The Court Jester Ukulele chords by Joe Swensen

Tuning: G C E A (G C E A)

Intro:

Am       G          C        Am
I am the jester, my job's to entertain
       Am              G                  C            E7
And it seems that soon enough it too will be my job to reign
     C            G         E7           Am
Over all that you see, over all that you know
       Am             E7         G               Am
As the king is slowly dying, any moment he could go
        Am             E7         G              Am
Yes the king is slowly dying, any moment he will go

Verse 1:

Am        G              C               Am
Oh! Sweet memories, come rushing back to me
     Am               G                C                 E7
As I trace my fingers on these haggard walls within your keep
          C           G                  E7           Am
Though my exile still stands, i heard my duty call to me
        Am             E7                 G           Am
Because i am the court jester, I've grown tired of my sleep
           Am       E7               G           Am
After all, i am the jester, and I've tired of my sleep


Bridge 1:

F              E7                   C               A7
What good is a crown if the brow it sits on is that of a dead man
F            E7              C                           A7
I'll wear my cap and painted smile with pride, my trusty baton in my hand
F            E7                 C                   E7
And you will see me, sire, I'll make my way back to you
C          C                  E7            G
You cannot stop me sire, your time is up, i see right through you


Verse 2:

       Am           G              C              Am
Though resolute you may pretend to be inside your walls
           Am                G               C           E7
The people soon will realize that your feeble body can't forestall
    C          G           E7              Am
The inevitable end that we all will one day meet
        Am             E7           G               Am
You are human, you are dying, yes i know it's bittersweet
        Am                  E7                  G               Am
But you knew this day would come, and you can't borrow steal or cheat
          Am             E7                   G                    Am
Yes, your maker gave you time, but you've run out, and soon you'll meet


Verse 3:


Am    G              C              Am
I was awoken by some nibbling in my brain
         Am                   G                C              E7
A single thought, just like a knot, a stone, a weight I can't explain
               C             G                 E7            Am
That sat there pulling me to consciousness and waking soon I found
         Am                  E7                    G                  Am
Myself entrenched in ancient earth, with roots and vines my arms were bound
            Am                    E7        G                     Am
And in this post-hibernal state my mind was filled with clouds of doubt
              Am          E7                        G                   G
Were these my memories? or something else? and soon i felt the urge to get out


Bridge 2:

Am       Am      Am             E7
Tearing, ripping, painful as it was
Am        Am          Am            E7
Vines and leaves gave way easy just because
Am         Am           Am         E7
All that's left in this world is decay;
Am     Am        Am           E7
Soon I knew what caused me to awake


Am     Am         Am         E7
With a newfound memory after rest
Am     Am        Am             E7
I felt something bubbling in my chest
Am     Am          Am        E7
Soon I felt myself losing control
Am       Am       Am            E7
Peals of laughter rang into the distance from my soul


Am       Am          Am              E7
I cannot recognize a single thing in front of me
Am                  Am        Am            E7
The world as I knew it now is gone, is this reality?
Am     Am     Am        E7
Absurd and nonsensical, fantastical and daft
Am          Am            Am                 E7
All that is left to do is sit right down and laugh

He he he!



Verse 4:

Am      G            C        Am
Oh this world that I left you in
         Am   G   C       E7
Has been tain-ted by your sin
       C           G         E7      Am
And as such I have now taken it upon myself
       Am                 E7              G             B
To reinstate the reign of laughter and in health I will return


Verse 5:

Am      G             C           Am
Oh I am making my way back I will return
         Am          G             C               E7
Soon the people will remember, the reason why they burn
        C              G          E7       Am
And the fires in their might will start to turn
         Am                 E7               G          Am
Pointing fists and shouting out with no more reason for concern


Bridge 3:

F             E7                  C                  A7
Soon you will see! the world will turn upon its head again!
F        E7                C                    A7
Just you hope that you can see it before you're dead!
F       E7               C                     A7
Foolish king, you sit in empty meaning on your throne
C         C                E7       G
But in my time away you've ended up alone


Verse 6:

    Am            G                  C             Am
Oh, all the power in the world could never save you now
       Am                 G                      C                    E7
As the time at which your curtain's called draws nearer, get ready to take your bow
    C      G             E7           Am
The age of reason is now drawing to a close!
        Am                E7               G       Am
And now I, the mere court jester, will his majesty depose
       Am             E7                G           Am
I will tip the gilded throne, in me the people will repose
        Am             E7              G                  Am
Because i am the court jester, not all thorns come with a rose
           Am       E7               G        Am
After all, i am the jester, and this future i propose:
        Am                E7                G              Am
Let the fool, let me, the jester, bring the olden tales to close
        Am                E7            G        Am
Let the fool, let me, the jester, a new saga now compose