This song is best known nowadays for Josh Groban's cover but it was written by Dan Heymann.
I am a total beginner so this is most likely not in the original key... but I
couldn't find any other version online so here you go. You can use your own
judgment and style for the timing of the D7 chord as the pickup to the next
measure, or even go straight from A to D7 if you like, especially right before the
last line (the repeat). I've tried to space out the chorus to show how the chords
fall in the rests between lyrics.
Verse:
D A D A
I knew a man who lived in fear
D G D A
It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near
D A D A
Behind his house a secret place
D G A D
Was the shadow of the demon he could never face.
Bridge:
Em A Em A
He built a wall of steel and flame
Em G A D
And men with guns to keep it tame
D A D A
Then standing back he made it plain
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/josh_groban/weeping_crd.html ]
D G A D
That the nightmare would never ever rise again
D7 G D A D
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain.
Chorus:
G D G D
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow
G D A D D7
He tells the world that it's sleeping
G D G D
But as the night came round, I heard its lonely sound
G D A D D7
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping
G D A D
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
Verse:
And then one day the neighbours came
They were curious to know about the smoke and flame
They stood around outside the wall
But of course there was nothing to be heard at all
Bridge:
"My friends," he said, "We've reached our goal
The threat is under firm control
As long as peace and order reign
I'll be damned if I can see a reason to explain
Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain."
Chorus (repeat above)
The chords for the ad lib break before the final ending are:
G D A D
