Gordon Lightfoot – Black Day In July (Ukulele)

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Versions (2)

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Chords

Am             F    Am        F              F                Am
Black day in July, motor city madness has touched the countryside

       F                     Am            F               Am
And through the smoke and cinders, you can hear it far and wide

      F                 Am              F              Am
The doors are quickly bolted and the children locked inside 

F             Am
Black day in July.

Am             F            Am            F        F               Am
Black day in July, and the soul of Motor City is bared across the land

        F               Am        F           Am  
As the book of law and order is taken in the hands

        F             Am               F             Am 
Of the sons of the fathers who were carried to this land

F             Am 
Black day in July.

Am             F            Am              F                F
Black day in July, in the streets of Motor City there is a deadly silent

  Am
sound

         F         Am                 F                Am
And the body of a dead youth, lies stretched upon the ground

F                  Am         F             Am
Upon the filthy pavement no reason can be found 

F             Am
Black day in July.

Am            F      Am         F           F                 Am
Black day in July, Motor City madness has touched the countryside

           F            Am              F              Am
And the people rise in anger and the streets begin to fill

               F               Am               F               Am 
And there's gunfire from the rooftops and the blood begins to spill 

F             Am
Black day in July.
Interlude #1:
          Am             F
In the mansion of the governor

          Am              F
There's nothing that is known for sure

         Am         F
The telephone is ringing

          Am           F
And the pendulum is swinging

           Am             F
And they wonder how it happened

           Am             F
And they really know the reason

         Am                F
And it wasn't just the temperature

         Am              F
And it wasn't just the season 

F             Am 
Black day in July.

Am             F    Am            F               F                 Am 
Black day in July, Motor City's burning and the flames are running wild

        F               Am            F            Am
They reflect upon the waters of the river and the lake

        F           Am            F       Am
And everyone is listening and everyone's awake 

F             Am
Black day in July.

Am             F          Am                F             F
Black day in July, the printing press is turning and the news is quickly

Am 
flashed

         F                 Am            F               Am  
And you read your morning paper and you sip your cup of tea 

          F              Am           F           Am  
And you wonder just in passing is it him or is it me 

F             Am 
Black day in July.
Interlude #2:
         Am             F  
In the office of the President

     Am                F
The deed is done the troops are sent

          Am              F
There's really not much choice you see

     Am                F
It looks to us like anarchy

     Am                 F
And then the tanks go rolling in

     Am                 F 
To patch things up as best they can

      Am                F
There is no time to hesitate

      Am                F
The speech is made the dues can wait 

F             Am
Black day in July.

Am            F          Am              F            F          Am
Black day in July, the streets of Motor City now are quiet and serene

          F                 Am              F            Am
But the shapes of gutted buildings strike terror to the heart

         F               Am            F               Am
And you say how did it happen and you say how did it start

     F                  Am         F                Am
Why can't we all be brothers, why can't we live in peace

          F           Am              F             Am
But the hands of the have-nots keep falling out of reach

F             Am
Black day in July.

Am            F     Am           F
Black day in July, black day in July.