Esme chords by Joanna Newsom

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Difficulty: Novice

Verse:

FF   C majorC   Bb majorBb   FF
I can feel a difference.
  C majorC   Bb majorBb  FF
Today, a difference:
FF     C majorC   Bb majorBb FF
all of us, in our tents,
     C majorC     Bb majorBb  FF
fearing god like a mistress.

  FF        C majorC Bb majorBb  FF
We lay on the rocks, in the sun,
     C majorC      Bb majorBb   FF
watching you and your mama row in,
  FF     C majorC
I sat up and blinked,
     Bb majorBb  FF
when you appeared,
   C majorC       Bb majorBb  FF
so pale you were nearly clear!
FF         C majorC Bb majorBb FF
Later, I stumbled to my bed,
   C majorC      Bb majorBb FF
all alone in the branches.
  FF     C majorC
I laid in the dark,
     Bb majorBb FF      C majorC
thinking about all of my friends,
      Bb majorBb FF
and their changes.

Pre chorus:
  A minorAm    DmDm
And I do not know
  Bb majorBb G+G     Bb majorBb       FF
if you know just what you have done.
A minorAm          DmDm
You are the sweetest one
    Bb majorBb G+G   Bb majorBb    FF
I have ever laid my eyes upon.

Chorus:

     FF    C majorC
It's a beautiful town,
     DmDm     Bb majorBb
with the rain coming down.
G+G      Eb MajorEb
Blackberry, rosemary,
Bb majorBb     FF
jimmy-crack-corn.
        FF     C majorC
You've got the run of the place,
         DmDm   Bb majorBb
now that you're running around;
      FF
and may kindness,
Eb MajorEb     Bb majorBb   FF
kindness, kindness abound.

Verse:

FF    C majorC   Bb majorBb   FF
In this hour of our lives —
  C majorC   Bb majorBb    FF
hour of effortless plenty —
FF
how do we know
    C majorC      Bb majorBb     FF
which parts of our hearts want what,
      C majorC   Bb majorBb  FF
with such base generosity?

FF       C majorC   Bb majorBb
Taking so many photographs —
  FF
so amazed! —
    C majorC      Bb majorBb    FF
we've never seen a baby so newlyborn.
FF       C majorC  Bb majorBb
And, when the bulbs do flash,
       FF
as bright as morning,
     C majorC      Bb majorBb
the crowd keeps on gathering
         FF
like an electric storm.

Pre Chorus:

     FF    C majorC
The phantom of love
    DmDm     Bb majorBb
moves among us at will.
   G+G      Eb MajorEb
Each phantom-limb lost,
  Bb majorBb     FF
has got an angel
 FF    C majorC
(so confused,
         DmDm   Bb majorBb
like the wagging bobbed-tail
    C majorC
of a bulldog):
Bb majorBb           FF
kindness, kindness prevails.

Chorus:

FF      C majorC
Kindness prevails!
Bb majorBb            FF         C majorC
Ties and rails, ties and rails fall into line,
    Bb majorBb  FF
bearing kindness.
FF       C majorC      Bb majorBb
Where will you go, if not here?
FF       C majorC
What will you say,
     Bb majorBb   FF
when you write to us?

Bridge:

   FF     C majorC    Bb majorBb
And this is a world of terrible hardship,
   FF
everywhere,
         C majorC
and I search for words
    Bb majorBb   FF
to set you at ease.
   FF        C majorC
But there, in the looking-glass,
  Bb majorBb
a kite is soaring,
 FF      C majorC
stilling my warring heart
    Bb majorBb    FF
and my trembling knees.
FF      C majorC
Clean as a breeze,
Bb majorBb      FF
bright as the day:
      C majorC    Bb majorBb   FF
all of the people gather to say:

Outro:
    C majorC   Bb majorBb  FF
"Sweet Esme! Sweet Esme!
C majorC  Bb majorBb FF
Oh, oh, oh!"

FF     C majorC     DmDm       Bb majorBb
I believe love will always surround you —
 G+G     Eb MajorEb
brave as a bear,
    Bb majorBb       FF
with a heart rare and true.
        C majorC
But if you are scared,
DmDm     Bb majorBb
if you are blue,
G+G     Eb MajorEb    Bb majorBb      FF
I have prepared this small song for you:

FF    G+G  Bb majorBb  FF
Sweet Esme! Sweet Esme!
  Bb majorBb FF
Oh, oh, oh!
FF    G+G  Bb majorBb  FF
Sweet Esme! Sweet Esme!
  Bb majorBb FF
Oh, oh, oh!
FF    G+G  Bb majorBb  FF
Sweet Esme! Sweet Esme!
  Bb majorBb FF
Oh, oh, oh!