]
        B                       E
In the hospital you talked about

Thumbing down that truck ride for the first time
       B
And the false friend kept his back turned!
                            E
That's when you learned the fierceness of man

Again, again, again!
    B                               E
How long it took to reach the Sister Cities
          B
And then somehow make it back
                  E
Just to tell me, "Yeah, I guess I'm still pretty mad."

[Hook]
     C#m
Every other day, the same
F#                              E
Long road to the old man down the street
               C#m
Neither one of you knows
        F#                                    E
What the flowers in your hand are supposed to mean
  C#m                    F#
Red flowers against your, red flowers against your
         E
Painted shut window

B   B   E   E
C#m F#  E   E

[Verse 3]
B
Help! My uncle's gone insane!
             E
In his room he sits shaking a geranium!
B
Outside, the old dog resigned
             E
Leaves heavy tracks for the father dragging the rifle to find

[Hook]
     C#m
Every other day, the same
F#                              E
Long road to the old man down the street
              C#m                      F#
Do you think someday, through all the flowers
                      E
Your eyes finally will meet?

Where he'll tell you
       C#m                                    F#
"Honey, you know I had to shoot that dog you loved so much
                  E
You know I had to do it
           C#m                                  F#
"Aw, honey you know I had to shoot that dog you loved so much
                  E
You know I had to do it."
                 C#m                         F#
"Oh yeah, I know you had to shoot that dog I loved so much!
                  E
I know you had to do it!"