The Blind Men And The Elephant chords by Natalie Merchant

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Intro:
F
Six men of Indostan
Bb         F
To learning much inclined
Bb       F
Went to see the Elephant
    C   Dm    C
(Though all of them were blind)
Bb        C
That each by observation
   Bb     Fm  F
Might satisfy his mind
Fm     Bbm  Fm     Bbm
Satisfy his mind, satisfy his mind
Bbm     Fm     C        F   Fm
Six men of Indostan, to learning much inclined

Verse One:
x     F
Well, the First approached the Elephant
Eb        Fm
And happening to fall
Eb          F
Against his broad and sturdy side
  C
At once began to bawl:
Db     C
“God bless me! but the Elephant
        Fm
Is very like a wall!”



Verse Two:
          F
The Second, feeling of the tusk
    Bb        F
Cried, “Ho! what have we here
Bb        F     C
So very round and smooth and sharp?
C
To me tis mighty clear
Db        C
This wonder of an Elephant
        F
Is very like a spear!”



Chorus:
F        Fm
All of them were blind
Bbm       Fm
All of them were blind
Bb Fm   C
Six men of Indostan
  F       C     Fm
To learning much inclined



Verse Three:
  F
The Third approached the animal
Bbm       Fm   Cm
And happening to take
Bb      F     C
The squirming trunk within his hands
C
Thus boldly up he spake:
Db       C  B
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
  F           C
Is very like a snake!”



Verse Four:
     F
Then the Fourth reached out an eager hand
Bbm        F   Ab
And felt about the knee
Bbm           F
“What most this wondrous beast is like
  C
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
Db          C
“Tis clear enough the Elephant
        Fm
Is very like a tree!”


G F
Db F
Cm F Cm
Cm Fm



Verse Five:
    Ab          F
And the Fifth! who chanced to touch the ear
   Bbm        Fm
Said: ”E’en the blindest man
          F
Can tell what this resembles most;
 C          Db
Deny the fact who can,
      C
This marvel of an Elephant
        F   C
Is very like a fan!”



Verse Six:
C
And the Sixth! no sooner had begun
Bbm        Fm
About the beast to grope (to grope!)
Bbm         Fm
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
C
That fell within his scope (scope!)
Db    C
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
    F   Ab
Is very like a rope!”



Chorus:
F        Fm
All of them were blind
Bbm       Fm
All of them were blind
Bb Fm   C
Six men of Indostan
C
Learning much inclined
  F       C     Fm
To learning much inclined



Closing:
  Eb
And so these men of Indostan
  Db       Fm
Disputed loud and long
C
Each in his opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong
Eb
Each was partly in the right
  Db       F
But all were in the wrong



Moral:
  C
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
  Bbm      C
And prate about an Elephant
          Fm
Not one of them has seen!