The Undercover Man Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator - The Undercover Man
from the album Godbluff (1975).
Transcribed by Cory (coryp23@gmail.com), July 2010
[F#m] [F#] [sus] [E] [D] [C#m]
--2-----2-----4-----2-------| --2-----2-----5-----3----5--| --2-----4-----4-----2----6--| --4-----4-----6-----0----6--| -------------------------4--| ----------------------------|
[F#m]Here at the [F#sus]glass -
all the usual [F#m]problems, all the habitual [F#sus]farce.
[F#m]You ask, in uncertain [F#sus]voice,
what you should [F#m]do,
as if there were a [E]choice but to carry[D] on
miming the [C#m]song
and hope that it all works out[F#m] right.
Tonight it all seems so[F#sus] strange -
my spirit feels[F#m/A] rigid, my body[F#sus/G#] deranged;
still [F#m]that's only from one point of[F#sus] view
and we can't have il[F#m/A]lusion between me and[E] you,
my constant[D] friend, ever close at[C#m] hand -
you and the undercover[F#m] man.
[(E] [F#)E/G#] [B/D#]
---------0----------------| ---------0-------------4--| ---------1-------------4--| ---------2-------------4--| -----------------------6--| -0-2--4-------------------|
I re flect: 'It's very strange
to be going through this[D] change
with no idea of what it's [G]all been about
(E f G A b C#)Bb/D Bb b5
----------------------------| --------| -------------------------3--| --3--3--| -------------------------3--| --3--3--| -------------------------3--| --3--2--| --------------0--2----4--5--| --1--1--| --0----1--3-----------------| --------|
(E f G A b C#)Bb/D
except in the context of time...'
Oh, but I [Bb]shirk it[b5], I've half a mind not to work it all [C]out.
[D] [C] [C#dim]
------------| --7---5--5--| --7---5--3--| --7---5--5--| --5---3--4--| ------------|
[D]Is this madness just the recurring [G]wave of total emo[A]tion,
or a[D] hide for the undercover [G]man,[A]
or a [D]litany - all the signs are [G]there of fervent devo[A]tion -
D C C Cmaj7 C C Cmaj7 f
----------------8--7------------8---7------5--| -------7----5---5--5-----8------5---5------6--| -------7----5---5--5-----9------5---5------5--| -------7----5---5--5-----10-----5---5------7--| -------5----3------------10-------------------| -------------------------8--------------------|
or the cracking of the dam?
C Cmaj7 C C Cmaj7 f
[F#dim] [Adim] [Cdim] [Ebdim] [Em]
---------------------------------------------| -----1-------4---7---------------10-------8--| -----2-------5---8---------------11-------9--| -----1-------4---7---------------10-------9--| ------------------------------------------7--| -----2-------5---8---------------11----------|
It's cracked; smashed and bursting over you,
there was no [D]reason to expect such di[C]saster.
[b] [Em] [EmMaj7] [G/D] [A/Db]
-----7--| ---7--| --3-----5--| -7---8--| ---8--| --3-----5--| -8---9--| ---8--| --4-----6--| -9------| ------| --5--------| -9---7--| ---6--| --5-----4--| -7------| ------| -----------|
[b]Now, [Em]panicking, you burst for air,
[EmMaj7]drowning, you know you care
[G/D]for nothing and no-one but yours[A/Db]elf
and would [G]deny even this hand
which stretches [Bm]out to[D]wards [A]you to [G]help.
[Gmaj7] [Cmaj7] [C] [b]
--------------------------------------------------------| ------------3-----------------5--------------5-------4--| ------------4-----------------4--------------5-------4--| ------------4-----------------5--------------5-------4--| ------------------------------3--------------3-------2--| ------------3-------------------------------------------|
But would I leave you in this moment of your trial?
Is it my fau[Gmaj7]lt that I'm [Cmaj7]here to see you [C]cry[b]ing?
[Am] [Am+] [Am]
------------------------------------------------------------| ----------------------1------------1---------------------1--| --------------------2------------2---------------------2----| ------------------2------------3---------------------2------| --------------r-0----------r-0-------------------r-0--------| ------------------------------------------------------------|
These phantom figures all around you should have told you,
you should have [Am+]found out by [G]now,
if you hadn't gone and tried to do it all by you[C]rself.
[Ab] [Bb] [C]
[Db5] [D5] [Eb9]
-------------| ----------6--| --6--7----6--| --6--7----5--| --4--5----6--| -------------|
Sax solo over F minor riff
[(Db] Ev-[Eb)]en [E]now we are not[B/D#] lost: if you look out at the [D]night
you'll see the colours and the [G]lights seem to say
(E f G A Bb C)Bb/D Bb
people are not far a-way, at least in distance,
and it's [b5]only our own dumb resistance
that's making us[C] stay.
[D] [C] [C#dim]
[D]When the madness comes, let it flood on [G]down and over me swee[A]tly,
let it [D]drown the parts of me weak and blessed and [G]damned,[A]
let it [D]slake my life, let it take my [G]soul and living com[A]pletely,
let [D]it [C]be [C]who [Cmaj7]I [C]am.
[A]There may [D]not be time for us all to [G]run in tandem to[A]gether -
the [D]horizon calls with its parallel [G]lines.[A]
It may [D]not be right for you to have and [G]hold in one way for[A]ever
D C C Cmaj7 C C Cmaj7 f
and yet you still have time,
C Cmaj7 C C Cmaj7 f
you still have time.
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