Gordon Lightfoot – Black Day In July (Guitar)

Capo 2
Key
-
Versions (2)

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Chords

Em+5 022010 Em6 022020
Em             D    Em        D              G                Em
Black day in July, motor city madness has touched the countryside

       C                     Em            C               Em
And through the smoke and cinders, you can hear it far and wide

      C                 Em              C              Em
The doors are quickly bolted and the children locked inside

D             Em
Black day in July.

Em             D            Em            D        G               Em
Black day in July, and the soul of Motor City is bared across the land

        C               Em        C           Em
As the book of law and order is taken in the hands

        C             Em               C             Em
Of the sons of the fathers who were carried to this land

D             Em
Black day in July.

Em             D            Em              D                G
Black day in July, in the streets of Motor City there is a deadly silent

  Em
sound

         C         Em                 C                Em
And the body of a dead youth, lies stretched upon the ground

C                  Em         C             Em
Upon the filthy pavement no reason can be found

D             Em
Black day in July.

Em            D      Em         D           G                 Em
Black day in July, Motor City madness has touched the countryside

           C            Em              C              Em
And the people rise in anger and the streets begin to fill

               C               Em               C               Em
And there's gunfire from the rooftops and the blood begins to spill

D             Em
Black day in July.
Interlude #1:
          Em           Em+5
In the mansion of the governor

          Em6            Em+5
There's nothing that is known for sure

         Em         Em+5
The telephone is ringing

          Em6           Em+5
And the pendulum is swinging

           Em            Em+5
And they wonder how it happened

           Em6            Em+5
And they really know the reason

         Em             Em+5
And it wasn't just the temperature

         Em6           Em+5
And it wasn't just the season

D             Em
Black day in July.

Em             D    Em            D               G                 Em
Black day in July, Motor City's burning and the flames are running wild

        C               Em            C            Em
They reflect upon the waters of the river and the lake

        C           Em            C       Em
And everyone is listening and everyone's awake

D             Em
Black day in July.

Em             D          Em                D             G
Black day in July, the printing press is turning and the news is quickly

Em
flashed

         C                 Em            C               Em
And you read your morning paper and you sip your cup of tea

          C              Em           C           Em
And you wonder just in passing is it him or is it me

D             Em
Black day in July.
Interlude #2:
         Em          Em+5
In the office of the President

     Em6             Em+5
The deed is done the troops are sent

          Em            Em+5
There's really not much choice you see

     Em6            Em+5
It looks to us like anarchy

     Em                Em+5
And then the tanks go rolling in

   Em6                Em+5
To patch things up as best they can

      Em             Em+5
There is no time to hesitate

      Em6              Em+5
The speech is made the dues can wait

D             Em
Black day in July.

Em            D          Em              D            G          Em
Black day in July, the streets of Motor City now are quiet and serene

          C                 Em              C            Em
But the shapes of gutted buildings strike terror to the heart

         C               Em            C               Em
And you say how did it happen and you say how did it start

     C                  Em         C                Em
Why can't we all be brothers, why can't we live in peace

          C           Em              C             Em
But the hands of the have-nots keep falling out of reach

D             Em
Black day in July.

Em            D     Em           D
Black day in July, black day in July.