I Had A King chords by Joni Mitchell

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: A

Difficulty: Intermediate


Am9 - X02000
A2 - X02200
F7 - XX3210
Am7 - X02010
Em7/A - 000000
E2/A - 004200
Asus4 - X00220
A - X02220

Intro: A Am9

Verse:

A
I had a king in a tenement castle
Am9                                             A2
Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown
               F7
He's taken the curtains down
     Am9                         Em7/A
He's swept with the broom of contempt
                       Am7      E2/A
And the rooms have an empty ring
      Am9
He's cleaned with the tears
      Em7/A                    Am7                E2/A
Of an actor who fears for the laughter's sting-


Chorus:
Asus4                   A
I can't go back there anymore
Asus4                      A
You know my keys won't fit the door
Asus4                       A
You know my thoughts don't fit the man
Am9                         A
They never can, they never can


Verse:
A
I had a king dressed in drip-dry and paisley
Am9                                        A2
Lately he's taken to saying I'm crazy and blind
              F7
He lives in another time
Am9                       Em7/A
Ladies in gingham still blush
                         Am9         E2/A
While he sings them of wars and wine
    Am9                 Em7/A
But I in my leather and lace
              Am7            E2/A
I can never become that kind


Chorus:
Asus4                    A
I can't go back there anymore
Asus4                         A
You know my keys won't fit the door
Asus4                           A
You know my thoughts don't fit the man
Am9                         A
They never can, they never can


Verse:
A
I had a king in a salt-rusted carriage
     Am9                                            A2
Who carried me off to his country for marriage too soon
                F7
Beware of the power of moons
        Am9
There's no one to blame
               Em7/A             Am9         E2/A
No there's no one to name as a traitor here
     Am9
The king's on the road
          Em7/A                        Am7             E2/A
And the queen's in the grove till the end of the year


Chorus:
Asus4                     A
I can't go back there anymore
Asus4                        A
You know my keys won't fit the door
Asus4                            A
You know my thoughts don't fit the man
Am9                         A
They never can, they never can