The Last Watch chords by Stan Rogers

• Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

STAN ROGERS – The Last Watch
from “From Fresh Water” (1984)

Intro:
D G A Bm D G A

Verse 1:
     Bm                A               G     A
They dragged her down, dead, from Tobermory
    Bm                 D                Em    A
Too cheap to spare her one last head of steam
G              D
Deep in diesel fume embrace
E                              G           A        G  A
Dust and soot upon the face of one who was so clean
     Bm                 A                G         A
They brought me here to watch her in the boneyard
     Bm                D                Em    A
Just two old wrecks to spend the night alone
     G                D
It’s dark inside this evil place
       E                                   G             A       G  A
Clouds on the moon hide her disgrace, this whiskey hides my own

Chorus 1:
         D    G            A       G  A
It’s the last watch on the Midland
    D    G      A
The last watch alone
    Bm   A        G
One last night to love her
    C    Bm    A     D     G A Bm D G A
The last night she’s whole

Verse 2:
Bm               A               G      A
My guess is that we were young together
     Bm                 D                     Em    A
Like her’s, my strength was young and hard as steel
    G               D
And like her too, I knew my ground
  E                                   G             A     G  A
I scarcely felt the years go round in answer to the wheel
    Bm                     A                G       A
But then they quenched the fire beneath the boilers
     Bm             D                 Em    A
Gave me a watch and showed me out the door
   G                  D
At sixty-four, you’re still the best
E                                        G         A         G  A
One year more, and then you’re less than dust upon the floor

Chorus 2:
         D    G            A       G  A
It’s the last watch on the Midland
    D    G      A
The last watch alone
    Bm   A        G
One last night to love her
    C    Bm    A     D     G A Bm D G A
The last night she’s whole

Verse 3:
   Bm                A              G  A
So here’s to useless superannuation
    Bm            D              Em    A
And us old relics of the days of steam
       G                D
In the morning, Lord, I would prefer
     E                                  G      A           G  A
When men with torches come for her, let angels come for me

Chorus 3:
         D    G            A       G  A
It’s the last watch on the Midland
    D    G      A
The last watch alone
    Bm   A        G
One last night to love her
    C    Bm    A     D
The last night she’s whole
G    A   D    G            A       G  A
It’s the last watch on the Midland
    D    G      A
The last watch alone
    Bm   A        G
One last night to love her
    C    Bm    A     D     G  A  Bm
The last night she’s whole