17 And 53

intro: Am G D



Am         G    D

  You were seventeen the year your father died



Am           G     D

  And he was fifty-three when you were seventeen



Am       G      D

  In the museum where you laid your head to sleep



Am        G                  D

  The artifacts were cold to comfort you





Am        G                  D

When you heard them fighting you hid in the apple tree



Am        G                  D

The branches broke their noise



Am        G                  D

And when your brother studied at the university



Am        G                  D

You were left alone to realize





Dm

That while you were growing older



Em

He was busy growing older 



Am           G                   D

too, bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum



Am           G                   D

too, bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum





Am        G                  D

In the summer when your father drove you to the river



Am        G                  D

And he would sing so loud



Am        G                  D

Soon to be kept silent when you climbed through barbed-wired fences



Am        G                  D

To get to the riverside





Dm

And while you were growing older



Em

He was busy growing older 



Am           G                   D

too, bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum



Am           G                   D

too, bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum





Am        G                  D

And in February you were running late one day



Am        G                  D

And out the door you ran



Am        G                  D

Leaving left unsaid the things you’d soon regret not telling



Am        G                  D

Never knowing this would be your last chance





Dm

And while you were growing older



Em

He was busy growing older 







Am            Dm      G  Dm        G

   And was it fair to    blame the gi-  



Am             Dm      G  Dm       G

rl, And was it fair to    make the child



Am                   Dm         G      Dm   G

choose, And when you stood next to the moun-ta-



Am           Dm                   G        Dm      G

in,  Did you swear that you could hear him calling you?



Am            G                   D

      bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum



Am            G                   D

      bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum





Am        G                  D

I am twenty-two and you are fifty-three



Am        G                  D

And only blood can tell



Am        G                  D

That we are made up of strings and strands of DNA



Am        G                  D

Dancing waltzes in our cells





Dm

and while you are growing older



Em

i am busy growing older 



Am           G                   D

too, bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum



Am           G                   D

too, bah dah dum, da dah dah dah dum