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Wartime Prayers

Paul Simon

Text File

                              Wartime Prayers


                         Words and Music by Paul Simon


                                Bm 
|---7----|---7-5---|---3-2----|-----2------2----|---3S2---|
|-7------|-7-----5-|-3-----2--|---0------0------|-3-----2-|
|--------|---------|----------|-----------------|---------|
|--------|---------|----------|-0------0--------|---------|
|--------|---------|----------|-----------------|---------|
|--------|---------|----------|-----------------|---------|
 
  C sus2                         C# � 
|--------|----------=----------|---------------0--|----------2--|-^2----------|
|-----3--|-/10---8p7---------7-|-----0-------0----|---10--8--0--|-^0----------|
|---5----|-----------7---------|---------6--------|--------9--7-----|-------------|
|-5------|-------------7---8---|---5---5---5------|-----------------|-^0----------|
|--------|---------------------|------------------|-----------------|-------------|
|--------|---------------------|-7----------------|-----------------|-------------|
                Prayers offered..

   C add9 Bm7        A7 sus4   A
|---3S2---|-----0----|-^2--------|---5-----|------------|-12----9-----------|
|-3-----2-|-----3----|-^3--------|-3-------|-------2----|---------10--------|
|---------|---5------|-^2--------|-----0---|-----2------|------------11-----|
|---------|-5--------|-^4--------|-------2-|---2--------|---------------12--|
|---------|----------|-^2--------|---------|-0----------|-------------------|
|---------|----------|-----------|---------|------------|-------------------|
       are silent                           Appeals for love 

                      C        Em         D           
|---------|---------|-----3---|-----3---|---------|---0-2--|
|-----|-8S7-5---|---5---5-|---5---5-|-----7---|--------|
|-----|-------7-|-5-------|-4-------|---7-----|-3------|
|---------|---------|---------|---------|-7-----7-|--------|
|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|--------|
|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|--------|
     Or loves..             in private invocations

      Bm      C
|---7----5----3--2--|-^2--^0--^2--|---3S2---|--------|-------------------|
|-7----5----3-------|-^0--^0--^0--|-3-----2-|-----3--|-/10--8p7--------7-|
|-------------------|-----^0------|---------|---5----|----------7--------|
|-------------------|-^0--^0--^0--|---------|-5------|------------7--8---|
|-------------------|-------------|---------|--------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------|---------|--------|-------------------|
      But all that is changed now                   Gone like a memory from 

 C# �                              Bm
|-----------0--|----------2--|-----2-----2--|
|---------0----|---10--8--0--|---0-----0----|
|-----6--------|--------9--7-----|--------------|
|---5---5------|--------------0--|-0-----0------|
|--------------|-----------------|--------------|
|-7------------|-----------------|--------------|
the day..         People hungry for the voice of God

            C          Bm7           A7 sus4   A
|---3S2---|-----0----|---------2---|---5-----|----------|-12-9-------|
|-3-----2-|-----3----|-----3-------|-3-------|-----2----|------10----|
|---------|---5------|-------2-----|-----0---|-----2----|---------11-|
|---------|-5--------|---4---------|-------2-|---2------|------------|
|---------|----------|-2-----------|---------|-0--------|------------|
|---------|----------|-------------|---------|----------|------------|
Hear lunatics..                   Wartime prayers
                   
                           C         Em       D 
|--------------|---------|-----3---|-----3---|---------------|
|-^--------|-8S7-5---|---5---5-|---5---5-|-----7-----7---|
|-^--------|-------7-|-5-------|-4-------|---7-----7-----|
|-^--------|---------|---------|---------|-7-----7-------|
|--------------|---------|---------|---------|---------------|
|--------------|---------|---------|---------|---------------|
       Wartime..           In every language spoken,

            C         Em        D         Bb dim
|---------|-----3---|-----3---|---------|-^0--0--|
|-8S7-5---|---5---5-|---5---5-|-7-----7-|-^2--2--|
|-------7-|-5-------|-4-------|-7---7---|-^3--3--|
|---------|---------|---------|-7-7-----|-^2-----|
|---------|---------|---------|---------|--------|
|---------|---------|---------|---------|--------|
    For every family scattered and broken.

 B            A                    E
|--------------7-----7---7-7-----|-0-----0-----0-----0---0-0-0-0-|
|--------7-----7-7---7---7-7-----|-2-----2---2-2-2---2---2-0-0-0-|
|--------8-----8-8---8---8-8-----|-2-----2---2-2-2---2---2-1-1-1-|
|--------9---9---9---9---9-9-----|-2-----2---2---2---2---2-2-2-2-|
|--------9---9---9---9---9-9-----|-0-----0---0---0---0---0---2-2-|
|-7------7---7---7---7-------7S2-|---------------------------0-0-|    

  B                                 A                       E
|---------7-----7-----7---7-7-----|-0------0-----0--------0-0-0-0-|
|---------7-----7-7---7---7-7-----|-2------2---2-2-2------2-0-0-0-|
|-----8---8---8-8-8---8---8-8-----|-2------2---2-2-2------2-1-1-1-|
|-9---9---9---9---9---9---9-9-----|-2------2---2---2------2-2-2-2-|
|-9---9---9---9---9---9---9-9-----|-0------0---0---0------0---2-2-|
|-7---7---7---7---7---7-------7S2-|---------------------------0-0-|
     Because you... 

    B          A         E     C#m                   Cmaj7           C# �
    strum      strum        3x strum      strum
||--7--------|-0---------0--||-4--------|-4--------|---------------|------------|
||o-7--------|-2---------0-o||-5--------|-5--------|-5---5-------5-|-------5----|
||--8--------|-2---------1--||-6--------|-6--------|-4-4-----4-----|-----4------|
||--9--------|-2---------2--||-6--------|-6--------|-5-----5---5---|---5-----5--|
||o-9--------|-0---------2-o||-4--------|-4--------|-3-------------|-4----------|
||--7--------|-----------0--||-4--------|-4--------|---------------|------------|
    cannot..   halfway..      rid my..  cleanse..    feel..
    pretend..  genius..
    tap..      little..

   Em           Bm          C add9
|--0------0-----0-----|---7----5----3----2--|-^2--^2--|---3-^2-|---^0---^0----|
|-^0----0-----0-----0-|-7----5----3----0----|-^0--^0--|-3---^2-|---^3---^3-3--|
|-^0--0-----0-----0---|---------------------|---------|-----^2-|---^5---^5----|
|-^2------------------|---------------------|-^0--^0--|--------|-5----5-------|
|-^2------------------|---------------------|---------|--------|--------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------|--------|--------------|
    Times are hard..   but..   all about hard times

       C# �                        Bm
|-------------------|-----------0--|----------2--|-2--2--2--0-h2--|
|-/10--8p7--------7-|---------0----|---10--8--0--|-0--0--0---0----|
|----------7--------|-----6--------|--------9--7-----|----------------|
|------------7--8---|---5---5------|--------------0--|-0--0--0--------|
|-------------------|--------------|-----------------|----------------|
|-------------------|-7------------|-----------------|----------------|
The thing is, what..            ..you cry?                  and try to  

  Cmaj7            Bm7              A7 sus4
|---------0------|-------2--------|---5-----|
|-----0-----0----|---------3------|-3-------|
|-------0--------|-----2-----2----|-----0---|
|---2------------|---4------------|-------2-|
|-3--------------|-2--------------|---------|
|----------------|----------------|---------|
 muscle through?   And try to.. but when the   

 A
|-----------|-12--9--------|---------------------|
|-------2---|-------10-----|-----------------|
|-----2-----|----------11--|-----------------|
|---2-------|--------------|-----------------|
|-0-------0-|--------------|---------------------|
|-----------|--------------|---------------------|
wounds are..           and it�s all that we can bear,
  
           C         Em         D        Bb dim    B
|---------|-----3---|-----3---|--------|-0---0---|-------------------|
|-8S7-5---|---5---5-|---5---5-|-7---7--|-2---2---|-4---4---4------4--|
|-------7-|-5-------|-4-------|-7---7--|-3---3---|-4---4---4----4----|
|---------|---------|---------|-7-7-7--|-2-2-----|-4-4-4-4-4--4------|
|---------|---------|---------|--------|-------4-|-------------------|
|---------|---------|---------|--------|---------|-------------------|
        We..    selves..   pray   -aay       -ers.        
   
  B   strum            A                    E
|--------------7-----7---7-7-----|-0-----0-----0-----0---0-0-0-0-|
|--------7-----7-7---7---7-7-----|-2-----2---2-2-2---2---2-0-0-0-|
|--------8-----8-8---8---8-8-----|-2-----2---2-2-2---2---2-1-1-1-|
|--------9---9---9---9---9-9-----|-2-----2---2---2---2---2-2-2-2-|
|--------9---9---9---9---9-9-----|-0-----0---0---0---0---0---2-2-|
|-7------7---7---7---7-------7S2-|---------------------------0-0-|

    B          A         E     C#m                   Cmaj7           C# �
    strum      strum        3x strum      strum
||--7--------|-0---------0--||-4--------|-4--------|---------------|------------|
||o-7--------|-2---------0-o||-5--------|-5--------|-5---5-------5-|-------5----|
||--8--------|-2---------1--||-6--------|-6--------|-4-4-----4-----|-----4------|
||--9--------|-2---------2--||-6--------|-6--------|-5-----5---5---|---5-----5--|
||o-9--------|-0---------2-o||-4--------|-4--------|-3-------------|-4----------|
||--7--------|-----------0--||-4--------|-4--------|---------------|------------|
    cannot..   halfway..      rid my..  cleanse..    feel..
    pretend..  genius..
    tap..      little..
   
   Em                                     Bm
|--0------0-----0------|---7----5----3--|---2--^2--^2--|
|-^0----0-----0-----0--|-7----5----3----|-0----^0--^0--|
|-^0--0-----0-----0----|----------------|--------------|
|-^2-------------------|----------------|------^0--^0--|
|-^2-------------------|----------------|--------------|
|----------------------|----------------|--------------|
    A mother..    twilight sleep

            C add9          Bm7           A7 sus4
|---3S2---|-----0-----0---|-------------|---5------|
|-3-----2-|-----3-----3---|-----3-----3-|-3--------|
|---------|---5-----5-----|-----2-------|-----0----|
|---------|-5-----5-----5-|---4-----4---|-------2--|
|---------|---------------|-2-----2-----|----------|
|---------|---------------|-------------|----------|

                   And..    closer 
  A               C
|----------|-12--9--------|---|---------|-----3---|
|-----2----|-------10-----|---|-8S7-5---|---5---5-|
|-----2----|----------11--|---|-------7-|-5-------|
|---2------|--------------|-------|---------|---------|
|-0--------|--------------|-------|---------|---------|
|----------|--------------|-------|---------|---------|
       With..                  for..               and kisses

  Em        D                        C
|-----3---|--------------|---------|-----3----|
|---5---5-|-----7-----7--|-8S7-5---|---5---5--|
|-4-------|---7-----7----|-------7-|-5--------|
|---------|-7-----7------|---------|----------|
|---------|--------------|---------|----------|
|---------|--------------|---------|----------|
  on her   shoulders                     to drive 

  Em        D                        C          Em        D
|-----3---|--------------|---------|-----3----|-----3---|----------*|
|---5---5-|-----7-----7--|-8S7-5---|---5---5--|---5---5-|-----7----*|
|-4-------|---7-----7----|-------7-|-5--------|-4-------|---7------*|
|---------|-7-----7------|---------|----------|---------|-7--------*|
|---------|--------------|---------|----------|---------|----------*|
|---------|--------------|---------|----------|---------|----------*|
 away  despair                         she..    wartime   prayer


Lyrics:

Prayers offered in times of peace are silent conversations, 
Appeals for love or loves release, in private invocations. 

But all that is changed now,  
Gone like a memory from the day before the fires. 
People hungry for the voice of God 
Hear lunatics and liars 

Wartime prayers, wartime prayers 
In every language spoken, 
For every family scattered and broken. 

Because you cannot walk with the holy, 
If you�re just a halfway decent man. 
But I don�t pretend that I�m a mastermind 
With a genious marketing plan. 

I�m trying to tap into some wisdom, 
Even a little drop would do. 
I want to rid my heart of envy  
And cleanse my soul of rage 
Before I feel. 

Times are hard, hard times, 
But everybody knows all about hard times. 
The thing is, what are you gonna do? 
Will you cry? 
And try to muscle through? 
And try to rearrange your stuff? 
But when the wounds are deep enough, 
And it�s all that we can bear, 
We wrap ourselves in prayer. 

Because you cannot walk with the holy, 
If you�re just a halfway decent man. 
But I don�t pretend that I�m a mastermind 
With a genious marketing plan. 

I�m trying to tap into some wisdom, 
Even a little drop would do. 
I want to rid my heart of envy  
And cleanse my soul of rage 
Before I�m through. 

A mother murmurs in twilight sleep 
And draws her babies closer. 
With hush-a-bies for sleepy eyes, 
And kisses on the shoulder. 
To drive away despair 
She sends a wartime prayer.

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Wartime Prayers

Paul Simon