May Day chords by Elvis Perkins

Chords with lyrics

transcribed by Ben Whitlock

 Intro arpeggios
  BB riff
e|-----4--------4--------7~~~--7--5--0h4--2-0--------------------------------|
BB|---5---5----5---5----7-----------------------------------------------------|
G+G|-4--------6--------8-------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Verse:

   BB
Lala la la la la la la lala La la la la la
   BB (riff)
Lala la la la la la la lala laaaa

       BB
Well I don’t care your cameras caught me crying as I left your gates
       BB
Or that your maintenance men they caught our last embrace

       BB
Well you were on the verge of tears when I first knew I would know you
       BB
And now your ancient black tears they stain your robe

  BB
Calypso will come with me on that morning April day
    BB (riff)
To the city of my childhood in a cage

    BB
On the broad back of the earth we will drive twelve hours straight
     BB
And we’ll take turns feeling crazy and okay

Chorus:

  E MajorE
On May Day, May Day listen for the sound
BB
Of the ambulances singing rounds down the avenue

     BB
Well the Captain of America he sings through his toothpaste
    BB (riff)
And the bubbles of his words will float away
   BB
As he gargles out a hymn in the funny fish voice way
  BB
And all the sorrow seems to go away

  E MajorE
On May Day, May Day listen for the sound
BB
Of the Geiger counters counting down

Bridge:

  G#G#
To one and blast off baby to the inter-space of stars
  BB
Out to the star encrusted boulevard...

Guitar Solo

  BB
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|--------------------6-6h8--6------9---8--6-6h8------------6-9-9-8-8-6-6-5-7p5h7---5-4-|
D MajorD|--------6-9--6-9--9------9---6-----------------9-6----7-9-----------------------------|
A augmentedA|--7---7-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  E MajorE
On May Day, May Day can you hear the sound
BB
Of the megaphones calling out instructions

   BB
And I need your quiet empire where forgetful Persians roam
     BB (riff)
And with two hands full of silver I’ll go home
 BB
Return me to my kingdom where my children wait for me
  BB
To build them flying saucers on black sea

  E MajorE
On May Day, May Day they are going down
BB
Send the fleet of black-and-whites wailing downtown

   BB
Lala la la la la la la lala La la la la la
   BB
Lala la la la la la la lala laaaa

Coda:

G+G
May Day, May Day, May Day, May Daaay
G+G
May Day, May Day, May Day, May Daaay
G+G
May Day, May Day, May Day, May Daaay
C majorC