Phil Ochs – The Party (Guitar)

G                           C                    G
The fire breathing Rebels arrive at the party early

                      C                  D
Their khaki coats are hung in the closet near the fur

       C                 D                  G               Em
Asking handouts from the ladies, while they criticize the lords

C               D             G               Em
Boasting of the murder of the very hands that pour.

        C                D               G                    Em
And the victims learn to giggle, for at least they are not bored

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano

G                            C                   G
The Hostess is enormous, she fills the room with perfume

                         C                  D
She meets the guests and smothers them with greetings

    C                 D           G               Em
And she asks "how are you" as she offers them a drink

C                   D             G                  Em
The Countess of the social grace, who never seems to blink

        C                D              G                Em
And she promises to talk to you, if you promise not to think

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano

G                         C                G
The Beauty of the hour is blazing in the present

                           C               D
She surrounds herself with those who would surrender

    C           D                G                Em
Floating in her flattery she's a trophy-prize, caressed

C               D                     G                 Em
Protected by a pretty face, sometimes cursed, sometimes blessed

          C                  D                      G                Em
And she's staring down their desires, while they're staring down her dress

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano

G                                  C                     G
The egos shine like lightbulbs, so bright you cannot see them

                 C              D
Blind each other blinder than a sandbox

        C          D             G               Em
All the fury of an argument, holding back their yawns

  C                    D            G                       Em
A challenge shakes the chandeliers, the selfish swords are drawn

       C                D            G                    Em
To the loser go the hangups, to the victor go the hangers on

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano

G                             C                  G
They travel to the table, the host is served for supper

                         C                 D
And they pass each other down for salt and pepper

       C             D                 G                  Em
And the conversation sparkles as their wits are dipped in wine

C               D             G               Em
Dinosaurs on a diet, on each other they will dine

       C                            D
Then they pick their teeth and they squelch a belch saying

G                     Em
"Darling you tasted divine"

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano

G                          C                   G
The Wallflower is waiting, she hides behind composure

                        C                 D
She'd love to dance and prays that no one asks her

       C                    D                G                 Em
Then she steals a glance at lovers while her fingers tease her hair

    C                  D             G                    Em
And she marvels at the confidence of those who hide their fears

         C                      D                 G             Em
Then her eyes are closed as she rides away with a foreign legionaire

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano

G                          C              G
Romeo is reeling, counting notches on his thighbone

                  C             D
Searching for one hundred and eleven

       C               D           G                 Em
And he's charming as a child as he leads them to his web

  C                 D                  G              Em
Seducing queens and gypsy girls in the boudoir of his head

        C                    D              G                Em
Then he wraps himself with a tablecloth and pretends he is a bed

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano

G                       C                   G
The party must be over, even the losers are leaving

                      C                     D
But just one doubt is nagging at my caustic mind

       C                   D        G             Em
So I snuck up close behind me and I gave myself a kiss

    C                   D         G                 Em
And I led myself to the mirror to expose what I had missed

       C               D              G                  Em
There I saw a laughing maniac who was writing songs like this

       Am                 D
And my shoulders had to shrug

     Am
As I crawl beneath the rug

D                G
And retune my piano