Black Day In July chords by Gordon Lightfoot

BLACK DAY IN JULY

Em       D  Em    D       G        Em
Black day in July, motor city madness has touched the countryside
    C           Em      C        Em
And through the smoke and cinders, you can hear it far and wide
   C         Em       C       Em
The doors are quickly bolted and the children locked inside
D       Em
Black day in July.

Em       D      Em      D    G        Em
Black day in July, and the soul of Motor City is bared across the land
    C        Em    C      Em
As the book of law and order is taken in the hands
    C       Em        C       Em
Of the sons of the fathers who were carried to this land
D       Em
Black day in July.

Em       D      Em       D        G
Black day in July, in the streets of Motor City there is a deadly silent
 Em
sound
     C     Em         C        Em
And the body of a dead youth, lies stretched upon the ground
C         Em     C       Em
Upon the filthy pavement no reason can be found
D       Em
Black day in July.

Em      D   Em     D      G         Em
Black day in July, Motor City madness has touched the countryside
      C      Em       C       Em
And the people rise in anger and the streets begin to fill
        C        Em        C        Em
And there's gunfire from the rooftops and the blood begins to spill
D       Em
Black day in July.


Interlude #1:

     Em       G
In the mansion of the governor
     Em       G
There's nothing that is known for sure
     Em     G
The telephone is ringing
     Em      G
And the pendulum is swinging
      Em       G
And they wonder how it happened
      Em       G
And they really know the reason
     Em        G
And it wasn't just the temperature
     Em       G
And it wasn't just the season
D       Em
Black day in July.


Em       D  Em      D        G         Em
Black day in July, Motor City's burning and the flames are running wild
    C        Em      C      Em
They reflect upon the waters of the river and the lake
    C      Em      C    Em
And everyone is listening and everyone's awake
D       Em
Black day in July.

Em       D     Em        D       G
Black day in July, the printing press is turning and the news is quickly
Em
flashed
     C         Em      C        Em
And you read your morning paper and you sip your cup of tea
     C       Em      C      Em
And you wonder just in passing is it him or is it me
D       Em
Black day in July.


Interlude #2:

     Em       G
In the office of the President
   Em        G
The deed is done the troops are sent
     Em       G
There's really not much choice you see
   Em        G
It looks to us like anarchy
   Em         G
And then the tanks go rolling in
   Em         G
To patch things up as best they can
   Em        G
There is no time to hesitate
   Em        G
The speech is made the dues can wait
D       Em
Black day in July.


Em      D     Em       D      G     Em
Black day in July, the streets of Motor City now are quiet and serene
     C         Em       C      Em
But the shapes of gutted buildings strike terror to the heart
     C        Em      C        Em
And you say how did it happen and you say how did it start
   C         Em     C        Em
Why can't we all be brothers, why can't we live in peace
     C      Em       C       Em
But the hands of the have-nots keep falling out of reach
D       Em
Black day in July.

Em      D   Em      D
Black day in July, black day in July.