Copper Chords by Harry Chapin

I'm gonna do a song about a sociological phenomena that afflicts the men in blue in America
It came from a 12 page single-space typewritten letter
You won't probably know what it's about for the first verse or two, but stick with it _ _ _ _
If _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ [G] you _ _ [C] _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ [G] were looking for a way to [C] make me [G] mad it was a surefire [C] way you found
_ [G] _ Acting like a [C] half-wit [G] fool
Playing your money [D] _
around
[G] When I came back here to [C] tell you knew [G] about what you [C] almost did
[D] Don't you ever put the cash [F] on the counter loo [Bb] when [Fm] I'm with [C] my _ _ kid _
_ [G] Yeah, the kids [C] 13 he's growing loose [G] two years and he'll be bigger [C] than me
Still [G] he thinks I'm [C] strong as a blacksmith _
[D] straighter than the tall oak tree
I [G] raised him alone 10 [C] years now [G] since his mama ran [C] away
_ [D] And you ain't gonna [G] blow [F] his image of me.
What [Bb] a stunner like [F] you [C] pull the _ _ _ _ day _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] But _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] you're in big trouble with me, yes you [D] if you ever do that again
[Db] _
_ [G] Ten [C] bucks a [G] week protection [F] _ [C] don't mean I can't [A] knock you down
You've got [G] to treat [D] me [Em] like a living st.
Lou [D] whenever my son's [G] around
_ [C] _ Yeah, _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ [C] _ _ _ [G] the kid wants to [C] be a policeman
_ [G] _ _
Just [C] like me
_ [G] You know, he'll [C] be a good one
[D] The way I started out to be and [G] he just might end [C] up police chief
[G] That wouldn't have me something to [C] see
Cuz then [D] the kid would [Em]
kick [F] right off of a false [Bb] policy [F] like [C] _ _ _ _ me _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _
[A] Aren't you in big trouble with me?
Yes
You [D] ever do that again
[Db] _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
You've got [G] to treat me like [Em] a living st.
Lou [D] whenever my son's [G] around _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [C] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [C] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ I
_ Guess it was when [C] my old lady let me and [G] she took up with the salesman [C] guy.
[G] I
Started to see [C] things differently
[D] Cut your own [Bm] slice out of the [D] pie
[G] Yeah, I grew up when it [C] came clear to me all [G] the smart cops [C] on the make
[D] You get a silver [F] badge.
Not an old pin [Bb] star [F] when you're on [C] the _ pay
_ _ [G] _ _
[C] It's pimps and a horse punk gang war
[G] _ Robberies and [Em] homicides _
When [A] you walk the beat where [Bm] the creeps [Eb] on the [Dbm] street, [D] well, there ain't no way [Em] to hide
[Fm]
[D] I [G] spent a half my life without no wife riding [C] heard on the scum of the [A] earth
I [G] learned the tricks [Gb] of the trade [Em] from the gutter parade [D] and then the pray for [G] all I'm worth
_ [C] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ [C] Don't _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [C] _ _ [G] you know I [C] appreciate the money Lou [G] does it all goes into [C] the bank
And [G] when I send my kid [C] to college someday I [D] love guys like you to thank
[G] Yeah, ten bucks a week [Am] on your grocery store [G] means you're going at the worry [C] about crime
[D] But hold your mind me [F] when the kids with me [Bb] you can pay [F] me double [C] next _ time _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _
I
[A] Do in big trouble with me _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _
_ _ [C] You've _ _ [A] _ _
_ [G] got to treat me [Em] like a living St.
[D] Lou whenever my [G] songs around _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [C] Don't mean I can't knock you [A] _ down
_ You've [G] got to treat me [Bm] _
like [Em] a living St.
Lou [D] whenever _ my [C] songs around
_ _ [Bb] _ _ [Am] _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ This _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [N] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ is [C] really actually a song about a one-horse town
_ when the one horse decides to up and leave
_ [N] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _ _