Chords for Brandi Carlile - The Mother - 5/4/18 - The Orpheum

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ She loves to get out on the stage, that is her thing now.
She's so clever, [A] she's so sarcastic with me, she looks after me [C] and we joke around a lot
and it's hard to [Ab] tell sometimes when [Gb] there's seriousness and she's right [N] like she's almost four.
_ It's like she says to me yesterday, I tried to [F] do the thing where you brush her off, you
know, and say, yeah, you know.
She's like, there's a light bulb and it's not on, I can't find a light switch to turn
on and I'll tell her.
Yeah, [E] it's burnt out and she [Eb] goes, mama. _
[Gb] I think there's a simpler explanation [B] for that, don't you? _
_ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ She's really into [Bb] her little baby sister now who's like seven weeks [N] old today and _ _ _ _ _ _ she's
like, I know this isn't really funny, but I don't know if you guys have kids, but they
start asking about death a lot around like four, three and four.
That's the right thing, right?
That's when it starts at home.
_ _ It's awful, [Bb] it's terrifying because I'm like, you don't have to [G] worry about it, buddy.
And she's like, yeah, but [Ab] tell me about the animals [F] you had as a kid that didn't die.
[N] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ I'm like, sweetie, they all died.
I'm older.
_ _ They're all dead. _ _
_ _ _ _ And she's like, but do chickens go to heaven?
Things like that.
Today, she was on the couch and we were taking pictures of [Eb] her because she was snuggling
her sister and [Gb] her mom was filming her and I was taking her, mommy was filming her and
I was taking pictures and she was going, oh, [N] did somebody wake up?
And she's like, I love you, Elijah, but you'll die too.
The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ fate of lesbian songwriters.
So _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
the [G] thing about Evangeline that was so spectacular is that she took me by total [Bbm] surprise.
[A] I wasn't expecting her.
I wasn't expecting what it would feel like to be a mother.
I think I [Ab] initially wrote this song from the [F] perspective of a gay mom who didn't carry,
you know, because my wife carried Evangeline and [Bb] it's such a unique way to start a family,
but it's becoming less and less unique [G] in the best possible way.
And [A] _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _
there's not really a template yet.
And there weren't real [A] clear warnings of how strange that experience would be.
So I wrote this song about it, but then I've noticed traveling around the country that
this song like makes dads cry and straight [F] moms feel this song too and trans moms and trans dads and hankies.
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _
Becoming a parent is complicated and [Ab] boy, _ just the best thing I've ever done.
[E] But I wasn't sure at first.
So this is [Ab] about that.
_ [G] Be sure at first and not feel any shame about it.
_ [Bbm] _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ [Bbm] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Welcome to the end of being alone inside your mind.
_ You're [Db] tethered to another and you worry all the time.
_ [Eb] You always know the melody, [Ab] but you never heard it rhyme.
[Bbm] _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ [Bbm] _ _ _ _ [Fm] _
She's fair, [Ab] she is quiet, Lord, but she doesn't look like me.
_ [Db] She made me love the morning, [Ab] she's a holiday at sea.
_ The [Eb] New York streets are as busy as [Db] they always used to [Bbm] be.
_ [Ab] But I am the mother of [Eb] _
_ [Ab] Evangeline. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ The first things that she took from me were selfishness and sleep. _
[Db] She broke a thousand heirlooms I was never meant to keep.
_ She [Eb] filled my life with color, [Db] canceled plans and [Bbm] trashed my car.
_ And none of that is ever who we are.
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _
[Ab] Outside of my windows are the mountains and the snow.
I [Db] hold you while you're sleeping and I [Ab] wish that I could go.
_ All [Eb] my rowdy friends are out [Bb] _ accomplishing their [Bbm] dreams.
_ [Ab] But I am the mother of _ [Eb] _ [Ab] Evangeline. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ They still [Eb] got _ _ _ _ [Ab] me at their time.
And [Eb] they still enjoy _ _ [Db] the skeptics and [Ab] the wine.
Oh, but all [C] _
I've seen, [Db] I will see a second [Bbm] time. _
_ _ _ [Ab] From inside the agents through your [Eb] eyes.
_ _ _ [Ab] And you are not some accident where no one fought it through.
_ [Db] The world has stood against those who made [Ab] us me to fight for you.
And I know I'll [Bb] show _ you that [Db] you've got the power [Bbm] too. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Fm] _
You're [Ab] nothing short of magical and beautiful to me.
_ I'll [Db] never hit the big time without [Ab] you. _ _ _ _
[Eb] So they can keep their treasure and [Db] their ties to the [Bbm] machine.
_ [Ab] _ Cause I am the mother [Eb] of Evangeline.
[Fm] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Db] _ _ And their [Bbm] ties to the machine.
_ _ [Eb] _ _ [Bbm] _
_ _ [Ab] _ I am the mother of _ Evangeline. _ _ _ _
[Db] _ _ _ _ [Bbm] _ _ _ [Ab] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Db] _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ [Db] _
_ _ _ [Bbm] _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
_ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _