Josh Ritter – The Oak King (Ukulele)

Key
-
Versions (2)

Auto-scroll

Chords

-------------- This song has four different voices going on. First you have the narrator, then you have the Father trying to save his dying son. Up next is the dying son. Then we hear The Oak King come in, tempting the boy away from life. Em1: x|10|9|0|0|x Gmaj13: x|9|7|0|0|x Em2: x|7|5|0|0|x Em3: x|5|4|0|0|x Cmaj7: x|3|2|0|0|x
Riff:
e|-----------------------|
B|-----------------------|
G|-----------------------|
D|-----------------------|
A|----------0-2-3-2-0----|
E|--0--2--3-----------3--|
Slide Prog.: Slide to Em1...Gmaj13...Em2...Em3...Cmaj7...Riff Dm
E7     Dm        E7       Dm
Who is this that rides so late

  F         G             F      G
Between the woods and the garden gate?

  E7     Dm      E7    Dm
A father holds a child close,

F      F       E7     Dm
Barely boy and almost ghost

Dm             F       F         F     (F/C)
Son why do you cry and hide your face?

   F           G           F            G
Oh Father, the Oak King is king of this place,

       Dm            F           F         F     (F/C)
With a crown made of thistle and septer of reeds

F               F                  E7           Dm
Son, there's no Oak King, just the wind and the trees
(Slide Prog.)
   Dm7        E7      Dm   
My prince, my love, I knew you'd come

    Dm7      E7       F     E7
Now you must join the other ones

Dm7       E7     Dm
Cast your blues upon the tide

Dm7       E7   F        E7
Sleep all day, play all night

   Dm         Dm            Dm         Dm
Oh father, Oh father, don't leave me I pray

    F           G               F           G
The Oak King is closer than the dawn of the day

         Dm          Dm       Dm          Dm
Than the dawn of the day, The edge of the woods

    F           F             E7          Dm
The Oak King is bad and he'll take me for good

   Dm            F          F          F    (F/C)
Oh son, with his palaces of silver and gold

       F             G          F           G
With a queen and his own pretty children to hold

         Dm         F             F              F   (F/C)
With his own pretty children, why steal you from me?

     F         F               E7        Dm
What kind of a king would ever be such a thief?
(Slide Prog.)
   Dm7        E7      Dm
My prince, my love, I knew you'd come

    Dm7      E7       F     E7
Now you must join the other ones

Dm7       E7     Dm
Cast your blues upon the tide

Dm7               E7       F                  E7
My daughters will hold you clear through till night

   Dm         Dm                Dm            Dm
Oh father, Oh father, scattered all along the path

    F             G               F          G
The Oak Kings own children in the dark as we pass

    Dm            Dm                  Dm               Dm
The Oak Kings own children, they sing softley and they sigh

     F             F                 E7          Dm
They don't seem to care that they're blooming at night

   Dm             F       F             F      (F/C)
Oh Son, who would leave a child in this place?

       F            G            F             G
To the wind and the dark and the rain on their faces

    Dm            Dm    Dm           Dm
The rain on their face, mud on their feet

     F         F                    E7          Dm
What kind of a King would dress his children in leaves? 
(Slide Prog.)
   Dm7        E7      Dm
My prince, my love, I knew you would come

    Dm7      E7       F     E7
Now you must join the other ones

   Dm7        E7             Dm
Oh Father, Oh Father, I must go away

    Dm7      E7     F      E7
The Oak King sings, I must obey
(Slide Prog. soft)
       E7          Dm            E7           Dm
At the edge of the woods and the break of the day,

    F             G              F           G
The father looked down where his son used to lay,

       E7           Dm         E7         Dm
And in grief and in sorrow, in sorrow and grief,

         F            F               E7        Dm
Wondered what kind of king could ever be such a thief?
(Slide Prog.)