Am
e-|------------------------------|
B-|--1-------------1-------------|
G-|-----2------2------2------2---|
D-|-------2--2---2------2--2---2-| (...)
A-|--0---------------------------|
E-|------------------------------|
     i  i t  t i t i  i t  t i i   
     t     

[Verses]
    Am             F
The door it opened slowly,
   Am             F
my father he came in,
      G    F     E
I was nine years old.
       Am              F
And he stood so tall above me,
    Am                  F
his blue eyes they were shining
        G         F    E
and his voice was very cold.
   C
He said, "I've had a vision

and you know I'm strong and holy,
       D       C         B
I must do what I've been told."
      F              Bb
So he started up the mountain,
      F               Bb
I was running, he was walking,
        F         G       A        Am
and his axe   was made of gold.

      Am                        F
Well, the trees they got much smaller,
    Am             F
the lake a lady's mirror,
     G          F         E
we stopped to drink some wine.
         Am                F
Then he threw the bottle over,
 Am             F
broke a minute later
        G       F       E
and he put his hand on mine.
  C
Thought I saw an eagle

but it might have been a vulture,
  D      C       B
I never could decide.
         F              Bb
Then my father built an altar,
          F                 Bb
he looked once behind his shoulder,
     F     G           A      Am
he knew I would not   hide.

Am                F
You who build the altars now
   Am                F
to sacrifice these children,
             G     F   E
you must not do it anymore.
    Am             F
A scheme is not a vision
        Am               F
and you never have been tempted
      G      F     E
by a demon   or a god.
C
You who stand above them now,

your hatchets blunt and bloody,
     D        C       B
you were not there before,
        F          Bb
when I lay upon a mountain
        F                 Bb
and my father's hand was trembling
          F       G       A     Am
with the beauty   of the word.

    Am               F
And if you call me brother now,
    Am             F
forgive me if I inquire,
         G      F         E
"Just according to whose plan?"
Am                 F
When it all comes down to dust
Am              F
I will kill you if I must,
        G         F     E
I will help you   if I can.
C
When it all comes down to dust

I will help you if I must,
        D       C     B
I will kill you if I can.
     F           Bb
And mercy on our uniform,
F               Bb
man of peace or man of war,
     F        G          A     Am
the peacock spreads his fan.