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Grandma's Song

Billy Elliot the Musical

Grandma’s Song
Elton John / Lee Hall
from “Billy Elliot – The Musical” (2005)

E-D-A	E-D-A

  E		     D/E
I hated the sod for thirty-three years
	   A			 C#m
We should never have married of that I'm quite clear
	      B			   F#m
He spent the housekeeping money on whisky and beer
    A		    E   B
And never lifted a fin-ger

	    E		        D/E
Times were hard, but the swine rolled back pissed
	A			C#m
So we'd fight and he'd swing and he rarely missed
       B			F#M
So I'd clobber the sod when he couldn't resist:
   A			  E   B
Asleep, you can't lift a fin-ger.

	     E
But we'd go dancing., and he'd hold me tight
        B				         
He was air, He was water, He was breath, He was light
   B7	     C#m		 Bm
And he would hold me there, with all his might.
	    A			F#m
And it was bliss for an hour or so
     A			    F#m
But then they called time to go
	   D	     B		  E    D  A	E-D-A
And in the morning	 we were sober.

       E		   D/E
O he'd drink and he'd talk just like a fool
A		      C#M
Lie like a bairn and snore like a mule
B			  F#m
Rarely was sober, pretty much was the rule
       A		E  B
And he never lifted a fin-ger

      E				       D/E
I suppose times were hard, things were different then
A		     C#m
Women were women and men, they were men
      B			     F#m
Seventeen, that was it, your life ended when 
	   A		    E   B
You had a ring around your fin-ger.

	     E
But we'd go dancing, he was my own Brando
	   B
And for a moment there my heart was a-glow
B7      C#M		    Bm
We had dust in our hair and nowhere to go
	      A			 F#m
Boo we were free for an hour or three
	  A		 F#m
From the people we had to be
	   D	    B		 E     D-A	E-D-A
But in the morning 	we were sober.

    E		      D/E
But if I went through my time again,
       A	     C#m
Oh I'd do it without the help of men
       B		  F#m
Or at least your Grandad, but then again, 
     A		       E   B
You know, best not to lin-ger

E		D/E
What is the use of dreaming now?
A		 C#m
I had my chance, well anyhow,
  B			F#m
If I'd only known then what I know now
	A		   E   B
I'd've given them all the fin-ger

	  E
And gone dancing, and not give a sh*t
	  B
And spin around and reel and love each bit
B7      C#m	     Bm
And I'd dance alone and enjoy it
	   A		    F#m
And I'd be me for an entire life.
    A		      F#m
Instead of somebody's wife
	D    B		  E    D-A
And I never 	would be sober.
	D    B		  E	D-A	E-D-A
And I never 	would be sober.