Spirit Voices


written and performed by Paul Simon
from "Rhythm Of The Saints."
Transcribed by Erik Strom.



   G7          G/B   C    C/E  G/D C  
We sailed up a river wide as a sea

G7                  G/B
   And slept on the banks

       C           C/E    G/D
On the leaves of a banyan tree

C   G7              G/B    C     C/E G/D C     G        C C/E  G/D 
And    all of these spirit voices    rule  the night


C      G7          G/B      C          C/E  G/D C  
  Some stories are magical,   meant to he   sung

G7             G/B                
Songs from the mouth of the river

C        C/E       G/D  C  
When the world was young

G7               G/B    C     C/E G/D C     G     G/B  C C/E  G/D 
And all of these spirit voices    rule  the night


C    G/B
  By moon

   C
We walk

       D       Em   
To the brujo's door

G/B         C       D       G      
    Along a path of   river stones

G/B              C                
Women with their nursing children

D             Em    
Seated on the floor

G/B             C 
    We join the fevers

        D        G     D7no3rd  G  D7no3rd  G  D7no3rd  G  D7no3rd  
And the   broken bones


G     G7          G/B       C     C/E    G/D  C  
  The candlelight flickers,   the falcon calls

G7              G/B             C        C/E   G/D C  
   A lime-green lizard scuttles down the cabin wall

G7                  G/B    C     C/E G/D C     G        C C/E  G/D 
   And all of these spirit voices    rule  the night

C      G7         G/B        C       C/E  G/D  C     
  Sing rainwater, sea water, river water, holy water

G7                 G/B             
Wrap this child in mercy, heal her

C    C/E   G/D  C        
  Heaven's only daughter

G7              G/B    C     C/E G/D C     G     G/B  C C/E  G/D 
   All of these spirit voices    rule  the night


C  G/B        C   
My hands were numb

   D         Em   
My feet were lead

G/B           C      D        G   
    I drank a cup of   herbal brew

         G/B              C  
Then the sweetness in the air

                  D               Em   
Combined with the lightness in my head

      G/B           C      D                G     
And I     heard the jungle breathing in the bamboo


Em D7/F#   G
Sauda   -  c�es                 Greetings!

G/B  C     G/B  C
Da licenca um momento           Excuse me, one moment

   D
Te lembro                       I remind you

    Em D7/F#  G
Que a--man -- ha                That tomorrow

G/B  C       G/B  C
Sera tudo ou sera naoa          It will he all or it will
                                be nothing
  D      Em D7/F#  G
Depende, co-ra  -  cao          It depends, heart

G/B  C        G/B  C
Sera breve ou sera grande       It will be brief or it will
                                be great
  D7    Em D7/F#  G
Depende da pai -- xao           It depends on the passion

G/B  C     G/B  C
Sera sujo, sera sonho           It will be dirty, it will
                                be a dream
   D7    Em D7/F#  G
Cuidado, co-ra  -  cao          Be careful, heart

G/B  C     G/B  C
Sera util, sera tarde           It will be useful. it will be
                                late
     D7    Em D7/F#  G
Se esmera, co-ra  -  cao        Do your best, heart

G/B  C 
E confia                        And have trust

G/B C        D   G7  
Na  forca do amanha             In the power of tomorrow


C C/E  G/D C  G7  G/B  C C/E  G/D C  


G7          G/B        
Lord of the earthquake

C    C/E       G/D C  
  My trembling bed

G7              G/B  
   The spider resumes the rhythm

       C  C/E  G/D   C  
Of his golden  thread

G                  G/B    C     C/E G/D C     G7    G/B  C C/E  G/D C  
  And all of these spirit voices    rule  the night


Repeat and fade:

G                  G/B    C     C/E G/D C     G7    G/B  C C/E  G/D C  
  And all of these spirit voices    rule  the night



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