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20 CLASSIC SONGS your friends will love

Beatles - Petty - Johnny Cash - Eagles - John Denver - Dylan

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Take Me To Church

Hozier

 

This rhythmically complex song is hard to chart clearly, but I did my best.  The verses are mostly in 3/4, with the Em's getting the first two beats and the Am's getting the last one.  Likewise, the chords during the "Amen" section follow the same alternating pattern.  All other chord durations are noted in the chart.

 

Strumming Guide

Verse (one strum/chord):

D       D

1 + 2 + 3 +

Chorus and Bridge:

D d D DUD d D DU

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

 

Verse (in 3/4):

Em                     Am     Em                                  Am 

    My lover's got humor,         she's the giggle at a funeral

G                                         Am  Em                                            Am 

    Knows everybody's disapproval,       I should've worshipped her sooner

Em                                Am       Em                                Am      

      If the Heavens ever did speak,      she's the last true mouthpiece

G                                       Am         Em                 Am      

    Every Sunday's getting more bleak, a fresh poison each week

/ D - C - /

    We were born sick, you heard them say it

 

Em                             Am          Em                                        Am     

     My church offers no absolutes,  she tells me 'worship in the bedroom'

G                                       Am  Em                             Am    

     The only heaven I'll be sent to       is when I'm alone with you

/ D - C - / C - - - /

   I was born sick, but I love it. Command me to be well

 

                    G  C   G  C     G   Cm         [ G - Riff 1 - ]          

Ay Ay Ay Ay Ay  Amen A - men A  -  men

 

Chorus (in 4/4):

                                   Em                                                        

         Take me to church I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

B7                                                

     I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

G (1/2)                Am (1/2)                     Em (1/2)                      (Riff 2) (1/2)

   Offer me that deathless death, good God, let me give you my life

                          Em                                                   

Take me to church I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

B7      

I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife

G (1/2)                Am (1/2)                     Em (1/2)                      (Riff 2) (1/2)

Offer me that deathless death, good God, let me give you my life

 

Verse (in 3/4)

Em                                 Am         Em                       Am     

     If I'm a pagan of the good times,    my lover's the sunlight

G                                     Am      Em                         Am 

   To keep the Goddess on my side       she demands a sacrifice

/ D - C - /

Drain the whole sea, get something shiny

Em                                      Am          Em                            Am     

    Something meaty for the main course, that's a fine looking high horse

G                                Am  Em                                   Am 

   What you got in the stable?     We've a lot of starving faithful

/ D - C - / C - - - /

That looks tasty, that looks plenty, this is hungry work

 

Chorus

 

Bridge (in 4/4, two beats per chord):

C                  G                          B7         Em

    No masters or kings when the ritual begins

             C              G                      B7            Em

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

            C                 G         B7                    Em

In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene

          C            G                  B7           G/E   G/D    G/B   C

Only then I am human, only then I am clean            Oh

 

(in 3/4):

G     C   G  Cm   G  Cm       [ G - Riff 1 - ]          

Oh,  Amen A - men A  -  men

 

Chorus

 

End on Em

 

 


This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.