The Night I Learned How Not To Pray chords by Iris Dement

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Intro:
G+G C majorC G+G C majorC
G+G D MajorD G+G


Verse 1:
   G+G             C majorC             G+G
I was laying on my belly in the middle of the living room floor
   E minorEm             A augmentedA              A minorAm   D MajorD
I was watching Howdy Doody so I'm guessing it was right around four
    G+G          C majorC              C majorC     E minorEm
When I saw my baby brother tumbling from the top of the stairs
    G+G               D MajorD                   G+G
He was lying limp and silent and the blood was trickling through his shiny hair

Verse 2:
      G+G                 C majorC            G+G
When my mom saw my little brother she said you better run and get your dad
    E minorEm             A augmentedA             A minorAm  D MajorD
And her voice was high and she was shaking so I knew this was bad
    G+G                 C majorC               C majorC   E minorEm
Well we stood out by the mailbox watching her and dad and brother drive away
   G+G                D MajorD              G+G
And I didn't waste no time I got down on my knees right there and I began to pray


Verse 3:
    G+G               C majorC              G+G
Well I prayed into the evening, never even took the time to have a bite
   E minorEm           A augmentedA              A minorAm  D MajorD
I was sure if I prayed hard enough that God would make it right
    G+G               C majorC            G+G       E minorEm
We were at the kitchen table long past bedtime when we finally got that call
   G+G               D MajorD                   G+G   C majorC
And I knew that it was over when my sister slammed that phone against the wall


Chorus:
G+G     C majorC       G+G
That night I learned how not to pray
E minorEm      A augmentedA      A minorAm    D MajorD
God does what he wants to any way
G+G             C majorC
 And I never did tell my mother,
 G+G                 C majorC
I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
G+G          D MajorD          G+G   C majorC
 That was the night I learned how not to pray

Instrumental:
G+G  C majorC  G+G
E minorEm A augmentedA  A minorAm D MajorD
G+G  C majorC  G+G  C majorC
G+G  D MajorD  G+G


Verse 4:
    G+G          C majorC         G+G
It was 41 years later when I took my brothers picture out of that box
E minorEm            A augmentedA               A minorAm  D MajorD
Hung it on the wall, sat across from him and I began to talk
G+G             C majorC                G+G   E minorEm
When the evening started I didn't know what I was going to say
   G+G                  D MajorD               G+G   C majorC
But before the night was over I told them all about how I learned not to pray


Chorus:
G+G     C majorC       G+G
That night I learned how not to pray
E minorEm      A augmentedA      A minorAm         D MajorD
God does what God wants to,  don't he any way
G+G             C majorC
 And I never did tell my mother,
 G+G                 C majorC
I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
G+G          D MajorD          G+G   C majorC
 That was the night I learned how not to pray
G+G           D MajorD         G+G   C majorC
 That was the night I learned how not to pray, Whoa oh
G+G           D MajorD         G+G
 That was the night I learned how not to pray