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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.