Family Portrait

buy the roots Intro ( starting at : 31 with the piano ) : D A ( x2 ) D A so we start with my father as a boy barely spoke a word of english fell in D love from a distance he watched her working from the back fence he learned some words and some clever turns of phrase from his father’s A E book of poets , she wasn’t taken in that instant , but grew impressed with his persistence . D E A they met each other out by moonlight , made love in the nearby woods , then C#m D her folks became suspicious when her cycle broke and ( ? ) . they stole E A away without their goodbyes , got married in a foreign town , made their way C#m D E as best as they could . found jobs and settled down . and then time moved on . Interlude : D A ( x2 ) D A i was born in a river of blood on sheets from the wedding day . the room was dark and the stench was thick my father couldn’t stand the smell of it . D mama died in the night cause the nearest doctor couldn’t stem the blood A E loss . father cried out on the back porch . my sister held me at the D E neighbor’s house . oh my there was a storm then , there was a flood of A A C#m different kind . father’s eyes were often vacant , but his hands were rarely D E quiet . sister learned to take her hits well , both from life and the A C#m physical kind , but i was never one to lie down , despite who picked the D E fight . so we designed our hells . Interlude : A D E ( x2 ) D E A father turned into a drinker , a dark bastard with a wooden heart . sister C#m D learned to be a mother , before she ever played another part . and i became A E A little terror , i lashed out at whatever’s around . took some time before i C#m D E settled , to find a mind that was somewhat sound . and like it always does , A D E time rushed on . A D six years later father died in the very same bedroom . many said it was the E A grief that did it , i have to say it’s cause he hung himself . to be honest D neither sister nor myself ever much regret his passing . but i admit it was E A a nice thing , to always know that we could feed ourselves . - ben malley