Black Day in July Gordon Lightfoot
Top of the charts in 1968.
(Capo 2nd fret.)
[Em]Black day in [D]July..
[Em]Motor City [D]madness has [G]touched the country[Em]side.
And [C]through the smoke and [Em]cinders, you can [C]hear it
far and [Em]wide.
The [C]doors are quickly [Em]bolted and the [C]children
locked [Em]inside...[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July.
And the [Em]soul of Motor [D]City is [G]bared across the [Em]land.
As the [C]book of law and [Em]order is [C]taken in the [Em]hands
of the [C]sons of the [Em]fathers who were [C]carried to this [Em]land.
[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July.
In the [Em]streets of Motor [D]City is a [G]deadly, silent [Em]sound.
And the [C]body of a [Em]dead youth lies [C]stretched upon the [Em]ground,
up[C]on the filthy [Em]pavement, no [C]reason can be [Em]found..
[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July.
[Em]Motor City [D]madness has [G]touched the country[Em]side.
And the [C]people rise in [Em]anger, and the [C]streets begin to [Em]fill.
And there's [C]gunfire from the [Em]rooftops and the [C]blood begins
to [Em]spill..
[D]Black day in [Em]July.
CHORUS:
[Em]In the mansion of the [C]Governor, there's [Em]nothing that is
[C]known for sure.
The [Em]telephone is [C]ringing and the [Em]pendulum is [C]swinging.
And they [Em]wonder how it [C]happened and they [Em]really know the [C]reason.
And it [Em]wasn't just the [C]temperature and it [Em]wasn't just the [C]season..
[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July.
[Em]Motor City's [D]burning and the [G]flames are running [Em]wild.
They [C]reflect upon the [Em]waters of the [C]river and the [Em]lake,
and [C]everyone is [Em]listening and [C]everyone's [Em]awake..
[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July.
The [Em]printing press is [D]turning and the [G]news is quickly [Em]flashed.
And you [C]read your morning [Em]paper, and you [C]sip your cup of [Em]tea.
And you [C]wonder just in [Em]passing, is it [C]him or is it [Em]me?
[D]Black day in [Em]July.
CHORUS:#2.
[Em]In the office of the [C]President, the [Em]deed is done,
the [C]troops are sent.
There's [Em]really not much [C]choice, you see, it [Em]looks to us
like [C]anarchy.
And [Em]then the tanks go [C]rolling in, to [Em]patch things up
as [C]best they can.
There [Em]is no time to [C]hesitate, the [Em]speech is made, the [C]dues
can wait..
[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July.
The [Em]streets of Motor [D]City now are [G]quiet and [Em]serene.
But the [C]shapes of gutted [Em]buildings strike [C]terror to
the [Em]heart.
And you [C]say how did it [Em]happen, and you [C]say how did it [Em]start?
Why [C]can't we all be [Em]brothers, why [C]can't we live in [Em]peace?
But the [C]hands of the [Em]have-nots keep [C]falling out of [Em]reach..
[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July.
[Em]Motor City [D]madness has [G]touched the country[Em]side.
And [C]through the smoke and [Em]cinders, you can [C]hear it
far and [Em]wide.
The [C]doors are quickly [Em]bolted and the [C]children
locked [Em]inside...[D]Black day in [Em]July..
OUTRO:
[Em]Black day in [D]July..
[D]Black day in [Em]July..
[Em]Black day in [D]July..(Fade.)
A sixties smash from Kraziekhat.
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