Broken Mans Lament chords by Emmylou Harris

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: EADGBE

Chorus 1:
G+G
I was once a broken man
   C majorC
I was once a broken fool
D MajorD
Lost my wife and children
    C majorC      G+G
To one basic broken rule
G+G
Now I live my life in silence
      C majorC
Though I'm not quite in a shell
 D MajorD
I drink and listen to that song
C majorC         G+G
"A Whiter Shade of Pale"
   C majorC        G+G
Oh, a whiter shade of pale

Chorus 2A:
G+G
I was a good shade tree mechanic
   C majorC
So I sent myself to school
   D MajorD
They smoothed out my rough edges
   C majorC         G+G
In my hands they put new tools
G+G
The instructor once he told me
    C majorC
I could work on any line
    D MajorD
I could tune and make a diesel sing
C majorC        G+G
Just like Patsy Cline
  C majorC        G+G
Oh, just like Patsy Cline

G+G
Well, I met my wife to be
      C majorC
Through my mother's best friend's son
   D MajorD
She'd been a barroom singer
      C majorC      G+G
She was as good as any-one
G+G
But I asked her to stop singing
    C majorC
And the girl she did not flinch
   D MajorD
Next day she went and bought that man
 C majorC         G+G
A augmentedA brand new crescent wrench
   C majorC         G+G
Oh, a brand new crescent wrench

G+G
Well, we had three fine children
  C majorC
As eight years went on by
 D MajorD
I learned to supervise a line
  C majorC          G+G
My knuckles stayed bone dry
G+G
But after supper I kept hearing her
    C majorC
By the kitchen radio
    D MajorD
Singing sweet but desperate harmony
 C majorC       G+G
A augmentedA little bit too low
   C majorC       G+G
Oh, a little bit too low

G+G
She left three months later
  C majorC
I'd just come home for lunch
  D MajorD
The note said "easy come, hard go
  C majorC       G+G
But still love you much"
G+G
She said, "I don't know if I'll be back
       C majorC
Or if you'll want me if I come
  D MajorD
But if and when that happens, dear
      C majorC         G+G
You better let my sweet dream run
  C majorC         G+G
Oh, let my sweet dream run"

Chorus 2B:
G+G
I was a good shade tree mechanic
   C majorC
So I sent myself to school
   D MajorD
They smoothed out my rough edges
   C majorC         G+G
In my hands they put new tools
G+G
The instructor once he told me
    C majorC
I could work on any line
      D MajorD
But now my diesels aren't the only thing
   C majorC        G+G
That sing like Patsy Cline
  C majorC        G+G
Oh, just like Patsy Cline


Chorus 1:
G+G
I was once a broken man
   C majorC
I was once a broken fool
D MajorD
Lost my wife and children
    C majorC      G+G
To one basic broken rule
G+G
Now I live my life in silence
      C majorC
Though I'm not quite in a shell
 D MajorD
I drink and listen to that song
C majorC         G+G
"A Whiter Shade of Pale"
   C majorC        G+G