Otis Carl

                    Am
I’m supposed to be stoic
               F
As I wipe the tears off of my face
            C
Watch the ships off the coast of Mexico
          G
Block it out as they roll away
                 Am
I still see you smiling
             F
Even as I’m selfish as I’ve ever been
         C
See you sitting in your chair
         G
See you singing happy birthday

[Interlude]

C Am F G (x2)

[Verse 2]

                   Am
I got the call in June
                              F
But couldn’t bring myself to see you
         C                   G
Or even get you on the phone
          Am             F
I wanted you to remember me in perfection
     C          G
But really I'm
                    Am
I’m just a fucking coward
            F                   C
I couldn’t stand to see you die
                           G
And I was dealing with my own shit
              Am
If I’m being honest
                F
mom said you’d understand
              C               G
But I don’t blame you if you didn’t

[Chorus]

        C
And I’m
                   Am
on the docks again
                           F
Looking out at that awful ocean
                             G
Watching the tide take you away
C                                   Am
I know you ain’t resting your bones
                                   F
I know you ain’t made it back home
                              G
At least the loneliness gave you a break

[Interlude]

C Am F G (x2)

[Verse 3]

                  Am    F
We never held a funeral
               C                    G
'Cause of the consequence they bring
        Am           F
Letting go is never easy
      C
Even when you’re empty
      G
Even when you're alone
Am           F               C       G
I hope they played you Otis Redding
            Am            F
I hope you heard me hum along
                  C
As those arms of yours
            G
went down into the dark

[Chorus]

        C
And I’m
                   Am
on the docks again
                           F
Looking out at that awful ocean
                             G
Watching the tide take you away
C                                   Am
I know you ain’t resting your bones
                                   F
I know you ain’t made it back home
                              G
At least the loneliness gave you a break

[Bridge]

        F                 G
And my phone rang a year later
           Am            G
With your smile haunting me
       F                  G
And I finally broke at a rental home
    Am         G
In Joshua Tree
       F                   G
And I tell myself it gets better
        Am             G
But it never gets any easier
           F
when your voice
         G             Am
It ain’t on the other side

[Verse 4]

Am                           F
I hope they played you Otis Redding
              C
I hope you remembered I named my guitar
            G
After your favorite singer
                  Am
of your favorite song
                               F
And I break down every time I see
                                  C
That old Spanish nylon that you bought
                                G
It never comes off the shelf anymore

[Chorus]

C                      Am
I'm on the docks again
                           F
Looking out at that awful ocean
                             G
Watching the tide take you away
C                                   Am
I know you ain’t resting your bones
                                   F
I know you ain’t made it back home
                        G
At least the loneliness
                                         C
At least the loneliness gave you a break