May Day chords by Elvis Perkins

transcribed by Ben Whitlock

  Intro arpeggios
   B riff
e|-----4--------4--------7~~~--7--5--0h4--2-0--------------------------------|
B|---5---5----5---5----7-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-4--------6--------8-------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Verse:

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus:

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

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

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

Bridge:

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

Guitar Solo

    B
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------6-6h8--6------9---8--6-6h8------------6-9-9-8-8-6-6-5-7p5h7---5-4-|
D|--------6-9--6-9--9------9---6-----------------9-6----7-9-----------------------------|
A|--7---7-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


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

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

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

     B
Lala la la la la la la lala  La la la la la
     B
Lala la la la la la la lala laaaa

Coda:

G
May Day, May Day, May Day, May Daaay
G
May Day, May Day, May Day, May Daaay
G
May Day, May Day, May Day, May Daaay
C