Chords for John J. Francis "Simple Ben"

_ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ [C] Walking [F] on a dusty [C] road in the countryside [F] at ease, [C] I heard a [F] song drifting on [C] a gently blowing [F] breeze.
[C] Sunshine through the water, sweet snow [F] to the spring, gone by the water by an old mill
stream and you give me awe, _ [C] you give me awe.
[F] _
[C] A bellow pushed by a little man came rolling from the [F] west, he sang the song as he stepped
along [C] until we drew a [F] crest.
Well hello [F] there my friend I see you're on the [C] road here just like me, [C] why don't we stop
[F] and rest a while [C] and I'll boil a pot [F] of tea.
You give me sunshine through the water, [C] sweet [F] snow to the [C] spring, gone [F] by the water [C] by an
old [F] mill stream and you give [C] me awe, _ [F] you give [C] me awe.
_ [F] _ Said his name [F] was Simple Ben [C] but not what I [F] believed, _ [C]
christened by the [F] way he thought
and [C] not the way he [F] lived.
[C] Seen the best and [F] worst that we have [C] here on our [F] earth, finally decided [C] on the things
that I [F] give worth.
You give [C] me sunshine through [F] the water, [C] sweet snow to [F] the spring, [C] gone by [F] the water by [C] an
old mill [F] stream and you give [C] me awe, _
[F] you give me awe.
_ _ [C] _ _ [F] _
_ [C] _ _ [F] _ [C] I asked the [F] fields seen the [C] great jets fly across [F] the sky, [C] he said he'd seen [F] the smallest
[C] bird learning [F] how to fly.
_ [C] _ _ _
_ [C] Have you seen [F] the bridges [C] stretched across the [F] bay, [C] the smallest fish alive dying [F] in the haze?
_ _ _ _ [C] Have you [F] seen the massive [C] buildings reaching [F] towards the sun?
[C] Fields [F] of barrenness [C] from the work that men [F] have done.
[C] _ _ [F] _ _
[C] What about [F] the dams and wells that feed the countryside? _
Seen the brownness of the [C] grass when the dams and [F] wells run dry.
[C] You give me sunshine [F] through the water, [C] sweet [F] snow to the spring, [C] _
[F] gone by the water [C] by _ [F] _
an
old mill stream and you give me awe, you [C] give me awe.
[F] _ _ [C] _
_ [F] _ _ [C] _ _ [F] _ [C] What [F] about the fertile [C] lands where nothing [F] wants to grow?
[C]
Seen the [F] lands to the north and [C] south under tons of [G] ice and snow.
[C] _
_ [G] _ _ [C] Have you [F] seen the jungle [C] so thick that a man [F] can't go?
[C] Seen a [F] farm, a plow, a field [C]
with nothing but [F] a hoe?
_ [C] _ _ [F] _ [C] You must admit [F] that the Lord [C] was a boon to all [F] mankind.
_ [C]
The air [F] is sweeter here [C] than a hundred miles [F] behind.
You give [C] me sunshine through [F] the water, [C] sweet snow to [F] the spring, _ [C]
gone [F] by the water [C] by an
old [F] mill stream and you give [C] me awe, _ [F] you give [C] me awe.
_ [F] _ _ [C] _
_ [F] _ _ [C] _ _ [F] _ _ [C]
What about [F] the time we [C] saved to go from place [Dm] to place?
_ [C]
Seen my [F] life go by so [C] fast, scarce [F] recall the face.
[C] _
_ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ [G] _ _
You must have [F] learned a lot by [C] now about your fellow [F] man.
_ [C]
Seen the [G] waves that break your bones [C] and the beaches made [F] of sand.
_ [C] _
_ [F] _ _ [C] What about [F] the beauty, the [C] great art that men have [F] done?
_ [C] Seen the shapes [F] of mountains up [C] against the morning [F] sun.
You give [C] me sunshine through [F] the water, [C] sweet snow to [F] the spring, _ [C] gone [F] by the water [C] by an
old [F] mill stream and you give [C] me awe, _ [F] you give [C] me awe.
[F] _ [C] Yeah, Ben, do [F] you believe in God [C] and the words that [F] preachers pray?
[C] Seen [F] myself in a still calm [C] pool and I've heard a [F] donkey bray.
[C] _ _ [F] _ _
Don't you need the tender [C] warmth of a lady in [F] your bed?
_ [C]
I used to [F] know a pretty one [C] who liked the stars above [F] her head.
You [C] give me sunshine [F] through the water, [C] sweet snow [F] to the spring, [C]
gone [F] by the water [C] by an
old [F] mill stream and [C] you give me awe, [F] you [C] give me awe.
[F] _ [C] Ben, thank [F] you for your company, [C] but I must be on my way.
The [F] road is growing shorter [C] as the sun [F] sets on my day.
[C]
Perhaps [F] we'll meet again [C] sometime to rest and [F] share some tea.
[C] And if you hear the [F] song when you're walking [C] along, you're going to know [F] it's going to be
You give me sunshine through the water, [C] sweet snow to [F] the spring, _
[C] gone by [F] the water by an
old mill stream and you give [C] me awe, [F] you give [C] me awe.
_ [F] Lord, you [C] give me sunshine through the [F] water, [C] sweet snow to the [F] spring, [C] gone by the [F] water
by an [C] old mill [F] stream and you give me awe, _ [F] you give [C] me awe.
_ [F]
Lord, you give me [C] sunshine through [F] the water, [C] sweet snow to [F] the spring, [C] gone [F] by the [C] water
by an old [F] mill stream and you give [C] me awe, [F] yes, you [C] give me awe.
[F]
You give [C] me awe.
[F] Yeah, you [C] give me awe.
[F] _
_ [C] _ _ [F] _ _ [C] _ _ [F]
You give me awe.
_ [C] _ _ _ _ _ _